Line Up: Decide To Be and Lead

There is nothing impossible to him who will try.

Alexander the Great

To confront the challenges, emergencies, and problems of a dynamic and fluid society, good problem-solving and decision-making skills are critical. Sometimes new methodologies and insights are required, inspired by pioneers, those who are willing to chart a new path to reach organizational and individual objectives. Leaders of today and tomorrow are being asked to do just that—to engage in creative thinking and paradigm shifting in approaching problems to come up with new efficiencies.

            For that reason, the word “change” is constantly used today. Restructuring and reinventing have also brought about new processes, procedures, and policies that make for a challenging the workday. However difficult these changes and challenges may seem, they can also be tremendous learning opportunities. Our power comes from deciding to be in line with this learning.

            But first we must report in and decide to be. Then get busy. 

            Leadership, for personal or professional reasons —must remain consistent and in line.

            When one takes this type of firm stance, it can be a challenge to deal with those who don’t. Making up one’s mind should be simple enough. How many times have we all heard or said this? It’s such a powerful statement regarding decision and change. In one of my conversations with my late Uncle Horace about family members and who, among them, could be depended on to call or act, particularly in a crisis, we agreed that folks use the excuse, “That’s just the way I am.” He came back with, “But it’s time for them to be something else.”

            Yes, there are times to follow that popular athletic shoe tag line and ‘just do it’, to move away from what’s comfortable, and stop making excuses. We are who we are, but it’s okay to try a different way of being, chart new territory, and be purposeful. 

As a leader, each time we walk into a new situation, we have some choices: to be. This new landscape is ours to work and fill. With daring determination, we can choose to move through what was barren to create bounty: poor morale to empowered team, unwilling students to motivated learners, and unsure children to confident next generationer. Decide to change the course by helping others in their quest to be better, starting in the current moment.

            Important also is for leaders to ensure complex situations get the right amount of attention. Too often they dust off really serious issues as trivial. Instead, these problems have layers of stuff that need to be waded through. This era of tweets, microwaves, or solving a crime in sixty minutes of television has led to impatience with the processes that are often necessary to find enduring solutions. Instead, the issues continue to surface. How do we put them under and out of the way?

Once we decide to be, we get our mojo to create a different outcome!

Are you open to creating a new and personal frontier?  If so there are ways to ensure positive change and enduring solutions by enacting the following points.

• Stake your claim! Define your leadership drop zone.
• Move fearlessly onward. And explore new territories.
• Gather your strength. Then focus on priorities.
• Be curious and open to new frontiers. Create anew.
• Test the limits. By taking risks.
• Have a pioneer mindset. Go with your force of belief in all that might be possible. That’s your ultimate power!

            Charge! Be ready to be first! Decide to solve and resolve!

Parts excerpted from my book, Hardcore Leadership: 11 Master Lessons from My Airborne Ranger Uncle’s “Final Jump”  http://www.amazon.com/dp/1479324760