Anticipate, Align and Act!
11/16/04
Rick Royer, CEO, Primaris, shared his passion for leadership at a recent conference: "Leaders do primary things within an organizational system: they anticipate, they align and they act. This is my invitation to you. Be the leader who is motivational, empowering, visionary, intelligent, inclusive, and-most important of all-be the leader who is passionate for quality and improved outcomes-Anticipate, Align and Act. Become the executive who transcends the status quo by folding your pursuit for excellence into your organizational culture…the person, who, instead of delegating by authority, leads by example. Recognize that as your facility becomes the standard for others, it will also become the target of the envious few."
Anticipate, Align and Act! There is no "one" challenge to leadership that captures all that is required of today's leaders, but this one is critical for any leader focused on making change work for their organization. It requires looking for and anticipating customer changes and economic obstacles, selling and shaping the need for strategic change, and moving forward to begin the process again. The line of sight for anticipation is not any more clear than our crystal balls stored in the closet. What trends do we look at? What changes and innovations are happening on the periphery of our industry that could transform our marketplace? Which customers do I listen to? The obstacles to finding clear strategic focus are many, but the challenge remains. Today's leader must worry more about getting stuck in inaction than in finding the perfect path. As leaders value and exercise their skills of anticipating, aligning and acting, confidence grows. Like a skier tempted to go slower to keep from falling, he learns that only with speed does he find the edges that keeps him safe. He may not pick the perfect path through the moguls, but he finds his path and accomplishes his goal. For today's leader, there is no way off the hill and no end to the challenges. So we end where we began. Start this week to sharpen your skills for your change journey--Anticipate, Align and Act....Again and Again.
A PAULSON QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"Today's leader must worry more about getting stuck in inaction than in finding the perfect path. As leaders value and exercise their skills of anticipating, aligning and acting, confidence grows." --Terry Paulson, Ph.D.
MONDAY'S MIRTHFUL MOMENT
My long-time friend, colleague and evil USC fan Bill Bradley supplies this week's humor--Groaners you just may have to laugh at it...painfully!
A jumper cable walks into a bar. The bartender says, "I'll serve you, but don't start anything."
Two peanuts walk into a bar, and one was a salted.
A dyslexic man walks into a bra.
A man walks into a bar with a slab of asphalt under his arm and says: "A beer please, and one for the road."
"Doc, I can't stop singing 'The Green, Green Grass of Home.'"
"That sounds like Tom Jones Syndrome."
"Is it common?"
Well, "It's Not Unusual."I went to a seafood disco last week...and pulled a mussel.
What do you call a fish with no eyes? A fsh.
And finally,...two cows are standing next to each other in a field. Daisy says to Dolly, "I was artificially inseminated this morning." "I don't believe you," says Dolly. "It's true, no bull!" exclaims Daisy.
When you keep your eyes open for mirth, you just may find it! Hope this kicks off your morning and helps get your mood adjusted for the week. Now, get busy MAKING CHANGE WORK and have some fun along the way!...