A stake in the ground…

A “stake in the ground” is not the same thing as “flapping your jaw.”  I kinda like doing both.  However, that’s not the point of this rant.  Moving on.

When our founders met at the Pub in Boston, Philly, and the like, I can only imagine that they had some serious “bitch” sessions talking about old George.

The “Third,” that is.

A “stake in the ground” is not some crazy rebellious act in isolation.  Throwing a bunch of tea in the ocean, albeit creative and crazy, isn’t a “stake” as much as it’s a pain.

Yesterday, I invested some time with another crazy client bringing clarity to this topic.  He had told me that he had finally put a stake in the ground regarding his vision and his team.  I listened to him flapjaw for a few seconds and then I interrupted.  I asked him if this new clarity was in writing.

Nope, was the response.

That’s not a stake in the ground, was my return volley.  It’s just NOT.   A stake in the ground is always in writing and is always followed by productive action.  Productive action that moves you and your team toward your “stakeage.”  A stake in the ground takes big balls and dictates “why” you say yes and “why” you say no.  Make sense?

Maybe a return to our short story will help…

The Founders were simply “unproductive rebels” comparable to any other “bitch session participants” that frequent America’s corporate halls to this day, until they stopped their bitching and began to write.  They faced their fears.  Selected a scribe.  AND, put their necks on the line.  They said “yes” to freedom and, the rest, as they say is history. The Declaration of Independence is a “stake in the ground.”  Yea, BABY.

My client took this all in yesterday afternoon and, being the productive leader that he is, by nightfall he had version one, of his declaration, in black and white.  That IS how you begin to put a stake in the ground.

Does your team have clarity about what you stand for, where you’re going, how you’re going to keep score, and what productive action they need to ACT on now?

Would they say that you, as their leader, have put a “stake in the ground,” or that just about anything goes as long as it leads to green?

Why do so many leaders prefer to just keep flapping their jaws?

What about you…