“One of the most beneficial skills you can learn in life is how to consistently put yourself in a good position. The person who finds themselves in a strong position can take advantage of circumstances while others are forced into a series of poor choices,” writes Shane Parrish. Highly-effective leaders consistently put themselves into solid decision making positions. Because of their skillset, they rarely put themselves into positions where they have to react or recover. Here are five ways that great leaders position themselves for success:
- Future Thinking: The very best leaders set themselves and their organizations up for success through future thinking. Great leaders can see into the future and anticipate what might happen one hour, day, week, month, or year from now. Because of their future thinking, they know what decision they’ll make when that moment arrives. They have already played it out in their minds and made the best decision possible. How consistently do you think into the future?
- Develop Systems: Highly effective leaders not only see into the future, but they develop systems to solve those particular problems when they do arise. The systems have been pressure tested over the years, and they continually refine them, so they help solve the future problems that arise. Although systems thinking and development is critical, it doesn’t happen by accident or quickly. Great leaders are strategic in developing these systems. How consistently do you develop systems for solving future problems?
- Prepare Others: Outstanding leaders focus on preparing others to solve future problems that moves the organization into a better position. In most results-driven organizations, the leaders focus on developing the people around them. It’s easy to focus on doing all the problem solving yourself as a leader, but by developing others, the leader can remove themselves from making all the decisions. How effectively do you develop the people around you in the organization?
- Become Decisive: The best leaders are really decisive and know exactly what they want in the future. These leaders put their organizations in solid positions because they don’t waste time contemplating specific decisions. They know what success looks like, understand the challenges, and find ways to overcome the obstacles. Becoming a better decision maker takes time and reflective thought. How well do you make quality decisions in a timely manner?
- Continuous Reflection: The final aspect of leadership that helps position organizations for success is continuous reflection. Great leaders continuously reflect on the decisions they make, the systems they develop, and their preparation of others. When something works well, they continue that moving forward; if it doesn’t work, then they revise. Great leaders reflect for future growth. How well do you continuously reflect on your systems for success?
The concept of positioning for success requires future thinking, developing systems, and continuous reflection. Highly effective leaders consistently position their organizations for results. Although these concepts are straightforward, it takes trial and error to figure out how to position for the future. Many great leaders make mistakes along the way, but eventually they develop the correct skills to create quality positioning.
How effectively do you position yourself, team, or organization for success?