Over the past 9 months I have had the opportunity to meet and collaborate with some incredible people and companies. Businesses of all sizes, that have great people, wonderful technology and energy and enthusiasm for growth.
Many of these companies are in traditional businesses. All possess two things in common, they all have core values that are traditional and a vision that is exciting and new! I will call them the “WHAT IF VISIONARIES.”
They are the people who believe that someone is going to be the best at what they do, why not us? They are the architects of their own destinies and believe you should never allow anyone to affect you more than you can affect yourself.
I have had the opportunity to partner with them on strategies, create training workshops and deliver keynotes where we inspired each other.
It caused me to examine some of the paradigms, wise tales, and urban legends I grew up with. Here are two that I think the “what If visionaries” would not accept!
The first is one we have all heard and probably used. Does this sound familiar?
The devil you know is better than the devil you don’t know.
While this may work with Wall Street investors who like consistency in expectations, it can be harmful in many ways as a leader. Let us look at it from a few perspectives.
1. People: you may stick too long with a person who needs a change of job or scenery. It may be time for a new position but because they are the person you know, no change is made, you stick with the status quo, the safe bet. The real casualty is the value you place on diversity of thought and the encouragement of a wide range of viewpoints among team members to avoid group thinking. It hinders your ability to create more impactful solutions and opportunities for advancement.
2. Business: sticking with the devil you know does not allow you to identify and successfully generate new products, markets, and geographic growth opportunities. It stifles you from continually searching for ways to add value and to position the organization for future success.
3. You will always stop at the first answer. The “What if Visionaries” look past the first right answer to create breakthrough, first to market answers!
Another one is:
It is not the plan that is important, it is the planning.
1. If you focus on the planning process (the activity of planning) only and not the desired outcome and how to accomplish the desired outcomes, along with the key metrics, this leads to an organization with a poor plan and poor results but with some great planning meetings.
2. It brings into question the business acumen of the leader. Do they understand and have experience in all functional areas of their business? Do they understand finance as the language of business and use it to effectively monitor and improve business performance and do they know how to utilize a Balanced Business Scorecard to augment financial planning?
3. They should be credible with the investor community and all other stakeholders as they are building the plan. Finally, they need to become an expert in all aspects of business planning and lead the management team in highly effective planning protocols.
Working with the “what if visionaries” is motivating, empowering and creates great energy and enthusiasm inside an organization. The change in thinking for them is questions like:
• What if we viewed our people as our greatest asset?
• What if we aspired to have the best, the brightest, most informed, and best people in our
industry?
• What if our processes created our quality results?
• What if we are a technology company that happens to make “X” product or “Y” services?
• Are we the sum of many little things done well?
• What does good look like?
The list can go on and on. But for me one thing is clear, the “What If Visionaries” are the next generation of business leaders who will be the Architects Of Their Own Destiny!
These are the people I want to work with, consult with, train with, strategize with and speak with, because they see things differently and challenge themselves not to stop at the first right answer.
“What if Visionaries” embrace and understand that leadership is about building a bridge to the future. Success will be measured by the degree to which you give your people the opportunity to help build that bridge by communicating and educating each one of them on the vision and strategy.
Please call me if you are a “What If Visionary,” If it is time to put your business dreams and visions to reality. I would love to help.
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I have broad experiences to share that can help others as they grow and take on new challenges. During my time as president of UPS Supply Chain Solutions, I integrated over 20 acquisitions that became UPS Supply Chain Solutions. I steered UPS’s entry into the health care industry and created the mantra, “It’s a patient, not a package. ®” With the ability to see a clear vision of the changing business landscape, the passion to develop strategies, tactics, and metrics to drive desired results, and the passion to develop the Best, The Brightest, Most Informed, and Best People in the industries they serve.
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