At the start of a new year many of us pause to consider how things are going in our lives. Those of us who are business owners or are in leadership positions often reflect on how our organisations are doing as well. Where we identify failure, or are dissatisfied with some results, we rightly ask questions to find out what is going wrong and then develop plans to make things work better. But what about when things are going well? Do we complacently rest on what appears to be a winning formula, or do we strive for further improvement?
High performance anthropologist Rasmus Ankersen teaches that the factors that lead to success should be questioned just as much as those that lead to failure. This is because leaders often incorrectly assume that success is the result of their good performance when in fact it could be due to any number of factors that the organisation has no influence over. To keep succeeding, organisations must understand the reasons for their success and maintain urgency to move forward in ever changing market conditions.
Winning organisations take each and every customer complaint seriously, looking for opportunities to improve. Their leaders are hungry to see and seize opportunities before others. They remain alert to trends and the impact that these could have on their organisation. They know that there is an abundance of untapped ideas and opportunities and that they have not yet reached their potential. In these rapidly changing times, wise leaders stay curious.
This article was first published in the Mercury Bay Informer of 23 January 2019. See www.theinformer.co.nz
