I once heard a leader say that he metaphorically carries around two buckets every day. One is full of water to put out fires. The other is full of gasoline to start them.
I love this imagery because it is so true!
Problems must be dealt with daily. (Pour on the water!)
And it’s also vital to inspire followers to take productive action consistently. (Pour on the gasoline!)
One key way to know which bucket to use is to become more situationally aware. Busyness can cause leaders to put blinders on and overlook the obvious opportunities and threats right before their eyes.
Any crisis can cause us to develop “tunnel vision.” We can become so focused on urgent matters that we neglect truly important ones.
At its core, leadership is about people, yet in the process of pursuing a vision and going after strategic goals or objectives, we can forget about the very people we’ve been entrusted to lead.
It may be cliché, but leaders must pull up regularly to see from a 30,000 foot perspective. Too often, the demands of the day drag us back to ground level where we begin to lose sight of the bigger picture.
If you are going to be the best leader possible, you must fight for your attention. You must pay attention to your surroundings. You must keep your eyes up to see the opportunities and threats surrounding yourself, your team, and your organization.
Situational awareness allows you to lead with more clarity and effectiveness.
Consider the following questions to help you become more situationally aware:
- What do your followers need most from you right now?
- What opportunities would be most valuable to pursue right now?
- What threats do you see or sense?
- What key actions can you take right now to advance your vision, goals, and objectives?
All great actions are a result of great thinking.
If you want better answers, ask better questions.
Include your team in the decision making process.
Invest in your team members so they can grow to reach their potential and help you achieve your vision and goals.
Schedule time daily to reflect on your current situation and how you can address problems and fuel opportunities.
Ask your followers what they’re seeing. Having more sets of eyes on things can help you make better decisions faster.
Leadership is always challenging, but developing better situational awareness will help you achieve more impact and allow you to go farther faster than you ever thought possible.
Until next time…make today GREAT!
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