Drifting Leaders and Staying Focused on Opportunity
Albert Einstein poses for biographical photo.
“When the expected course of everyday life is interrupted, we realize that we are like shipwrecked people trying to keep their balance on a miserable plank in the open sea, having forgotten where they came from and not knowing whither they are drifting.”
Albert Einstein, April 26, 1945. Einsein Archive 56-852
Do you sometimes feel like you don’t know if you are just drifting in your life or in your business? How can you tell? Going through the motions, and doing things like they always have been, especially in our current economy can create the feeling of drifting. Is it more appropriate to look for opportunities while we are off-balance instead of forgetting where we have come from?
Are you hoping to just hold-on until the high tide passes or are you ready to proactively seek opportunities?
Many business leaders have found themselves in chaotic times, often having to cut back costs and reduce expenses while simultaneously finding ways to deliver revenue expectations to their stakeholders. What a stressful headache! Because this kind of situation is often chaotic and very taxing, we often get in the mode of cutting back and we lose sight of our creativity and the ability to focus on opportunity. As the cliche goes, through every tragedy there is an opportunity waiting to be discovered.
Don’t be like the majority of leaders in business today that will find themselves shipwrecked and unable to adapt to the changes necessary to take advantage of new opportunities. Recognize when you are drifting and get creative!
