Like perhaps many of you, I surrendered to the fact several
years ago that my eyesight needed some help.
In my case, it was nearsightedness requiring prescriptive lenses to help
me focus on objects further away. What a
huge difference it made when my new glasses arrived and I was once again able
to see objects in the distance with clarity.
It matters not whether you may have near or farsightedness, it seems
that for many like myself, age has slowly robbed me of my 20/20 vision. As leaders, we may be faced with a similar
condition and in need of a prescription to restore clarity. When it comes to how you see the future or
how you assess the present, our experiences can sometimes make us near or
farsighted. This problem can show up
with potentially devastating affects when it comes to strategy.
Nearsightedness whether minor or severe can make it
difficult to judge distance and view objects on the horizon or even just a few
hundred meters ahead. From a strategic
perspective, this can be detrimental if not fatal to an organization. I’ve had numerous encounters where the words
“we tried that years ago and it failed” were uttered as an excuse for not
examining something further. Or what
about those situations where leadership was absolutely determined that a competitor would surely
not take a certain path because historically they never did in the past? I’m sure you can add to the list of
nearsighted mistakes or missed opportunities from your own experiences and
organizations. Failing to identify the
events emerging on the horizon is a common reason why companies encounter
“unexpected” turbulence. While it’s true
that some things are not easily seen or may be camouflaged against the
backdrop, more times than not, there were indicators that were simply missed –
leaders were unable to focus their sight enough.
Farsighted people have little trouble seeing things in the
distance, but can’t recognize what’s right before them. With the quickening pace of business and the
onslaught of technology change, the dynamics literally at the end of our noses
can be easily overlooked or dismissed if we suffer from farsightedness. What should be warning signs requiring urgent
attention are not easily distinguishable when all we see is a blur. If your response to a competitive shift or a
disruption looks a lot like stumbling over your own two feet, then perhaps
you’ve lost your ability to focus on things that are close to you. Ignoring these signals is a precursor to
failure. Strategic farsightedness often
results in poor execution. You may have
perfect clarity on the horizon and a great strategy to capitalize on your
insight (and foresight), but if you can’t close the deal operationally, then
all that vision does you no good.
Just as in eyesight, prescription lenses can help to restore
clarity and get you back on a path to your destination. The question to reflect on is can you
recognize when it’s time to apply a prescription? I know it took me several years before I
realized I needed to have my eyes examined.
Deterioration of sight is often subtle and creeps up on us slowly. The same can be said about strategic
vision. Our biases, experience, and
myriad of other factors may have served us well, but over time, they can lose
their ability to help us focus and instead become impediments.
Strong leaders recognize when their sight has become
impaired and are willing to ask for help.
Whether it’s reaching out to others on their staff who can apply corrective
lenses (such as alternative points of view), seeking outside assistance or
second opinions, or engaging their larger team, there are many different types
of prescriptions that can be applied. Just
like the various lenses the optometrist uses when working to find the right
combination to correct your eyesight, it may take several iterations before
clarity is improved or restored. And
just as I have found with my glasses, my prescription has changed several times
since. That means leaders must
recognize when the lenses they are using need adjustment.
For most of us, our eyesight is an essential part of our
senses and our lives. We often take our
sight for granted until suddenly (or slowly), we begin to lose it. Vision is likewise a critical element for a
leader and without it strategy suffers.
Therefore, take good care of your strategic sight and if it’s time to
get corrective lenses to restore clarity, then by all means get the
prescription.
Duane Grove is founder of Connect2Action, a strategy
execution specialist at the intersection of employee engagement and executive
leadership, igniting innovation as a lever to accelerate your growth. Follow Duane on Twitter @connect2action and
connect with him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google+. Learn more by visiting
www.connect2action.com.
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