Leadership Thought #387 – 7 Ways to Avoid Getting Stale as a Leader
You can never lose your edge in business as a leader. The moment you get complacent, your organization becomes vulnerable to its competitors and the vagaries of the marketplace. I’ve seen many good companies and talented leaders get caught off guard by changes in their industry or economic realities they were slow to identify and adapt to. The pace of change is only accelerating as the world becomes flatter, technological innovations come more quickly, and customers push for more options at lower prices. Being good enough no longer works, at least not for any extended period. Today’s champion is tomorrow’s goat if he/she gets complacent or rests on his/her laurels.
Here are seven ideas on how to avoid becoming stale as a leader:
- Pay close attention to the business news — there has never been a better time to subscribe to The Wall Street Journal.
- Subscribe to the Harvard Business Review and/or McKinsey Quarterly — not everything will interest you, but occasionally, you will learn something important that could have a significant impact on your business.
- Spend more time with your top customers — there is no better source of information regarding your product/service than the people you are selling it to.
- Join a business leader peer group – all relevant data proves that peer groups enhance individual effectiveness.
- Hire smart, ambitious people who push you to improve your own game. If you always have all the answers and/or ask pertinent questions, then the wrong people surround you.
- Travel and see the world— don’t confine your worldview to your backyard.
- Attend personal development training seminars on a regular basis — never stop growing as a person.
Success is rarely just a matter of luck or timing. It mainly involves thoughtful preparation, laser-like focus, informed decision-making, and hard work. Without pushing yourself and your business to continually evolve and grow, sustaining success for any extended period will be impossible. If you are growing stale as a leader, do something about it or step aside. The consequences of inaction will come more quickly than you think.
Related articles
- The CEO Peer Group Value Proposition (gailschapergordon.com)
- How Hard Are You Willing to Push Yourself? – Tony Schwartz – Harvard Business Review (digregorioblog.com)
- Top 6 Reinvention Killers (openforum.com)
- The Reinvention of YOU!!!! (missingpiecesdotme.wordpress.com)
- Stomp Out Complacency (yogacarechallenge.wordpress.com)
