Leadership: Boon and Bust

Master your operations. A good leadership team should see boon and bust times as appropriate times to commit their organization to a thorough SWOT analysis. Shouldn’t your house be in order all the time?

Use the downtime wisely. Many leaders have a serious fault. They feel that if they are not working they are not productive. Yet, leaders need down time, not just during down turns. Leaders, managers, followers need to turn off computers, cell phones, blackberries, email and seek rest. It is with rest that comes reconstitution and rejuvenation - a clear head open to new thinking and new visions. It is called sabbatical rest for a reason.

Invest in your people. People make the organization successful in both boon and bust. Leaders need to invest in people at all times. If your balance sheet looks at developing people skills as an expense rather than an investment, your organization is out of balance.

Spread some hope throughout the organization. Whether the business cycle is up or down, visionary leaders never stop scanning the horizon for new opportunities or new threats. Leaders who “Master Your Operations” continually share and seek new thinking new ideas new visions for a better organizational future. The brightest and most innovative ideas are out there on the shop floor. Ask your followers to take the walk with you.