There’s a great expression that says – “No one cares about leadership when you are winning!” The past 8 months have certainly challenged organizations large and small and pushed our families right up to the edge. Leadership has definitely had an impact on how they have performed.
Some companies are finding themselves busier than they have ever been and straining to keep up with the demands of our new economy. Other organizations are carefully attempting to regain their footing and assess where they are, and where they would like to be in the coming months.
How a leader shows up in these times will be the determining factor to the long-term outcomes of the business. Let me ask- Are you prepared to “Meet the Moment?”
Back in college, I was asked to write an essay in my World History course that explored the following question:
When we look at exceptional leaders from our past- was it the times they lived that shaped them or did they themselves shape the times.
At first, the answer seemed quite obvious as it seemed to me that the times would most certainly shape the individual. After all, without a seismic world event to engage in, even the most talented of leaders would be left out of the history books. Think about it for a minute- would you ever have heard the names Eisenhower, Patton, Churchill without the events of World War II? Maybe, maybe not. These charismatic leaders needed a global conflict unfolding around them to help shape the times in which they lived.
But then I started thinking about men like Ghandi, and Martin Luther King Jr. These charismatic leaders were born into the same circumstances that they inherited later on in life. Themes of racial inequality and social injustice were already well established when they arrived on the scene. There was no seismic world event that shaped their opportunity to lead. It could be argued that they actually shaped the times in which they lived and created the opportunity themselves.
You can see the quandary. Is it the events, or the individual?
I finally decided that it had to be some combination of both. An exceptional leader is always ready when the challenge is presented, and challenges are where exceptional leaders are truly defined and tend to thrive. Exceptional leaders also have a way of imagining a future that doesn’t yet exist, and the ability to give others hope that it can be achieved even in the current situation or set of circumstances
Well friends, I believe it’s safe to say that today- November of 2020 we most definitely have a huge challenge and the future is still not set in stone. My Question to you is- Are you ready to “Meet the Moment?”
Now is the time for you to shine. Stop waiting for normal. Now is the time for you to shake off the doubt and indecision that is plaguing so many people and organizations. This is our time, this is our moment. The mistake is thinking that you need a title or a few letters after you name to be a leader. Lead from the chair you currently reside, be the leader you’ve always known you can be.
You know who’s leading right now?
The grocery store cashier keeping us fed. The restaurant or small business owner figuring out how to stay open and pay their staff. The delivery person and anyone that drives a truck to ensure we get what we need. Medical professionals from every rung in the ladder dressing up in PPE gear every day and every night. Working parents that lead learning pods for kids in their neighborhoods. Teachers in their drive to create both online and safe in-person lesson plans.
The list of who is showing up in a big way is much too long for this article. My question is what are you doing to “Meet the Moment?” How have you upped your game in the past 6 months? What’s your plan to continue what you’ve started over the next 6 months. How are you providing a vision and giving people hope in a future that doesn’t yet exist?
The definition of Courage is the ability to keep moving forward in the face of uncertain outcomes. Doing those things that truly frighten us. Meeting the moment.
History will judge us all by how we respond to the events of 2020. Remember- “Nobody cares about leadership when you are winning” Be a Leader!
Thoughts for the week:
A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way. – John C Maxwell
Leadership is the ability to get extraordinary achievement from ordinary people. –Brian Tracy
Great leaders never set out to be a leader… they set out to make a difference. It’s never about the role, always about the goal. –Unknown
Power creates distance. Leaders bridge the gap. –Phil Wilson
Leadership is an action, not a position. – Donald McGannon
A great leader is not a searcher for consensus, but a molder of consensus. –Martin Luther King
Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. – Ghandi
Looking forward to our next connection & Meeting the Moment together
Coach Tim
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