"Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm."
A chap called Publilius Syrus wrote that around 2,000 years ago, he was a Latin writer from Syria, but that’s enough from Wikipedia.
What strikes me is how relevant that phrase is today and how dilemmas and issues remain the same. Nothing is permanent but some things don't change, it appears.
Leadership is tested most when the chips are down (a gambling idiom, but let’s move on). Anyone can look good when it's plain sailing and poor leaders often take credit when none is due. They may have landed into an extraordinary situation, the market lifted unexpectedly, or the competition closed due to internal issues. Still, they’re in the chair, so they’ll wave and take the applause.
Great leaders tend to blame others when it goes right, and take responsibility and fight like hell when the water is choppy. That reminds me of how important it is to use the time when the sea is calm to build your team and develop your offering to the market. You never know what's lurking below the surface...
Strong Leaders believe that it will not remain plain sailing for too long, an old boss used to say ‘remain vigilant’ as he ducked behind his desk. Out of the blue, a missile or two would fly in; a new launch against us, or a brand new idea introduced to the market that would whip the feet from right under us. The boss used the "calm" time to develop:
· People (always first and most important)
· Products
· Services
· Processes
“No time is downtime.” was another favourite phrase, and he loved to punch the air as he said it. To be fair he was an expert at keeping momentum in the business and inspiring and motivating the team. His energy was infectious and invaluable. We innovated and developed and set new targets when budgets established 6 months ago were now too soft.
Leaders have an obligation to create an environment where people want to stay and achieve their best. The atmosphere should inspire the team to stretch themselves, innovate and have fun doing it.
“If you don’t change, you can become extinct.” Spencer Johnson.
Calm waters do not fool great leaders. They do not start swimming in the gentle waves. They know the sharks are circling. They take the helm and inspire the team to row harder.