“A
man does what he must - in spite of personal consequences, in spite of
obstacles and dangers and pressures - and that is the basis of all human
morality.” ~Winston
Churchill
“Courage and perseverance have a
magical talisman, before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into
air.” ~John Quincy Adams
“If the fisherman and the
hunters feared alligators, then there would be no recreation in the swamp.” Far
from being an over broad generalization, the speaker was simply making the point
that motivation overcomes perceived obstacles. While it is wise to mitigate
risk—especially the risk of being overtaken by an alligator during a hunting
trip—as Leaders we cannot wait until all obstacles have been removed before proceeding.
There are “alligators in every swamp.” The alligators are
the obstacles and the swamp is the arena in which we are operating. While our
ultimate objective might be to rid the swamp of all alligators (perhaps by “draining
the swamp”), in the immediate term we must be able to effectively lead our
teams, serve our clients and meet or exceed our organization’s objectives.
On a personal leadership level, one must be able to
identify the potential or known alligator—perhaps a rival—and develop
strategies to effectively collaborate with the individual when necessary
(perhaps even daily) and to leave the alligator well enough alone the remainder
of the time. Over time, trust may strengthen as the alligator comes to regard
you as a non-predator, and a relationship may very well blossom.
At the team leadership level, we are well-served to
anticipate the obstacles that may arise in resource allocation,
miscommunication, diverse skill sets and personalities, etc. Upon taking inventory
of each team member, whether via personality/behavioral testing or objective
observation, develop individuals and assign roles to maximize the unique
qualities that each member of the team possesses and executes well. As team
membership changes, re-assess and re-assign as you deem effective.
When reviewing the swamp at the organizational level, we
must begin with our mission. What outcomes have we committed to achieving to
fulfill our mission? Much like the dedicated hunter that braves the presence of
alligators to nonetheless enter the fertile swamp, we as Leaders must
acknowledge with certainty and optimism that although we will encounter
obstacles in our path to achieve the outcomes, we shall not fall to those
obstacles.
Marketplace competitors, government regulation, loss of
key executives, etc. always have been and will continue to be present as we
pursue our mission. Our commitment to set and achieve identifiable and
measurable personal, team and organizational outcomes must supersede any tendency
toward hesitation or retrenchment. Acknowledging and neutralizing the
alligators in our swamp quickly will enable us to lead our teams to focus
solely upon those misson-driven outcomes.
Leave it to others less committed and less passionate (rivals, competitors, naysayers) to delay
or to stay home and miss an abundant day of fishing in the swamp. Lead the way!
