September 23, 2024
Good morning! Welcome to autumn north of the 38th; some call it the best season of the year. And, we have the perfect weather to frame it. Now all we need is a kettle of stewed rutabagas and maybe an apfel pie.
- Is there a proliferation of spiders?
- Could a hummingbird be trapped and killed by a spider web? Would the spider then eat it?
- This just in: Visitors to New York City are increasingly coming for food, nature, and wellness — less so for arts and culture. (Mabrian)
- Growth efficiency in United States public software companies declined by 50% from 2021 – 2023. (S & P 500 Analysis)
- Do you know:
- A little bit about a lot of things, or
- A lot about a few things, or
- A lot about a lot of things, or
- Not much about anything?
- Do you climb mountains? Have you climbed mountains — or at least one?
- The higher you climb, the slower you have to go.
- Steps are shorter, you can no longer take long strides as you would on level ground.
- Each step is fraught with danger as there are loose rocks, exposed tree roots, and sudden changes.
- Your focus must be sharper, you can’t climb a mountain with peripheral vision, you have to be very focused and purposeful.
- If you want to look around to enjoy the view you must come to a complete stop — and then getting restarted requires motivation and some pain.
- I’m grateful to be working with another new client and as such it’s a good time to review the Ps of good planning:
- First, it’s good to have an experienced Partner who can help guide you and hold you accountable.
- Second, you must be willing to Pause everything else you’re doing for several successive and cumulative amounts of time.
- Third, you should consider the Big Picture first; i.e., strategic level.
- Fourth, there is no Panacea which is why you must…
- Fifth, trust the Process.
- Sixth, be Patient as you trust the process.
- Seventh, be Persistent with your efforts and your resolve.
- Eighth, the cumulative effect of faithfulness toward these Ps will lead to a Plan you can embrace, even as you modify it to make it better.
- Ninth, Put it into action… which leads us to nine more Ps…
- The purpose of leadership is elevating others — and hence the organization — to higher levels of performance. (Eades)
- We perhaps know more about Abraham Lincoln than we know about any other human who ever walked the earth, but…
- … at the same time, we know very little — which is why we keep digging and digging because we yearn for more.
