No Time for the Timid

At the end of one of the roughest economic years in recent memory leaders have a great challenge at hand. Government is having greater impact on significant industries such as auto, finance and health and the trickledown effect will be a tidal wave of impact.

Are you ready?

The leadership approach of "wait and see" is no longer an acceptable strategy. The longer you wait, the more changes are going to happen, the more behind you will get. Obviously, I'm not saying take a "ready, shoot, aim" approach because you will need to digest the volume of changes that are coming and interpret the impact on your organization. However, once you have that understanding to the best of your ability it’s time to take action.

Clear picture no more

Not that many years ago the business world was a clear picture of how to make profits, gain a bit of market share and know who the competition was. You can't wait for the clear picture anymore. Visionary skills at the top are more important now because the picture isn't so clear. A leader has to be able to see through the fog and recognize where their organization needs to be heading. Executive ability to lead in a storm is trait most needed in business today. These are not times for the timid.

Over the next few years businesses are going to fall into three categories and the leadership of each organization will determine which category those organizations fall into.

Passive

These organizations will be late adopters and want to follow trends. These executives are more interested in hanging in the middle of the pack and hoping others will determine the path the industry must follow. The only problem here is how fast things change now. By the time the passive organization joins the trend, the wants of consumers has already shifted and these organization will only be serving the stragglers. Passive organizations will always be looking to cut budgets and hope to make profits at the end of the year.

Old school

This category of organizations is the group that just believes in doing things the old fashioned way based on the thought it worked fine for the last 40 years it will work fine for the next 40. Old school organizations resistant to change have a short life expectancy. The Big Three auto makers are the best example of change resistance to the eternal detriment of the company. Change can be scary and sometimes executives just want things to stay the same. Unfortunately, business is progressing rapidly with increasing speed and these companies will be lost and left behind to suffer a fate of either closing, being purchased, or broken apart. In this category the smaller the company the shorter the life expectancy.

Aggressive

These organizations are going to be looking for every advantage they can possibly exploit and take the necessary risks to make it happen. They will shop for top talent, pay high salaries and take the occasional long shot. The workloads will be tremendous and the commitment extensive. This is a group that thrives on change, and desires to be in the forefront of the industry.

Some organizations will project well and make huge strides; others will miss the mark and most-likely cost the executives their employment. This is a gutsy group that lives for winning. The risk is high but so is the potential payoff.

As you can see, the business world, no matter which category you lead your organization into requires risk and courage. It’s up to you to decide which path you feel best to be part of. The day of the timid leader enjoying the ride is over.

Failure? Not a damn chance

2009 is on pace to record close to 150,000 commercial bankruptcies to go along with almost 1.5 million total bankruptcies. That is a lot of lost wealth and lot of crushed dreams. Businesses have failed because leadership was poorly matched with the situation they encountered. Whether it came on suddenly or gradually, the leadership missed important steps to preventing the failure from happening.
How do you prevent getting into such a dire situation when the best choice you have left is to ruin your credit rating and get into a disastrous financial situation for your organization? You have forethought and rely on these three steps.

Obstacles are a guide post

Along the way to every bankruptcy were poor decisions and misunderstood obstacles. Obstacles are not always best dealt with by waiting from them to get out of the way. You can't throw money at obstacles and hope that will make them to go away. Just going around them and not considering the new direction you just took is also a poor decision.

So what do you do with obstacles? Sometimes obstacles are an indicator a new direction is needed. But make sure you know where the new path is heading other than simply around the obstacle. When you encounter an obstacle to the normal flow of your business, stop a minute and think what it means.

Obstacles will show you what you are doing incorrectly if you stop and pay attention. Most people are of the mind set to plow forward and charge through on the same path they have always taken. In these times of rapid upheaval change, it's the right time to stop and think what your obstacles are telling you. They could be warning signs of greater problems down your normal path.

Refuse to lose

What does it mean to refuse to lose? Continue to bang your head against a wall until you are unconscious? Of course not, "refuse to lose" is more about commitment and dedication with a healthy mix of business savvy.

Bankruptcy had become too easy in this country and poor decision makers were using it to wipe the slate clean of mistakes to get a fresh start and letting others pay for their mistakes without making the effort to save the mess they created. The bankruptcy reforms of 2005 tightened the rules on these folks making it tougher to file for bankruptcies, but the mentality of business owners haven’t adjusted as fast as the law.

