As
economic downturns lift, many people in business remain hesitant about driving
forward with purposeful strategies. It is as though they remain in the dark,
watching the rear view mirror and each side of the road for dangers ahead. Then
when dawn is breaking, they find that the Sooners have beaten them again.
Think
back in time. The Sooners were people who crossed the line into new territories
in the Oklahoma land rush ahead of the starting time. In recessionary years it
is almost as though many businesses keep “holding their horses” and as a result
may have missed some earlier opportunities to hit pay-dirt.
Those
holding back are conscientious people who mean well. They have good intentions.
They believe they are protecting their organizations with carefully exercised
prudence.
It
is hard to quarrel with that wisdom in down times; but if you find yourself
regretting your own timing and wishing you had invested more and sooner in what
appears to be a continuing recovery, you ought to ask yourself whether your
good intentions were really all that good for you or your organization.
Leaders
who take a strategic, forthright, intentional posture to their futures (whether
for their businesses or their own careers), place their eyes on the prize--not
on conventional wisdom, the consensus of others, the law of averages or the
uncertain behavior from a general statement of market conditions.
Consider
those who apply a definite focus, who are clear and determined and do things on
purpose. They are leaders who have a leg up on their futures. They operate with
relish and assertiveness because they visualize opportunity. As a result, they marshal energetic support
from their people --those critical folks who bring about the intended outcomes.
Sometimes they execute on this vision with a sudden flourish, and in other
cases after dogged hard work.
These
leaders are pro-choice. They are choosers who press for the future. They don’t
spend precious time defending discarded strategies. They choose, instead, to
lead the charge sooner rather than later.
