Laughing and Leading

​Colleagues,
 
Earlier this week Anotnis Christofides interviewed me for an upcoming podcast on leadership and he asked me a question which made me laugh out loud.
 
We’d been discussing the four principles of strategic leadership (important over urgent, problems not symptoms, immediate incremental change, and people before paper). We had also talked a bit about leverage, especially the concept of A-B. Antonis asked if I ever broke my own rules or neglected to follow my own teachings.
 
Oh, how I laughed! 
 
I break my own rules every day and neglect my own teachings all too frequently.
 
Many of us become leaders because we are really good at attending to urgent things, treating symptoms, sharing visions of big change, and developing policies and practices.
 
The irony is that the things that bring us into positions of leadership also hold us back from becoming better leaders.
 
Becoming a strategic leader is a process and a journey, not a place.
 
Today I will be driven by the urgent. Today I will treat a symptom. Today I will dream up a big vision. Today I will focus on operations.
 
However, that’s not all I will do.
 
I will also find time to engage in important tasks. I will examine my root problems. I will change something very small to make tomorrow better. I will coach, mentor, and support someone.
 
Every day is a struggle to be strategic, but every day is an opportunity to take actions that will endure. Don’t try to be perfect, that’s a silly thing to aspire to. Just try and be a little bit better and to make this world a little bit better.
 
Do good and be well,
 
Frederick