“Progress occurs when courageous, skillful leaders seize the opportunity to change things for the better.” President Harry S. Truman
Initiative is all-important. A hierarchical organization with diffused accountability and a lack of initiative is little more than a house of cards.
Leaders cannot be afraid to take charge. Mistakes will come with the territory. The important thing is pulling together the right people for your team and creating a “bias for action” within an organization.
The fundamental building block for any task is intent. What is the intended solution to the problem and who is going to solve it? If members of a team understand they are part of the solution they will instinctively do their part. They will act instead of react, and not waste precious time seeking permission when action can be taken immediately to achieve a solution to the problem.
A good leader confronts facts and problems head-on. Leaders don't want to hear bad news, but if they ignore it, the organization will suffer. Never shoot the messenger, as it only encourages team members to not share problems or issues. Instead, leaders should always react in a calm and measured manner. Remember, often times the first report is incomplete, if not wrong, and more information should develop as things move along.
When in charge, take charge, but not at the expense of those who should be part of the solution. That is this weeks "Word of the Bird"!
