Greetings!
I recently spent a week in glorious Nantucket with several of the best consultants in the world, including my long-time mentor, Alan Weiss. Our small group took a couple of Jeeps down the beach to this lovely lighthouse, an impressive landmark no longer in use. As you look at the photo, you'll notice the many possible viewpoints:
- from the sandy beach, where I stood taking the photo
- from the main entrance, looking out over the dunes
- from windows of the tower, with the longest range view afforded from the lantern room at the structure’s pinnacle.
It got me thinking about the
many vantage points a good business leader must consider
in helping his or her company succeed amid intense competition, pricing pressures, and regulatory scrutiny. As I advise my executive clients, you’ve simply got to view your your business from an array of perspectives:
- from the outside looking in (the customer perspective, along with regulatory and industry points of view)
- standing at the front entrance (where your front line employees interface with customers, work the manufacturing floor, and navigate the daily challenges of execution)
- from the heights of the tower (the executive wing, where long-term, future-focused strategy must be developed using inputs from all the other points of view).
If you aren’t observing your business from different vantage points, you are missing the boat.
Step down from the tower on a regular basis. Speak with your people, talk to your key customers, discover what your top competitors are doing, and make sure you have a thorough lay of the changing regulatory landscape.
Slowing down to capture and integrate these various perspectives is one of the many ways for you to lead, succeed, and thrive in today’s dynamic business climate.
#slowdowntospeedup #strategicpause #leadsucceedandthrive #strategicleadership