I see business leaders throwing in the towel because the work seems overwhelming. I've seen small businesses disappear because owners simply quit. Most business failures don't happen overnight unless there was a disaster such as a fire or a devastating law suit. This is not a popular opinion I know, but most businesses fail because leaders either were not paying attention or didn't have the energy to do what it takes to refuse to lose. If there was ever a time to have mental toughness, now is the time.

When you dig deep surprises happen

Innovation never happens unless someone is trying to solve as problem. When times are challenging and you feel backed against a wall, dig deep for new ideas, fresh thinking and new solutions.

We never know what we are fully capable of until we are fully tested. Don't shy away from challenges, embrace them. Don't throw in the towel, stoke that fire from within and drive harder. Failure? It doesn't stand a chance when you are fully engaged and committed to coming out on top.

5 Ways to Get Your Mind in the Game

Watching college football games over the weekend and thinking about how we are coming to the end of a challenging year I am reminded how critical it is for us to be focused because there is such a slim margin between winning and losing.

1. Your morning pregame

All athletes know the importance of pregame preparation which is why some are almost obsessive to have the identical pregame routine before every game. Listen to the same music, have the same meal, even to the point of in what order they put on their socks. Lack of a structured pregame can have a negative impact. I've witnessed games lost because of the attitudes in the locker room before the game ever started.They just didn't have their minds ready for the game.

Rushing into your office at the last minute with a cup of coffee and a half eaten Danish isn't how to start your day. Neither is wiping away the sleep from your eyes because you stayed up late watching the game the night before.

Define your perfect morning pregame. What should you eat? How much rest should you have the night before? What are you thinking during your commute? What is your excitement level for hitting the office door charging into your day?

The next time you watch a college football game imagine the team strolling onto the field just before kick off still pulling on their uniforms and grabbing a snack. Would you think they were prepared? Why do you accept that losing behavior in yourself? Get in the game before the game.

2. Clearing your mind of distractions

Athletes with off the field problems frequently tell reporters they enjoy being in the game because they get to block out the distractions and focus on winning. How many office mates do you see wasting time, energy and effort on distractions outside of the job? When you are at work are you AT work? When I pay to see a concert I expect the band to be in the moment and deliver their best effort I paid to see. When I see an athlete play I want to see a focus that is on nothing else but winning the game I paid to attend.

Your employer paid to have you deliver your best performance. Are you focused enough to bring your best to the table? Once upon a time people brought their work problems home. Today, people bring their home problems to work and their performance reflects this distracted behavior.

Get in the game. Leave the distractions for another time and get your focus on like millions are counting on you to deliver the victory -- because you employer, customers, potential customers and employees are.

3. Know your role

I saw a great quote of a military edict: Shut your hole and know your role. Imagine if you adopted that approach to the rest of the year of work? In the final three weeks of the year create a focus that isn't about small talk and gossip and instead was a pure focus of getting things done you know need done. Perform your role you know makes things positive happen. Forget the chit chat, zone in on the task at hand.

4. Have a plan

The night before you check out of your office did you leave a specific plan for the next day? Without that plan most people lose the first couple of hours of the morning trying to get the day started in the right direction. Imagine your job is a movie and when you turn the lights out in your office for the day you hit the pause button on the movie. The next morning when you throw on the lights for the day you hit the play button on the movie. No warming up, none of this "Now where were we?" No refiguring what needs to be done. The movie picks up on the line of dialogue it paused at with a seamless plan (script) still in place.

A plan will give you that type of consistency day to day that will help you get many more things accomplished.

5. Execute the plan

I hear executives tell me they do write down their plans for the next day the night before but when they hit the office in the morning there are unforeseen demands and distractions and some days they never get to the plan. Sounds to me like the job is in control of the executive instead of the executive being in control of the job. When you have a plan and execute the plan you know how to deal with the few distractions that come up.

Having a plan and not sticking to it, is nothing but a Santa Claus wish list of things you want to happen. Everyone wants to win, but those who win are the ones who have their mind in the game.

Russell's Rules #6: Somewhere There Always Exists the Right Answer.

What right answers are you hunting?

Where haven't you looked yet?

Leaders need to invest the time and energy to find the right answer, instead of finding the fastest answer. If you repair a symptom to patch up a problem immediately while leaving the root cause undiscovered, the problem is going to come back over and over again.

