I just spent a week with my school cohort during which one of the professors made a terrific statement that all of us leaders can learn from. They said, “You can’t draw the target after you have shot the arrow.” This seems comical and more than mildly obvious, but how many of us have known someone who has tried to do this very thing? They get themselves and everyone around all worked up about needing to get in motion to make big changes which their organization needs in order to move forward, but instead of strategically planning the steps and then getting in gear, they just get in gear. I know, sometimes the best thing to do when change is needed is to do anything that gets us off our duff. However, more often than not, without some sort of plan, the action is lost and progress isn’t made. Worse, as the statement from my professor points out, people will get in gear and expend a whole lot of energy, but then wind up in a place that they really hadn’t intended, often then trying to sell themselves and others on the value of their destination!
The better plan is to plan, then act, then celebrate your arrival at a positive place. Before we dive into action, draw the target. Before energy is spent and resources invested, know where to aim. Before you get all worked up about the need to make changes, think through what the best outcome will be and the best way to get there. Does this slow down the process? Yes, of course, but only at the front end. It is immeasurably faster to make a solid plan ahead of time and then work the plan than to start haphazardly and have to stop midpoint, sometimes several times, to figure out what’s going wrong and how to fix it. I’d rather travel the road once without taking wrong turns that wear me out, expend extra energy and waste time. Yes, there are times when we have to force ourselves to take action, any action, in order to begin the long process of reinvention. However, whenever possible, take even a brief moment or two to think a few steps ahead, so that with each step we gain confidence and resolve because we know that we’re on the right path to our goal.
I have had to learn how to do what this post is talking about. Early in my life, I was all action, and rarely did I really stop and think about the process. I knew where I wanted to end up, but I took way too many shortcuts because I just figured I’d make it up as I went along. If I found myself on the wrong road, I’d paint a new target and convince myself that that was where I had wanted to be in the first place. Sadly, the new target wasn’t always the best target. I’ve had to learn to be highly strategic and map out the road before I start walking, or in my typical fashion, running. Today, when I embark on a project, I know the steps to take. When I lead a group, I have a outline. For my leadership future, I have a detailed plan of action and an even more detailed description of the end goal. Does this mean I am rigid and inflexible? No. I remain agile and fluid, making adjustments as I work my plan. I improvise when needed and I adjust my actions to meet unexpected challenges. The point is that I’m able to make changes along the way because my end goal remains consistent. I know where I am headed.
During one of our discussions this week I referenced the structure that is needed to make a good musical composition. I had a fellow student ask me if a jazz musician relied on musical structure because good jazz seems to be free flowing. The thing about jazz that most don’t know is that the free-flowing feel comes because all the musicians are very clear about key, style and interplay. It may sound free, but I can guarantee you that each of the musicians are highly aware of how they and their partners fit with each other because each has spent a lot of time practicing their craft. It is because of their preparation and planning that they can be free.
All this is to say that in jazz and leadership, one must plan ahead. The target must be in mind with each step. Freedom and agility are wonderful things, but they are gained through preparation, determination, and a commitment to hitting the target which had been drawn before the game began.
Lead well.