Reflect and ACT, my friend…

Leaders make decisions.  History judges leaders, almost exclusively, on the quality of the leaders decisions.  Easy to comprehend, not so simple to execute when you think/feel that you are in a crisis. Todays environment may not be a crisis where you live/work.  Someday, sadly, it will.  Hopefully this little rant will help…

Most leaders tendency is to rush to judge, but like a senile, inefficient, and incompetent Jury, they “remain in recess” ad infinitum.  How many leaders by the time they actually decide to move on a problem situation or associate, have an entire team talking about why? Why did it take so long?  The entire team knew the leader had rushed to judge, they just hadn’t finished.  NOT good.

Some leaders tendency is to rush to judge and make the pronouncement in the emotion of the moment.  They change directions based on the latest book, their recent forum, or last months performance.  “So and so” just doesn’t come back after lunch.  Their stuff is boxed up and the vail is never lifted.  Everybody just keeps their head down and hopes they are NOT next.  Yikes…

Neither of these is the ONE we want.

The first, lets label The ruminator. This leader tends to ruminate too long and delay decisions.  This team lives with way too many mediocre people, processes, and projects.  The high performers head for the highway.  Productive Action here is finish, SOONER.

Number two we’ll label The Terminator. This leader tends to react.  Emotional moments override their senses.  This team lives in FEAR of their volatile leader and trust quickly crumbles.  PA here is to slow down, reflect, and work a plan that everybody understands.

The ONE we want, we’ll label The REFLECTIVE Actionator. This leader understands that all day, everyday he’s on the hook to make better and better decisions.  This leader has developed a process for asking piercing questions to get quickly and efficiently to the root of the problem and the person.  They understand who they are, what they stand for, where they are going and why they are going there, and they want a team that thinks and acts on it’s own as long as they have alignment. The team may not agree with every decision but at least they have a roadmap for understanding the motive.  Magic.

We love a leader that reflects and ACTS. We all want to be led by a reflective actionator that thinks, feels, and ACTS more predictably today than yesterday.  We give this ONE the benefit of the doubt and a bit more of our heart.  Over time and through adversity, this team will perform some magic.

Which one do you want?

Which one are you?

How can you become a little less ruminator, a little less terminator, and a little more THE REFLECTIVE Actionator?

Reflect and ACT,my friend. Reflect and ACT…