Exhaust all resources when searching for answers and find the root cause. Not only will this make your team better problem solvers, but you won't have to take the time to deal with the same issue over and over again. Resist attempting a bunch of answers at the same time, because if the problem is solved you have no idea which is the right solution to choose next time.

Just Do This…

Determine if you are addressing a symptom of a deeper root cause.

Define the root cause.

List possible "right" answers.

Try one answer at a time.

Document your solution — for the next time.

18 Questions to Grow Your Business on Thoughtful Thursday

1. Where should you be replacing fearful thoughts with courageous thoughts?

2. Where are you taking the path of least resistance because it’s just easier not better?

3. Are you waiting for your big break or are you making your big break happen?

4. Are you maintaining a thrive mentality or a survive mentality?

5. Do you have the energy required to lead in today’s business environment? If not, what can you do to get it?

6. Innovation is required in every business, what are you upcoming innovations to energize your business?

7. Where are you encouraging creativity in your work force?

8. How much freedom are you giving your workforce to act on those creative ideas?

9. Technology allows us to keep our distance while still being informed. Where do you need to engage with people again?

10. Before saying no to new ideas are you asking the person to create a compelling argument for their suggestion?

11. Are you creating a safe work environment where employees aren't afraid of what is going to happen next?

12. Time is the enemy. What are you procrastinating you need to act on right now?

13. There is a talent rich employee pool out there right now. Where do you need to be making upgrades?

14. What does "Shut your hole and know your role" mean to you as a leader?

15. How can you "Get Big" in thought and action?

16. What is the one thing about you that you hope no one finds out?

17. If you don’t change that one thing, how are you going to deal with it when they do find out?

18. If you lost the ability to create spin control, would your truth still be successful?

3 Mind-numbing Mind Games to Avoid

I used to do a popular program entitled "Get Over the Obstacle, When the Obstacle is You." In good times people were eager to hear how they could get out of their own way. In tough times audiences become less interested because being in their own way is also called their comfort zone and that's where they want to stay, even to their own detriment.

I can be silent on this issue no longer. We MUST stop the mind-numbing mind games we play on ourselves if we are going to rise to the occasion of rebuilding our economy. So as not to overload anyone, let's focus on just three of the myriad of mind games we hurt ourselves with.

The pain of rejection

Savvy business people can twist themselves up trying to avoid rejection. "Now is not a good time." "I need to take care of other things." and "No one is buying right now anyhow." are common excuses to avoid rejection. The fact is, what we call rejection is a mind game. Ever have someone hang up on you? Tell you they don't like you? Cuss you out for calling them to sell something? We tend to take these personal and feel rejected on a deep psychological level. When in fact, what we call rejection is more of a statement on timing, the other person’s issues and learning proper methods for approaching people.

Instead of shutting down and feeling sick about it, remind yourself rejection is a mind game we play on our selves. Be objective and learn from it. Consider it more guidance than a personal attack and keep on forging ahead.

Fear

We are creating mental scenarios that have such a low remote possibility of happening, yet we adjust our behaviors accordingly. How many times have I heard executives claim with despair, "We could go if this economy lasts much longer." Contrary to popular belief, people are buying, companies are making profits, and companies are hiring. The doom and gloom is juicy news but not everyone is suffering and those who are suffering are not all going out of business.

We need to replace fear with courage in the business climate. Instead of looking to all the ills of what we are going through, we need to focus on what are the steps we can take to thrive in this situation. When you are focused on the positives, when you are driven with a monomaniacal vision, you don't leave room for fear to creep into your mind and cause it to be numb waiting for things to change. Take action.

The path of least resistance

I had a client tell me he is going to have a hiring freeze, salary freeze, bonus freeze, and cut the marketing budget in half and eliminate the training and conference budget and then trim everything else by 10% until things turn around. How's that for a progressive approach to leading your business to get ahead?

Where is the work? It’s the easy road. It's the path of least resistance to do wholesale cuts and freezes and blame the economy. When I hear an executive making these kinds of comments I believe it is an indicator of lack of interest, effort and commitment. Why? Because a company never grew or improved its standing in the market place by such behaviors.

Instead of looking for the path of least resistance, look for the path no one has thought to take. Look for the opportunity people are afraid to try because it's going to require a lot of work. In a tough economy hustle, mental toughness and a willingness to try new things will grow a company more than a path of least resistance.

Most times we are the creator of our own mental blocks. Take a look at what is numbing your mind, and get reenergized to thrive in the coming weeks and months.