Beyond knowledge of operations, you must, as an entrepreneur and leader of an organization, have a clear picture of it, this is commonly called the big picture .

To be credible and influence all stakeholders of a company, you must understand it well and be able to discuss finances, accounting, strategy, marketing, sales, market, etc.

You have to rise above the fray and grasp all the nuances of management. You have to be able to describe your business quickly, from all these angles.

A leader of an organization must master and be able to explain the purpose (why you exist?) and the vision (the future destination) of the organization. You must know the value proposition (promise to the customer) of your company towards customers and have clearly identified your main strategic issues and objectives. You must also explain to potential employees your value proposition as an employer (your promise to employees) and why they should come work with you. If you need investment, are you able to define the value proposition for investors (promise of profitability to shareholders or creditors)?

When you meet with your banker, accountant, investors or creditors, you must be able to discuss and understand the key financial and accounting elements as well as the value chain of your organization. In order to influence and mobilize stakeholders, you must speak the same language as them, whether it is the popularization of certain terms with your employees or the financial language with your banker. You absolutely must master the basic notions of accounting to be able to challenge your shareholders, creditors or potential partners!

You must enter the following financial elements: turnover, sources of income, gross margin, net profit, main costs, variable costs, fixed costs, cash flows generated by your operations, forecasts, main financial ratios, etc.

To be able to understand your organization, you must have drawn up your business plan and your strategic plan.

These will allow you to have a good understanding of your market, your customers, your strengths and weaknesses as well as the threats and opportunities.

You will also find the main risks that your company could encounter and how to mitigate them.

All these elements are crucial when it comes to describing your organization. It's called having the big picture!

Are you able to tell us about it in a clear and convincing way, well beyond the technical knowledge of your products and services?

The more you master these elements, the more you will be able to understand your organization and ensure sound governance.

The better you understand your organization and its key elements, the more credible you will be with those involved.

The clearer your picture of your company, the more you will be able to exercise influential leadership!

All stakeholders need to perceive that there is a captain on board the ship, because you will need to convince them to follow you in your vision and achieving your goals.