When things are going well, there is often the mistaken belief that things should be left as they are. Innovative organizations, however, must remain alert to what their competitors are doing and for possible threats in the marketplace. Neglecting to do this would be comparable to playing Russian roulette! Leadership guru, Peter Drucker, so aptly says, “No currently working business theory will be valid 10 years hence!”
Not embracing the future and being left behind can happen to your organization. While you are clinging to the way things are, someone, somewhere out there, is developing a new product or service that will be the next winning formula.
We must be careful not to become complacent. There can never be a time when we say, “I’ve finally reached the ultimate. Nothing can move me from this position.” Or “I am making the money I’ve always known I deserved. Now I can take it easy.” NO. It doesn’t happen that way. It’s easy to become complacent when times are good and we don’t feel we need a lot of new ideas. However, if we want the good times to continue, it is vital to maintain flexibility and adaptability in our thinking skills.
It is important for us to realize that anytime we make a change, there is a tendency for our behavior to revert back to the way it used to be until the new behavior is fully ingrained.
Many leaders practice complacency without even realizing it. They have a mistaken belief that their employees will naturally generate ideas. It is a rare leader who consistently devotes time and effort to ensure that ideas are constantly flowing. You get results by the way you lead. Encourage and support your team’s actions on an ongoing basis.
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