Thoughts – June 2007

How it Really Goes - Listen to the Thought Pod

“As a leader, you don't make things - you make decisions.”  From some book I read that I now can't remember

It's early June here in Northeast Tennessee and the trees are only now appearing to make a full recovery from the record mid-spring freeze. The new growth up to that point had everything turning green, and then suddenly we were back in winter's brown grip. In my mind's eye I saw a straight line recovery. Nature's curve thought otherwise.

It seems this is the way of life for a leader. We assess where we are, we envision where we want to be, and then, in our mind's eye, we draw a straight line to that point. Only that's not the nature of things. The path takes a turn down from where we were before it turns up and begins to even look in the direction of our plotted point.

And this is where many blow it. They give up and look for a new agenda not realizing the same flow of reality will apply to the next thing as well. This is where we need our real leaders. When things appear to be spiraling away from our intended destination, it's the leader's clarity that sustains others' action through the downturn and moves it upwards.

A leader helps us see the destination - making the intangible tangible in the present moment. This is where the leader has to stand ready for action ... because reality doesn't flow in a straight line.

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©2002-2007 Jeff Brunson & BasicApproach
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