In our Powerquotes email service today, I sent out this quotation:
“In all matters, before beginning, a diligent preparation should be made.”
— Cicero
While this is true for all of us, it is especially true for leaders.
Because while some (relatively small) percentage of the population are naturally inclined to plan, most of us … aren’t.
So our first inclination in the face of a new project or challenge is to get to work.
Planning, of course, is work, but it doesn’t feel like progress, so we all want to get started.
This is where we come in as leaders.
Planning itself is one of the most effective leadership skills. But it is the reminder, the reinforcement, and perhaps the enforcement of planning with our teams and groups that is an equally important leadership activity.
Yes, we must be able and willing to plan. But we must also raise planning to its proper place in the organizational value system in order to get the great results that will come from it.
Answer these questions as one of your leadership activities for today:
What projects or initiatives are currently underway?
Has there been enough planning to make them successful?
What new projects are forthcoming?
How to I sure we plan effectively for them?
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