ALLIGATORS IN EVERY SWAMP

“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!

THE JOURNEY OF ORGANIZATIONAL SELF-EXAMINATION

"Motivation is everything. You can do the work of two people, but you can't be two people. Instead, you have to inspire the next guy down the line and get him to inspire his people." — Lee Iacocca


“A great leader needs to love and respect people, and he needs to be comfortable with himself and with the world. He also needs to be able to forgive himself and others. In other words, a leader needs grace.”  — Leo Hindery Jr.

 
I was recently reminded of an engagement I undertook several years ago at the behest of a Board of Directors of a successful organization that had then recently begun to experience declining sales volume. Though revenue and capitalization portrayed a public face of continued market dominance, internally the Directors suspected that the rivets would soon loosen, exposing an otherwise weakened hull.
 
The Directors expressed concerns about strengthened competitors in the marketplace; potential customer service weakness; a mismanaged sales force driven only by incentives; suspected failure to adequately update the product offering; and marketing and advertising miscues. After respectfully listening to their description of the situation, taking notes where appropriate, I was asked if I'd accept the task of investigating, analyzing and documenting the cause of the disrupted sales volume?
 
I responded with the one litmus test I apply to all situations no matter whether I'm coaching an individual on a spiritual journey or coaching a commercial enterprise to achieve market dominance: "Will I be afforded unrestrained access and opportunity to go anywhere in the company, speak to anyone in the company, and assimilate my findings no matter how difficult it may be to receive my message?"
 
Understandably this well-bred, well-educated team of business leaders drew back for a moment, even asking me to leave the room for a few minutes while they discussed the matter of my stipulation. But, upon discussing the relative importance of turning the proverbial ship around, and in light of my reputation for tact and even-handedness, I was invited back into the room to proceed with our mutual discussion.
 
I approach every relationship that I'm invited into by my Friends (my clients) as if we've entered Lent. Much as Lent occurs every year, and is much-needed by sinners such as me each and every year, so, too, do organizations of every size and industry require periodic self-examination, lest they become too confident in their own self-directed path to extinction.
 
We will continue to discuss journey on which this particular engagement led me, the Directors, and their organization, for there were many a-ha moments that have provided many learning experiences for them and me henceforth.
 
TODAY'S QUESTION:  Are you committed to the recurring personal, professional and organizational Lenten journey required to reach your, your employees', your stakeholders', and your audience's full potential?