What happens if…

I was talking to a client the other day, and we were discussing the impact on the business that the illness of a colleague would have.  I was a little surprised that he hadn’t ‘run’ that scenario.  This person is running one part of the business which is in the middle of  series of changes that need not only managing but leading.  Not having the right hand on the tiller now might mean the need to close this part of the business.  Yes, this would adversely affect the bottom line, but there is the possibility that this element might lose money if not lead properly, which would have a worse impact and there is an argument that says that better a sure, straightforward and simple known adverse impact than an uncontrolled mess.

Sometimes stepping back and asking what would happen if …. is really important.  It is easier from outside the business (and that is why people involve people like me) but I’d argue that it is an important skill for all leaders.  If you spend your whole day up to your neck in ‘muck & bullets’ then the chances of you being blindsided by this kind of event are far higher.  Every leader needs some thinking time as opposed to doing time.

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 13th, 2014 at 14:37 and is filed under Hints, Tips & Techniques, Leadership. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.