Let’s be honest, it’s tough to be a leader today. It seems that so many things are out of our control. Take your pick of the things impacting your business currently.
· Supply chain issues
· Rising fuel costs
· Pending interest rate hikes
· Labor shortages
· Global competition
· Government “help”
Certainly not a complete list, but it’s easy to lose focus and become overwhelmed.
I’m currently reading a book, “One Bullet Away, The Making of a Marine Officer”, about a new second lieutenant in the Marine Corp that fresh out of training he finds himself leading men into combat in the 2nd Iraq war.
He’s faced with overwhelming tasks, uncertainly, conflicting orders, shifting requirements, and is still expected to accomplish tasks and keep his troops safe. It talks about how his training kicks in and he remains focused on what’s critical and what gives him the best options for success.
Leading a company in today’s environment is very similar. Granted, if you make a mistake your employees don’t lose their lives, but they could lose their livelihood.
I remember when my first company reached a level of 550 employees. I had a sobering thought that not just my employees were at risk but their families as well. If each had a family of 3 that was an impact on more than 1,600 people!
Your decisions matter, as well as you’re not deciding on things because of uncertainly.
The only thing you can do is have crystal clear picture of where your company is and what your most critical paths are. Focus relentlessly on what’s critical and control what you can. Have plans in place to address various contingencies and execute with purpose.
In my experience I find that planning and execution are the two major things that are not adequately addressed in companies today.
What you’re your thoughts?