Top performers learn how to use their elite capacity in doses. Instead of maintaining an output that is always at their redline, they can calibrate the scale of their effort to the requirements of the terrain they face.
How might we scale our efforts to better reflect the real-time demand on our resources? How might we set those who serve up for success by coordinating their efforts to the work that matters?
What experiences do we encounter that reoccur? How might we make recurring moments remarkable? Who has made those moments unforgettable for you? Which enterprises delight you each time you engage them?
I once ran laps at the upper deck of the Houston International Airport parking garage during a long layover. There was a couple in a car plane spotting at one of the better vantage points. Each time I passed their vehicle, they consulted their aircraft tracking app and informed me about an inbound aircraft that I could spot in the sky, which was soon to land. They took their passion, meshed it with my repetitive workout, and made it memorable. I still think about that moment from ten years ago.
What information in your enterprise is technically available but not as accessible as possible? Annual reports, tax returns, state/federal filings documents, meeting notices might come to mind. How about the bread crumbs for future boards and staff about why and how decisions were made? How might we avoid creating a version of the game Clue by leaving things in places where others can find them?
What is the castle that you occupy? Is it a structure, an idea, a way of being, access to certain rights, or a relationship?
How might we understand that we cannot govern all the terrain before us but contribute to a confluence? We can help those seeking input to navigate and succeed on their journey.
Winston Churchill was voted out of office in 1945 after serving for five years as Prime Minister during World War Two. The war’s conclusion allowed citizens to focus on other priorities, but the Conservative Party did not anticipate the growing calls for social reform and was routed at the polls. Harry S. Truman managed an unexpected victory in the United States to keep the Democratic Party in control during the first post-World War Two election.
Representative leadership exists on a delicate margin and is subject to the whim of the people. One might argue that Churchill led Britain with resounding fortitude, sufficient to claim another term, if for no other reason than gratitude that the Allies had prevailed. Truman succeeded Franklin D. Roosevelt, who died in April of 1945, making decisions that concluded the war but lacked as robust of a World War Two resume (he served in World War One and was a reservist until 1953).
Leadership is temporary, and a change always looms. How might we use our time in leadership by setting others up for success? How might we focus on our core values and execute the work that matters, regardless of our title? How might we recognize that we are leading, with or without the title of leader?
When the trail is not obvious, we can leave clues to guide those that follow. It might take effort to create a route that can be traveled by others but those who are committed will continue forward if we set them up for success.
Sometimes, the right conditions allow us to show our work, which provides a road map for those who might follow. What routes are you following, and which are you blazing?
I am curious when I encounter a man-made feature that’s current function seems less obvious. What was the opportunity that somebody recognized before the structure was built? Where did the idea originate? What went into the design? How was it constructed? When was it completed? How did it operate during its lifespan? Why does it remain?
When we build our real-time structures, how might we leave clues for those that follow? How might we leave sufficient insights to orient those who encounter it later can understand the context of our creation? How might we set others up for success?
What-if-concepts 