The Question to Answer in 2016
It’s tragic when leaders piss away their energy and talent on things that don’t matter. If at the end of the day, you wonder what you did, it didn’t matter.
The question to answer in a pressure-packed world is, “What matters now?”
Identify what matters now, if you hope to make a difference.
The things that matter now are at the intersection of untapped talent, current opportunity, and vitality.
Untapped talent: How might you express your talent in new ways?
Stagnation isn’t lack of effort. It’s safe repetition.
- Test yourself. Stop drifting. Success – that eliminates exploration – is failure in disguise.
- Extend yourself beyond current activities or relationships.
- Try something new where failure doesn’t feel fatal.
- Help teammates find untapped talent by giving them a safety net.
Current opportunity: What could you do now?
An opportunity is the chance to add value before receiving it.
- Keep one eye on future opportunity, but two on current. The enemy of big impact is despising small possibilities.
- Do it for free. If people aren’t paying you to coach, for example, do it for free. Coach your spouse, children, or distant relatives.
- Listen to frustration. How might you solve your own frustrations? Behind anger is opportunity.
- Solve your own struggles and share what you learn. Suppose you’re struggling to lead change in your organization:
- Adopt new strategies.
- Include outsiders.
- Learn and share, even if it’s what didn’t work.
Greater impact is the result of doing what matters now.
Don’t worry about being great. Worry about serving now.
Vitality: What makes you feel alive?
- Risk disappointment.
- Reflect on your energy levels.
- Do less of what makes you feel dead.
- Develop relationships that give you energy.
Make a difference by tapping untapped talent, seizing current opportunity, and following vitality.
What prevents people from doing what matters now?
How might leaders do what matters now?
Dan great blog with a new year coming. To me the way to focus on what is important goes to my version of Planning with a circular 3 parts:
1. A traditional strategic overview using one of many models but covering your industry, competition strengths weaknesses etc
2. Explore strategic options that the overview points out like areas to expand or systems to improve
3.Take a specific action to work as a Team on one or more options
The last step completes the cycle or circle because when you are done you must go back to the beginning and start again. Real Planning is ongoing and usually takes many small steps but keeps everyone focused on what matters!
Brad
Brad James
Dear Dan,
Hope you have celebrated Christmas eve in a big way.
You have given 3 dimensions to shape up organisation or one self.
But I want to ask a question to you like what is economic mental bankruptcy?
You people are calling tapped and untapped, or current but current situation of organisations is very vulnerable , you may be thinking am I mad, yes I am.
Can you think what could be the next level or experiments for cultivating the talent, now it’s big question for big organisations like Google or TCS.
They have enough money but how to use this reserve or readily available resource but think tank might be thinking that they are best work place in world with current talent and Dan fun is that this current talent tapping opportunity or talents for few forthcoming days specifically not For years.
And clapping for creating a different thoughtful world.
Situations are running on a spinning wheel like circadian rhythm or bit change in rhythm leads to heart problem because peripheries are not in control like dissatisfaction at ground level or far which is still to be visible.
This economic attrition of various leadership models are reasons of big debacle.
Economic mental attrition is very dangerous in current ongoing models.
Vitality is the weapon of those who are saving themselves from economic mental attrition. Never keep such notions with you that you are leading but think twice like you must not be part of mental or economic mental bankruptcy on paradigm shift of climate change of thoughts.
Soon a new leadership would emerge and will redefine the parameters of untapped talent with a vitality to break current jinx.
Richer by thoughts is one aspect but thinking of rich thoughts is another aspect.
crazy
Love what you wrote here Dan: “Stagnation isn’t lack of effort. It’s safe repetition.” Perhaps that’s one reason for the saying “Success doesn’t take any more effort than failure.” Both take effort but the latter drains us if persisted in, while striving to make for improvement takes work but energizes us. “Safety” breeds stagnation, boredom and mediocrity.
Hello Dan;
“What matters now”, (where ‘should’ leaders focus their time), lead me to think of the following mantra I share frequently when faced with deciding “what’s the most important thing a leader should be doing now?” At first, it sounds a bit ‘corny’, but there plenty logic in it’s simplicity. It goes as follows; “THE MOST IMPROTANT THING TO DO, IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO DO.”
This can be a tough one for executive’s that are more of a manager than a leader. It’s ‘EXTREMLY-TOUGH’ for the micro manager exec. The typical manager follows a certain set of guidelines, protocol if you will, of daily (Check-Box activities) that they ‘perceive’ absolutely must be done same time, same way, each & everyday. These check-box activities handcuff even the most well intended efforts of ‘Problem Solving Leaders’. The reason is simple, there’s only so many hours in a day. Organizations that require leaders to spend countless hours on redundant activities that a subordinate can easily do, are squandering the skill’s and talents of their leaders. Leaders should be at the top every organizations list of “Go-2-People”, when it come to special projects and everyday problem solving. Handcuffing them to daily mundane duties is a waste of precious time and talent.
The cost associated with this Neanderthal approach can be astronomical. Problems that are ignored, or ‘not’ addressed immediately have the potential to derail positive future business forecast . “Problems ignored, are problems that grow, problems that grow lead to business that’s S L O W…”
As for the (MICRO-MANAGER), how in the world can we expect these people to do anything ‘outside the box’, when they’re consistently ‘looking over the shoulders’ of the people who work for them.
It’s all about prioritizing. Depending on the circumstances, leaders need to constantly re-evaluate and re-priorities as organizational needs and customer demands dictate.
(WANTED) – “Great Leaders”, micro-managers need not apply…. ‘sorry’
Cheers Dan P.S. I trust you, Dale, and the family enjoyed a wonderful Xmas.
“MERRY Ho-Ho MY FRIEND!!!”
SGT Steve
2016 I going to be another great year. Thanks for all of the wisdom shared in your pieces.
Self-reflection leads to Self-Discovery !
Thanks,Paul
One of the greatest sources of untapped talent is the active abd dngaged portion of 55+ generation that has continued to develop tech skills, creative skills and capacities to innovate that leverage their hands-on and real-life experience. According to Forbes, people aged 55+ currently hold over 70% of the disposable income that is available in the current economy. Both younger and older entrepreneurs and investors need to engage this portion of 55+ demographic within their workforce if they hope to more effective reach buyers in this market segment.
How many 25-35 year old brand, marketing, or product managers ‘really’ know how to position and package value propositions for this economically powerful segment?