Sometimes we move too fast. As a society, there are lots of subliminal messages transmitted suggesting things like "Don't just sit there. Do something." It's this notion that you have to be doing in order to be producing. But if you want to be successful, sometimes you have to be still.
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Let me explain.
Years ago, a mergers and acquisitions team visited a business to conduct due diligence in contemplation of completing an acquisition. But they were conflicted when they visited the campus of this target company because they encountered something they had not experienced previously. As the team walked up to the executive suite on their way to the boardroom, they passed a few offices where people were busy at work. But they also passed one in particular, where they saw a manager reclining in his office chair, feet on his desk, gazing out the window at a pond with a beautiful fountain display. This stumped them. Moreover, as they took breaks throughout the day, they continuously saw this man reclining in his chair seemingly doing nothing.
During the deliberations they expressed concerns over working with this company because it seemed to have a culture that didn't mandate high levels of productivity. That was very disturbing to them. When they explained that this observed pattern of behavior reduced overall value, the senior representatives of the target company replied,
"Did it ever occur to you that these patterns that you've observed may be a significant part of our corporate culture? The behaviors of that individual that you are questioning, are actually habits that we embrace. That is because intellectual capital, thoughtful research and creative development are the disciplines that add significant amounts to the value to our company. And much of it is the result of the intellectual prowess of that very individual who you perceived to not be working."
There's a wonderful lesson to be learned here: Proactive and strategic thinking requires time for reflection. Anticipating problems and challenges before they occur and making the habit of considering possible adversity is invaluable. When leaders take time to consider marketplace obstacles, financial setbacks, team conflicts, and the personal mishaps of individuals like illness or divorce, they are proactively building a strategic resilience plan.
Similar potential challenges will come along in your business. And when you recognize and anticipate them in advance you're casting your mind forward to creating plans to limit the disruption, mitigate the consequences and accelerate the path out of those challenges. Through the process of slowing down and mindfully thinking about what opportunities and obstacles may surface, you start the process of building a strategic plan for navigating them. This is a critical step for leadership.
You never want to be so buried in the day to day activities that you don't consider and plan for the adversity that may come your way.
Your strategic plan also helps you build up the visceral strength and mental fortitude that are required to face these challenges head on. The well constructed plan becomes a compilation of both action planning and emotional resilience building that stems from foresight and thoughtful contemplation.
No matter your goals on your path to success, you will face setbacks. But if you take time to think about what you would do, and how you can respond, when you do face adversity, you'll have an immediately accessible strategic plan for quickly bouncing back.
Let's start today. That is, building your strategic resilience plan for mindfully managing adversity. I want to help you become increasingly irresistible and financially invincible. Together, through intentional and achievable steps, we can make your future bright, build your wealth and give you the freedom you deserve. Today is your day to take that first step. Contact me here.