Planning is key to successful leadership.
Benjamin Franklin said, “By failing to plan, you are planning to fail.” He is right. You cannot succeed as a leader if you fail to plan.
At the risk of stating the obvious, you as the leader need to have a plan. Those that look to you expect you to have a plan because and the root of leadership is the fact that others can look to you to help THEM know what to do. That means you have a plan.
Planning is one of the most important things you can do to lead your organization and it is your job to focus on it.
I’m a very self-motivated person and I don’t need external motivation to get me moving. I wake up early on my own, I work hard, and I take initiative. This is especially helpful when it comes to planning because planning is one of those important things we all need to do but it is not urgent. Although it’s not urgent, it has one of the greatest impacts on your organization.
What plans do you have in place for this year? What is your 3 year plan? What about 10 years from now? What are your plans for 20 years from now? When you have plans in place they serve as a roadmap for you and your business.
Make sure your plans are clear and concise. Have an overall plan you are following but then be prepared to deviate as needed when you run into obstacles, challenges, or experience results faster than anticipated.
When I meet with my clients I evaluate plans for the following areas of life: Financial, Spiritual, Relational, Work/Career, Health, Vacation, Charitable Giving, and Retirement.
Leaders create plans and then execute the necessary tasks to accomplish them. Plans are created, however, to serve the leader. Leaders do not live to serve the plans they create. With that in mind, make plans to accomplish great things!
