In my opinion, one of the most neglected attributes of a leader is ‘preparedness’.  

I see too many leaders’ ‘busy doing’ with plenty of reacting and fire-fighting happening, but little thought given to effective implementation or preparation for the future. 

Think about this … as a leader of your business or your family, there will come a time when you will be looked upon to solve an unexpected and likely unwanted problem. 

It could be an accident on the way to the office or a flat tire-yours or someone else’s. The problem could be a short-term financial challenge you or someone else incurs. It could be a key employee who quits unexpectedly or a serious illness. 

Regardless of what the world delivers, an exceptional leader must be prepared to demonstrate leadership by taking action and creating a solution quickly for any and every situation. 

The leadership tip that can help you prepare for the unexpected is to allow yourself a minimum of 20-minutes a day to be alone to slow down and think … think without distractions.  

Think about the scenarios that you could be faced with and mentally prepare what you would do if they were to materialize. Or if your plans don’t turn out the way they were supposed to. 

In the words of Benjamin Franklin, “By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail.”  

Never put yourself in a position where you say, “I never saw that coming.” 

Enjoy your leadership journey!

Randy Goruk develops business leaders through his coaching, training and professional speaking services. His book ‘Sparks – A Business Fable; Leadership Actions That Will Ignite Your Organization’ is available at www.SparksTheBook.com

Return to LeadersEdge360.com Home Page 
To Sign Up for Randy’s Leadership Tip of the Week