Leading a company is like climbing Mt. Washington
Some of you may know I have a passion for all things outdoors and I recently was able to tackle something off my “dream list“. Sort of like a bucket list, accept this is about maximizing and thinking through what you would like to do with your time versus checking them off like a “bucket list”. This is all chronicled in the book the Dream Manager, which is a great read for leaders and employees alike.
So one of my recorded dreams was to climb Mt. Washington. This is the White mountains of New Hampshire, home to the worst weather on the planet. Yes cold and windy any day of the year. You just never know what you are going to get when you get to the top at somewhere over 6,000 foot of elevation. Sometimes it gale force winds at 70 mile an hour or below freezing temperatures with late summer snow flakes! So like any sane person you go about making preparations for so many possible outcomes. You pack warm clothing. Some extra food. First aid kits. Sleeping bags in case you can’t make it to the huts. And on and on.
And for two days I hiked and at the end of our second day we had reached the summit! And it was a mild 47 degrees and no wind. Mild for many places. Down right balmy and fairly unlikely in a place that gets a handful of clear, calm days each month. And as I sat exhausted eating everything I could get my hands on in the restaurant of the weather observatory at the top, it dawned on me that leading a company is like preparing for a climb. You can prepare, train, anticipate and plan for every possible outcome. And it still does not happen in a way that you plan for. You just don’t know what you are going to get. Yet in the preparation you proactively avoid problems. Little things do not become big things. Important when facing the uncertainties of mountain weather; doubly important in business. There are problems everyday in business. The real challenge is if you knew about the them or anticipated them in advance. A problem known is more than half the battle in most cases. So are you planned and strategic in your outlook for today and tomorrow? What can you do today to cut off a challenge in your day?
There are added benefits to the planning too. When I walked up that mountain my employees know I am recharging my mind and spirit for what lies ahead while I wear out this old body. No injuries that time will not heal. And in the process I am preparing and planning for whatever my company will face next week and the week after as the economy continues its crazy dance. Are you ready to lead today?
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