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Sep 12 2012

Returning to the Driver’s Seat of Your Business (by learning to dance in the rain)

Your company is FINISHED with being a victim of some ECONOMY!  You are determined to reclaim the driver’s seat and return to the level of success you’ve known … and then some.   Ah … the question and the challenge becomes what is the right way to do this effectively.  I think it is when we stop asking ourselves what is happening and start acting on the basis of what IS happening.  And in this year … 2012 … across the lines of business types this seems to be the popular path.

There is a quote  attributed to Vivian Greene (wife of Author Graham Greene) and I think it’s very telling as to what reclaiming the driver’s seat just might mean.  It is … “Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass … it’s about learning to dance in the rain!”  And as I see more and more companies adopting this outlook it might explain why the big rush to buy umbrellas and raincoats … even in summer.

After spending much of the past 3-4 years working diligently to survive by holding our breaths to ride out the storm, more and more of us just got tired (to say nothing of wanting to breathe easily again).  Thus we have said … “that’s it! We’re turning raindrops from the storm into dollars.”

I’ve identified six critical actions that I find are inherent in almost every situation wherein leaders begin to dance in that rain.  I will relate the first three in this post and the balance next week.  I know that you have probably done some … at least.  Maybe this can serve as your check list to make certain you have all the bases covered.

ACTION # 1 – Create a new business paradigm

The first action that must take place is the need for the leadership team to accept and recognize that a new paradigm exists.  Regardless of how drastic the required change is from ‘what was’, reclaiming control starts because leaders are willing to understand and act on the need for significant change in perspectives and vision.

ACTION # 2 –Leadership Alignment around the new paradigm

Has your product lost its’ market?  Do you need to alter your processes to streamline operations and reduce costs?  Has your service become obsolete, or is it now considered a luxury that few can afford?  Identifying the full impact of the new business paradigm that you and your customers are experiencing is the place to start.

ACTION # 3 – Identify Leadership Team Strengths

Strengths related to your expertise in an industry or skills required in your industry will be needed going forward.  A highly functional leadership team with proven experience and capability to work well together is as important as ever.  The ability to lead and motivate employees may require a new set of skills, or at the very least, fine tuning of existing skills.

Next week I will post the continuation of this by focusing on the last three critical actions that help all of us move back to the driver’s seat and reclaim the success we know and want.

Mike

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Written by Mike · Categorized: Inspirational Leadership, Leadership

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