At a recent meeting of the Building Champions coaches, we were reflecting on things from our past that made us better.
My mind went to something I had never shared with anyone before, about a huge mistake I made that thankfully had a long-term positive impact on me. I was a sophomore in my first high school football game. I can still remember that moment when the coach looked at me. Since then I have always tried to be ready and keep my head up.
Probably a decade ago I wrote a piece for the old Mortgage Originator about the need to lean forward no matter which way the wind blows. Strangely enough I talked about volatility and uncertainty. Times don’t change all that much nor does the message about leaning forward, or moving forward if you like, no matter the circumstances.
There is certainly more than one way to look at change. A view could be that there was a perfect window of opportunity to grow our business and we missed it. Now is not the time to take chances. Let’s do nothing or maybe even retrench. That’s one view but I don’t buy it. I never have.
Of course there are other views. Whether we are in the upside or downside of a business cycle it takes definite action to create momentous results. We need to ask ourselves what will it take to move us forward now? No matter which way the market winds blow, standing still and doing nothing doesn’t usually work.
One of the great joys of coaching is watching the progress and accomplishments of others. As coaches, we get the opportunity to help our clients identify big goals, and then move toward achieving them.
You may have seen the movie or read the book The Blind Side by Michael Lewis. It is the compelling story of Michael Oher, who as a young boy lived on the streets and spent time in foster homes. He was one of nine children of different fathers and a mother who sometimes disappeared for days while on cocaine or other drugs.
No one, including Child Protective Services, believed he had much of a chance in life.
When leading a team of any size, sharing our passion for our vision and strategic direction is vital. A leader must get everyone engaged and focused on achieving the team’s goals and taking the necessary actions to realize them.
At the same time, we cannot afford to believe we know all the answers. We must not become insulated from new thinking or ideas about how to improve.
Fresh insights can come from a variety of sources, both inside and outside our team. We must be willing to listen and apply what we learn.
If you are in business, then it’s a guarantee that you will encounter difficulties or tough times. Stuff happens that is unplanned and unexpected. Some challenges are big. Some start out small, and quickly escalate. Some challenges can be of our own making, and some may be the result of external changes.
In many ways, success in business is about learning to manage through the difficult times.
When tough times come along, we need to focus our energy on what we can directly impact, and learn to cope with the obstacles we can’t change. Many of our challenges relate to managing people. We must direct and lead our teams to overcome the obstacles we face.
It is a mistake to put off for tomorrow what can get done — or at least get started — today. We’ve all heard this saying before, but it still holds true. This logic applies to the myriad of daily tasks, large and small, that need to be accomplished to realize our goals.
We all need more intentional urgency. Complacency and indecision are killers for any organization. We need to determine what needs to be done, and by when. Then we need to get busy accomplishing each task.
Never confuse activity for accomplishment. Stay on track, and focused on the actions you’ve committed to. Hold others accountable to get things done on time. Urgency matters!
It’s important to dream big, to create a vision that causes you to reach for something greater. But once that vision is cast, you need to take action if you’re ever going to see it fulfilled.
Too often, big picture thinking and strategies are translated into projects that become too cumbersome and complicated to ever be completed. Actions may be vague and undeliverable, or timeframes may be ill-defined.
When tackling large projects, break them down into manageable pieces, with a clear plan for accountability and measuring results. Think in 100 day or quarterly timeframes, and stay focused on getting these actions done on time. You’ll find that more gets accomplished at less cost.
Most business environments are challenging. Whether you are working in an expanding or contracting market, there will always be critical decisions that need to be made. How you respond can be a competitive advantage, or a stumbling block. A leader’s indecisiveness can paralyze an organization.
Establish the expectation that all issues, challenges, and opportunities will be clearly thought out, using all available information, and that your decisions will then be made quickly.
Take action. Then, if you are proven to be wrong, admit it, adjust, and move on.
Jerry Baker began his career in the management development program at Ford Motor Company, later became a manager of budgets and analysis for Northrop Corporation, then furthered his management development as Deputy Director for the California Department of Commerce when Ronald Reagan was Governor.
He advanced through senior management ranks at Countrywide Financial, becoming Managing Director. He then became Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fleet Mortgage Group, a public company. Jerry joined First Horizon in 1998, holding several senior executive positions before becoming President and CEO of First Horizon National Corporation and First Tennessee Bank.
As a member of the Board of Directors Jerry helped to refocus, develop, recruit and lead the company through a tumultuous period. Under his leadership the company had nearly 10 years of double digit growth in returns.