One of the things that relaxes me is building something for my backyard, my garage, or my house. I just finished a project for my daughter’s room and I’m in the middle of a large extension of my deck, plus I have the materials for planters for my gardens, which are anxiously awaiting spring. There is something about taking something from nothingness to a finished product that gives me great satisfaction. People ask me if I ever just sit. The answer is, extremely rarely. I am a doer, and I am at my best, and most content, when I’m doing something productive. It’s the same for me in my professional and leadership life as well. I am miserable when I am in a maintenance mode; I best serve my organization and the people it serves when I am building programs and staying in the creative stage of the process. If I find myself merely maintaining, even at a high level, I am miserable, and eventually everyone around me is miserable, too!
As a leader, I believe it is important that we stay creative and are constantly in the building process. I work hard to make sure that the people I lead always know of the next big project or event that we have coming. Even while in the midst of finishing off a high-energy and big-visibility event, I am talking about what’s next! I never want us to finish and stay finished! For our mission to move forward, we can’t afford to rest on our successes and slip into nap time. We must keep our focus on the continuation of the work we have before us, serving the people of our community. If we allow ourselves to finish and not have something new coming up, it can lead to complacency and a loss of momentum. Once momentum is lost, it can be harder to regain than it was to create in the first place. My advice to all leaders is to always, always, yes, I said always, have the next big thing ready and waiting for your team.
Sure, it’s a good thing and a necessary thing to celebrate your successes with your team. However, we need to make sure that everyone understands that a successful effort is short-lived and will soon fade if we stop doing the creative things it took to get us there. Yes, enjoy the victories today, but don’t start to think there’s not a new challenge or cause that must be tackled tomorrow. Organizations that rest on their past successes will eventually lose their edge and be eclipsed by others who are staying creative. As the leader, we must constantly keep the next prize to be won and the next challenge to be overcome clearly in sight. I guarantee you that the group will want to take a break, rest a while, enjoy the victory, and stop and smell the roses, but, while those are all good things on a temporary basis, they can be your demise if they last too long. So, always be building. Always have the next big thing ready to go. Stay in the creative stage, and your people will follow you to even greater victories.
Lead well.