Wednesday, January 8, 2014

The Temptation of Modest Aspirations

Routinely now, more and more companies are struggling as they plan for the future. People are sitting in meetings talking about where they want to be in 2018 and 2020. They are eager to be the best in their field and for everyone in the company to be passionate and unified in delivering this mission. The rally cries are to “confront the brutal facts” and “go big or go home.” It all sounds so exciting and motivating until one common problem shows up, namely that everyone wants harmony through out the entire process.

Effective teams who plan for the future, and effective leaders who help make those plans become real understand that airing ideological differences with passion and having tumultuous meetings is a normal part of strategic planning. While avoiding personal attacks, effective leaders and teams do engage in regular and in-depth strategic dialogue where conflicting ideas are explored and debated.

However, many organizations are experiencing strategic paralysis because they do not want to take the time or make the effort to create this depth of clarity.  They are afraid feelings will be hurt. So, instead of dealing with the real issues, they choose the easy out and seek modest aspirations rather than dealing with the complex strategic challenges before the organization. 

Given the above, we need a new generation of leaders who know how to lead people through the world of strategic and organizational change. We need leaders who understand how functional teams work, who recognize the right choices to be made, and who can create positive forward momentum. We need leaders who are playing to win rather than simply playing to avoid difficulty.

If you are looking to build this kind of capacity in your organization, then now is the time to enroll these individuals in the 2014 From Vision to Action Leadership Training. Through this challenging, interactive curriculum which blends lectures, selected readings, small and large group discussions, and how to skill-building exercises, participants in this four part leadership training gain critical knowledge and skills which will improve their ability to be become better strategic and operational leaders.

For more information on how to register for the 2014 From Vision to Action Leadership Training, please click on the following link: http://www.chartyourpath.com/VTA-Leadership-Training.html

Planning for 2018 and 2020 are important activities.  Now is the time to make sure you have the leaders who can plan effectively and implement those important plans once they are ready.

Geery Howe, M.A. Consultant, Executive Coach, Trainer in Leadership, Strategic Planning and Organizational Change Morning Star Associates 319 - 643 - 2257

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