In my leader coaching work, it’s often evident that the leader’s in trouble because they haven’t, and aren’t, giving enough attention to the big picture. They’re not standing back and looking strategically at what dangers could be around the corner or setting a course for where to drive their business.
Are you one of these leaders who puts too much focus on the operational, on the tactical, and insufficient on the strategic?
Especially in these interesting times when risks and opportunities abound, you don’t want to be caught unawares. You need to have stood back and taken a bird’s-eye view of your business and the broader environment and:
- Determined where you want your business, or your part of the business, to go—and how you’re going to get it there.
- Identified what potentially could get in your way—and what you need to do to overcome those barriers.
I’m not necessarily suggesting that you build an intricate five-year or even one-year plan—things change too quickly.
The thing is, when you’re clear about your strategies then you’re in a strong position to respond to the shifts and turns in your marketplace.
As an Example…
Looking from a strategic perspective, what is shifting in your industry? And what’s happening in your organisation? What about with your people?
You know, effective leading is a different game compared to the way it was twelve short months ago.
For example, what are you doing to keep your key people engaged and continuing to develop if things are contracting? Could they be considering a leap into another attractive boat where they perceive they’d thrive and expand?
If you lose one or more of your crucial players, it could be because you’ve neglected to motivate, grow and challenge them!
And the cost of re-hiring and inducting a new person is probably not something that you want to sink your funds into right now, is it?
Your Leadership Call to Action
Especially in the current environment, are you strategically confronting the potential risks that may be lurking?
How habitually are you linking the many variables and projecting a likely series of developments? Or have you been taking a too-narrow perspective?
If you have a natural preference to focus on the operational and the tactical, now would be a good time to create a stronger habit of standing back and considering what’s happening in your marketplace and in your organisation from a birds-eye perspective. For example…
- Are you proactively managing the energy of your team members so they’re remarkably motivated, and remarkably motivating?
- And are you protecting your key people from attractive competitive employers by supporting them to be the exemplary leaders that they need to be when you need to increase revenues and decrease expenses?
Of course, both of these issues are things that I can help with—they’re frequently what my Leader Coaching programs are about.
I’m dedicated to bringing solutions to the things that you’re concerned about. Email or phone to arrange a time to talk about your situation and what steps we’d put in place to move in the direction of your ideal.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Carolyn Stevens has worked with leaders for more than 25-years—hundreds of them.
She’s supported leader after leader (including those who previously struggled to confront the difficult, let alone persuasively deal with the it) flourish—and become confident, courageous and impressively influential.
Carolyn is authentic and results-oriented. She draws on an eclectic array of approaches, tools and techniques to suit the situation.
