The Fearful and the Brave

Pursuing growth takes courage.?The brave take bold steps. Every executive, director and manager come to moments of decision. Leadership requires bravery. Leadership requires casting off fear. A brave decision maker must know three things.

“I find the great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving – we must sail sometimes with the wind and sometimes against it – but we must sail, and not drift, nor lie at anchor.”?― Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

1. Where are you going??

Columbus was a brave soul. He cast off the shore of mediocrity and embarked on an historical trip. His bravery took him and his team into uncharted waters. As a decision maker for one or multiple organizations, you need to do the same.

Where is the industry??You need to know. What is growing and what is lagging? How will that affect your clients and prospects? What do you need to learn to move forward? What do you need to jettison to keep alive? Be bold.

Where is your niche??Is it growing? Is it growing in volume, complexity, confluence with related service and product, or number of potential clients? Is it shrinking? Do you need to make a bold strike to hold market share or to improve market position? Be bold.

Where is your risk??Can your team keep up the pace? Are they learning at a fast enough rate? Is your equipment and software set where it needs to be? What is your competition doing to put you out of business? Are you poised to meet the challenges? Be bold.

2. Who is going with me??All of us need to sort through good and not-so-good clients.

??????????????????????? - Some clients are dragging bottom. They are anchors on a sailing ship. Every Friday at 2pm they bring impossible requests and frustrate your team on their way to anticipated family time. They call your top sales members in the evening when they would rather be watching a child’s soccer game. Files are never ready and cost you more dollars to fix than the profit on the order. Inventory your clients. Can you contain the anchors, so they don’t damage progress for everyone? Is there a way to manage them and keep the ship running across the ocean at high speed? Be brave.

??????????????????????? - Some clients bring valued cargo into the hold.?Every order is ready to go, priorities are understood, and expectations are in line with your capabilities. You love to meet these folks for lunch and talk about the victories. Profit margins are ample because the speed of trust enables lean operation on the orders. Payments or allocations are handled posthaste, and receivables look wonderful to your accounting. Be brave.

??????????????????????? - Some clients sharpen your saw. No one shaves off fear quicker than these clients. No one creates fear faster than these clients. Every month, they have a new idea that challenges your team to move faster, brighter, and with more creativity. You love them and hate them. You would never grow without them for they point out the future of the industry. They ask for services you never dreamed you could give.? They pose questions that make you and your team study to respond.? They request outlandish responsivity that stretches capacity. They make you shine. Be brave.

3. What will we find when we get there?

Contentment lies not in quality or rest, but confidence that what we have done and where we have gone is the right journey. Decision makers pursue contentment not satisfaction. There is a constant dissatisfaction with the status quo that drives the bold to stay bold and the brave to be more courageous. Are you dissatisfied enough to be bold?

Summary:?Fear stifles and strangles. Bravery shifts and shapes. Take inventory of your plans to ensure they break the boundaries of fear and launch you into the future. You own the future. Serving inside the corporation or company or institution can breed fear. Surrounded by fearful managers looking for the safe route home?? Take the lead. Be one of the brave.

Enjoy a Better Life Forward. ;-{) phil

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Activate the Principle

Identify two regular clients or constituents in each category.? Set a plan of action to jettison or get closer to them.

Bottom Draggers

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Productive Cargo

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Saw Sharpeners