According to Pfeffer and Sutton, “Good intentions don’t matter.” It doesn’t matter how well researched a person or an organization is, or how technically prepared they are, or how excellent their team of people may be, when it comes to being effective, action is what really matters. There are volumes that have been written on how to develop a strategy and put together a plan to move from point A to point B, but all the plans and strategies in the world won’t matter if people don’t something! I’m sure that many of us have been in an organization that talks all about the things they want to do, only to keep doing what they’ve always done, or worse, nothing at all. In the end, the grandiose proclamations of a bright future were merely rhetoric that momentarily made the team feel better and hopeful, only to be left in the conference room, hung on a plaque that soon becomes invisible and drifts into organizational oblivion.
Were the plans sincere? Most likely. Did the people truly want to see things change? At some level, I’m sure. However, real change and progress aren’t made through good intentions, but rather hard work, the commitment to hang through the difficult and painful decision-making, and the sacrifice of personal agenda for the good of the whole team. Action is what matters.
Recently, in a webinar, I heard a friend of mine say, “Impact trumps process every time.” This hit me as a great statement about overcoming mere intentions in favor of actually doing something worthwhile. Teams with good intentions will have the tendency to create great systems, processes and practices which they believe will be their fast-track to success. While I am certainly an advocate of planning and doing my homework, I am becoming more and more aware of the need to get into motion, even before all of my ducks are in a row. I am learning how to corral my ducks even when they are running in many directions! It’s more important that I achieve the impact I desire than to have every step of the process neatly categorized and on my “to do” list. Sometimes the more pressing “to do” is the thing that just came up because of a brilliant epiphany that came from a spontaneous, collaborative meeting in the hallway. Now, before those of you who know me think I’ve lost my mind, I still love to plan and I always have multiple lists going, but I’m learning how to be agile in the midst of my focus!
Especially in the culture in which we live, it has become extremely important for leaders to be flexible, innovative, and focused on the things that really matter. For me, that means that I keep my eyes on the most important outcomes that I believe I was put on the earth to accomplish. My focus is very clear, but I have realized that we live in a world of chaos, and while heading toward our objectives, our methods must always have the ability to flex depending on the circumstances. If plan A doesn’t work anymore, go to B, then C and beyond. All the great planning in the world won’t matter if I get stuck in my ways and stubbornly refuse to change my way of thinking about things. The thing that is important is impact. I can spend all day telling you my intentions, but what really matters is if I actually do something. I encourage you to do the same.
Lead well.