The Connection Between Reflection and Relevance

Aug 21

It’s a disturbing trend.

One that doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon.

From what I can tell, the vast majority of companies and organizations are worshipping blindly at a church called the Sacred Heart of Execution & Measurement; often at the expense of vision and common sense.

Firmly locked in the grip of metric fixation, too many leaders and CEO’s are replacing sound professional judgment in favor of following the activation/implementation crowd armed with business book bibles filled with numerical performance indicators based upon standardized data.

But, what if this widely accepted form of professional behaviour creates dangerous, unintended consequences?

You don’t have to look far within your own organization to see how the immediacy of short-term goals is constantly advanced at the expense of long-range strategy. In other words, leaders and CEO’s who sacrifice much-needed quiet time for thought and reflection, often travel a rocky road towards irrelevance and obsolescence.

Could slowing down and coming to a complete mental stop play a significant role in creating legacy and long-term success?

As business and life moves ever faster forward, it is only through reflective thinking that we can understand what happened backward and turn experience into wisdom.

If you believe it’s worth exploring The Connection Between Reflection and Relevance, find a quiet place to ponder the implications for your business and career as you mull over this edition of Leaders & Legends.

“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest” CONFUCIUS

p.s…. When people and organizations expend the bulk of their energies on action, analytics, score keeping and efficiencies; responding to the daily needs of the urgent, you run the very real risk of losing sight of the bigger picture. As Jeff Bezos learned in the early days of Amazon, it’s super easy to get lost in the fog of business war.

p.p.s… Over the last few months, I have been fascinated by the Ken Burns documentary that chronicles the Vietnam War. In Episode 4, you discover the flaw in U.S. military leadership and how they assessed progress (or lack thereof). Unlike, World War II where armies focused on capturing cities and enemy territory, there was no front to speak of in Vietnam. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara and his number-crunching cronies decided there was only one way to explain to the public that this type of guerrilla warfare was worth the price being paid with American money and blood.

The grisly answer was body count. Turned out that just because you can measure something, doesn’t mean it truly matters.

p.p.p.s…. As mentioned in the video post, Wizard Academy, nestled 20 minutes outside of Austin, TX, is a wonderful place to reflect on the truly important in business and life. Been reading Roy H. Williams weekly Monday Morning Memo for nearly two decades and this latest offering is another example of what can make you stop dead in your tracks.

And think.

Introducing ... BIG LITTLE LEGENDS!

The language of brand speaks to humans in a way that is metaphorical, meaningful, emotional and symbolic. The language of business communicates in a way that is logical, literal, mechanical and analytical. How then, does a business leader – in any industry – any product/service category become fluent in BOTH of these vitally important languages?

This unforgettable keynote/workshop (and preview of the forthcoming book) is designed to challenge accepted notions of how long-term brand-building really works these days. It's entitled BIG LITTLE LEGENDS - How Everyday Leaders Build Irresistible Brands.

Got Brand?

How do you Discover Your Story, Align Your Team and Re-Brand Your Company - in only One Day? If you think it's time to let your competitors zig while you ZAG you might want to explore The Branding Highway BOOTCAMP. It's a no-nonsense approach to gather your executive team and take your business and brand in a new and different direction - with everybody on the same page. You can begin the journey towards becoming a "Category of One" by starting HERE.

Planning a Speaking Event?

The wheels of business are turning faster each quarter and your company or industry association may be busy making plans to stay ahead of the lighting-fast relevance curve. In that spirit, we are now booking events for 2020 and 2021 with organizations like Vistage International and the National Truck Equipment Association to dramatically rock their next conference with keynotes and workshops that inspire audiences to acquire “STADIUM-SIZED PERSPECTIVE”. For booking inquiries, feel free to reach out and contact us.