It doesn't have to be this way

If you think you are beaten, you are;

If you think you dare not, you don't.

If you'd like to win, but you think you can't,

It's almost certain you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you've lost;

For out in this world we find

Success begins with a person's will

It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you're outclassed, you are;

You've got to think high to rise.

You've got to be sure of yourself before

You can ever win the prize.

Life's battles don't always go

To the stronger or faster man;

But sooner or later the person who wins

Is the one who thinks he can.

"The one who thinks he can". I've known this poem for as long as I can remember and I've always believed it to be true. I also believe that today, more than ever, we all need to believe two other things are true: [1] We act based on what we believe to be true. [2] What we believe to be true might not be.

I believe the core of adaptive leadership is a maintained ability to look freshly at what is, and do something about it. Our barriers are twofold. [1] What we see, and what we are prepared to do, are a direct result of our values, beliefs and mindset: We are unable to see what we can’t see so we cannot look freshly. [2] And, if we believe we cannot do something then we can’t. The result of either is we get stuck and do nothing [and live with the fall-out], or we take action based on what we can see, or think we can see, tackle the wrong problem, and live with the fall-out.

These issues are relevant to you if you or your Directors and senior managers are stuck. If your strategic or operational plans are stuck, quagmired, require endless board papers, cause between silo mayhem, or toxic pragmatism [short term win, long term lose], or are forcing you to choose between quality, time, budget or customer intent.

Consistent evaluation over 8 years [and thousands of 121 and team coaching hours] consistently shows working with me shifts how individuals and management teams think, feel and comprehend an issue, and opens their perspective such that new ideas emerge which, with ongoing support, get implemented at pace so they can swiftly tackle the next issue.

I'm looking for stuck teams and leaders to work with next quarter. Get in touch if I can help you or your people get from where they are to where they need to be, at pace, so they can move on to the next thing and drive your organisation forward.

If you think I can help you or your team, get in touch and let's talk about it. [I'm the one who thinks you can and I can help you think you can too].