Joel Kurtzman in his book, Common Purpose: How Great Leaders Get Organizations to Achieve The Extraordinary (Jossey-Bass 2010), writes: “Strategic leaders are people within organizations who plot the course... Strategic leaders generally can think far into the future...The best of these people understand where the future is going and how to get there.” He continues, “The role of operational leaders is quite different from those of strategic leaders. Operational leaders make certain the trains run on time, the manufacturing processes are adequate, the logistics systems work, the technicians are well trained, and the the trucks are where they are supposed to be.... like strategic leaders, operational leaders are vital to an organization’s success.” For Kurtzman and many other authors, both strategic leaders and operational leaders, who are often called management, are mission critical to successful execution over time.
Whether one is strategic or operational, the key is to understand something very important that is frequently missed in the rush to get things done. What the best leaders understand is that leadership does not happen in some distant time period when we have our lives all together and in perfect order. It does not take place once we get everything and everyone all together. Instead, the moment for leadership happens when things are messy. Sanity and goodness may not always be present. However, this is the moment when we must rise up and be a leader. It is not “doing” leadership as a thing to get done, but instead it is a moment when we can choose to “be” the leader. And in that moment of leadership, it is our wise choices and our wise actions that will make the difference
For I have learned one thing by working with many leaders over many decades. We become a leader inch by inch, moment by moment, step by step, working with our minds and our hearts. And as we move forward, we need to take responsibility for our own state of mind before telling others what their state of mind should be. The mantle of leadership rests upon our shoulders and we can be strategic or operational depending on the situation before.
This week and from now until the new year, I challenge you to be the leader that I know you can be. Take responsibility for your inner clarity and then make wise choices and take wise actions. Now is the time to make a positive difference in the world and within your circle of influence.
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