[January 31, 2018] There are many advantages modern industrial societies provide; some of which have been outlined here in theLeaderMaker.com. There are also downsides. One downside for many of us is that we are very busy people. Leaders are especially busy at work and home and that can cause them to lose sight of the big picture.
The pressure on leaders increases in modern societies while demanding more accountability and accessibility. An increase in office paperwork, more meetings, office politics, additional duties, and family and social life (all short-range issues) easily crowd out long-range concerns like future planning, optimizing operations, and strategizing. Senior leaders say that their day is so filled with day-to-day issues that they have little time or energy to look to the future.
“It’s hard for young players to see the big picture. They just see three or four years down the road.” – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, American retired professional basketball player
We all know the risks associated with focusing too narrowly on today’s problems while sacrificing tomorrow. There are, however, daily habits that give us a look inside the daily affairs of effective, efficient leaders. We can learn from them.
Here are some of useful daily habits that can help leaders from losing sight of the big picture:
1. Make time to think. This means not allowing our calendar to control our day. It also means consciously creating white-space time where leaders can think about the big picture and at a time leaders are at their best mentally.
2. Continually relook one’s vision, mission, and critical tasks. No organization stays the same over time and change is about surviving. Some leaders consider their time doing this a waste and initially it might seem just be that. But over the longer haul, our thinking will develop and seeing things more clearly will be the result.
3. Get a mentor. A mentor who has been in your position and knows the organization is the ideal person to help a leader, ensuring the big picture is not forgotten. In the military we call them gray beards and value their input highly.
4. Create dedicated ‘big-picture’ teams. Looking at the long term requires a different way of thinking and it’s not easy. Using a dedicated team – often called future planning cells – that have the resources and experience is a valuable way for a leader to have a ready-made group to go to for input on issues that affect the future.
When leaders tackle immediate problems and issues without taking the time to strategize, they ultimately sacrifice the future of their organization to the risks of the unknown. It is irresponsible to do so and the test for a good leader is their ability to conduct business today while looking to the future. This takes intelligence, energy, and support from the entire leadership team.
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Yes, I think the bes t one is to get a mentor and daily speak with him (or her). This way a leader can stay on track to fulfill their duties and keep on the straight and narrow. it is harder to deviate from ethical standards when someone is working with you, sees you, and counsels you.
Keep up the good work! Love your blog and read it every day.
Common problem for all leaders. Thank you for this article at a timely time for me.