Page 217 - Free the Idea Monkey

1. Focus on the essential (not the important). It’s easy to
spend your time on the significant—for example, coming up with a

new product to satisfy
the salesforce’s desire to
keep having things to
talk about. But neces-
sary as that is, doing
so isn’t really going to
inspire anyone.

In contrast, creating
a culture that celebrates
failure—because if you don’t take risks, you will never develop a
game-changing product or service—is an essential belief that can
shape everything your organization does. Here’s another way of
thinking about this: the important is rational; essentials are emo-
tional. The important you put on a to-do list; essentials go on a to-
die-for list.
2. Stay above the drama. Recessions/transitions/restructurings
are, by definition, temporary. Understanding that is key
to your ability to focus on the desired outcome and the
kind of organization you want to build. The key ques-
tion to ask: are you shaping the future or reacting
to it? If you are just reacting, your organization
will suffer. If you are always looking backward,
you risk becoming a victim instead of a creator.
3. Lean into adversity and find opportunities. There will
always be problems. The economy will go into a tailspin. A competi-
tor does the unexpected and upends your market. Your customer will
want something else. When this happens, don’t hunker down or cut
back. Instead, get more aggressive. Every adversity should be a trigger
for you to encourage your team to find the upside or opening for your
own innovative solution. Failure is OK. Inaction is unacceptable.
If you do each of these things, people will follow you.

202 T A K I N G T H E L E A D