| Much has been written about the gloom and doom | | | | Napoleon Hill identifies "attitude" as the single most |
| confronting us all. Everywhere you look-newspapers, | | | | common denominator of success. |
| journals, television, and blogs-people are anxiously | | | | As we talk to colleagues, clients and business owners |
| aware of the enormous global, domestic and personal | | | | about the current situation we find two distinct camps. |
| challenges we face. People are experiencing | | | | There are the "batten down the hatches" bunch and |
| pressures in every aspect of their lives and we have | | | | the "be prudently pro-active" bunch. Among those who |
| developed a national focus on "the crisis". | | | | choose to be proactive we find the common themes |
| Yet in the face of it all, there is an undercurrent of | | | | of: |
| hope. As institutions and organizations collapse, are | | | | 1. Work From the Inside-Out |
| deconstructed or forced to change, opportunities | | | | 2. Build Strategic Alliances |
| emerge that can lead to new and enhanced | | | | 3. Be Active - Not Passive |
| opportunities. Beneath the veneer of fear, lies a solid | | | | 1. Working from the Inside-Out |
| foundation of "can do" experience. | | | | What you think about, whether individually or |
| A message of "yes we can" and growing pockets of | | | | collectively, affects you emotional state, since your |
| possibility coupled with action have been emerging. We | | | | emotions will determine the actions you take. By |
| know, intellectually, that even the worst of times are | | | | paying attention to the proactive management of your |
| cyclical and that the lowest lows lead, eventually, to | | | | "mental state" or attitudes, you will have the ability to |
| new eras of growth. History reminds us that Andrew | | | | positively impact the results you achieve. Further, as a |
| Carnegie started his steel mill at the start of the 1873 | | | | leader your ability to project an attitude of gratitude |
| depression and IBM launched the PC during the 1981 | | | | and abundance will serve as an example for others to |
| recession. | | | | follow. |
| The big questions on everyone's mind are:o What can | | | | As leaders, you have a choice every day, every |
| I do to thrive during this period, not merely survive it?o | | | | moment, to inspire or demoralize the people who you |
| What can I do to position myself now and for the | | | | count on to executive your vision. Use those moments |
| turn-around? | | | | wisely. |
| In his book Good To Great, Jim Collins said the first | | | | 2. Strategic Alliances |
| thing you have to do is to get the right people on the | | | | Build strategic alliances with people and organizations |
| bus. In these challenging times there are certainly many | | | | that share your organization's values and objectives. In |
| people who are hoping they get on the right bus - the | | | | Western society we romanticize the Lone Ranger, |
| one that offers security and protection from the rising | | | | Michael Jordan and Superman; in truth, they each had |
| storm. | | | | at least more than one sidekick. |
| Yes, some people are content to wait for the bus, | | | | Innovation is born from diversity and interdependence. |
| hoping against hope that they get on a good bus. | | | | Alliances that foster collaboration create opportunities |
| However, there are others who are not content to | | | | that can expand your sphere of influence or create |
| wait, they are not looking to be saved. They want to | | | | valuable insights into familiar situations. |
| be in the driver's seat. They want to pick the route and | | | | Success comes from cooperation and creativity much |
| drive the bus, this article is for the drivers. Drivers who | | | | more easily than from individual effort and 'winner |
| possess the confidence and determination to pick the | | | | takes all' competition. |
| route, navigate through the obstacles and give their | | | | Before he passed away Studs Turkel noted that there |
| passengers a sense of security and confidence. They | | | | were two things that got people through the Great |
| move forward with faith and purpose, focusing on | | | | Depression - staying positive and helping each other. |
| what will be not on what could have been. | | | | During tough times, the quality of the people that |
| A study released by Nielsen found that those | | | | surround you is crucial, so make sure you have the |
| companies that maintained or expanded their | | | | right people on the bus. |
| marketing and sales efforts during the recession of the | | | | 3. TAKE ACTION |
| 1980's saw their businesses grow by 275% in the five | | | | It is all too easy to become paralyzed by indecision |
| years after the recession. Those that cut back | | | | when the going gets rough, however, now is the time |
| realized only a 19% growth in that same time period. | | | | for decisiveness. Develop a positive and clear focus, |
| During tough times, drivers must keep both hands on | | | | share ideals and values with others and finally have a |
| the wheel. Management Consultant Ram Charan | | | | plan and work your plan. Action turns our desires into |
| wrote in his latest book, Leadership in the Era of | | | | results. |
| Economic Uncertainty: The New Rules for Getting the | | | | Steve Jobs at Apple, recently had this to say, "When |
| Right Things Done in Difficult Times, noted that one of | | | | the dot-com bubble burst, I told our company that we |
| the keys is "management intensity." A review of the | | | | were going to invest our way through the downturn, |
| current literature offering advice on how to thrive in | | | | we weren't going to lay off people that we had taken |
| turbulent times says that management intensity means | | | | a tremendous amount of effort to get into Apple in the |
| "good cash management" and "performance | | | | first place. And we're going to keep funding, so that |
| improvement" (eliminating non-value added activity). | | | | we would be ahead of our competitors when the |
| However, one could argue that these are practices | | | | downturn was over. And that is what we did. And that |
| that already should be common place. | | | | is exactly what we'll do this time." Apple continues to |
| One of the most important lessons to learn about | | | | announce product innovations while other companies |
| thriving turbulent times is to involve your employees. | | | | are announcing layoffs. |
| Rather than discarding them as a liability, leverage their | | | | In looking at the advice emanating from "experts", the |
| intellectual capital and knowledge of the operations to | | | | primary themes are to "tighten up" and "buckle down." |
| help identify the most effective ways to manage cash | | | | At first blush, that seems to make good common |
| flow and eliminate waste. In other words, don't treat | | | | sense. |
| them as mere passengers but rather focusing them | | | | However, there are two problems that emanate from |
| on the fact that they have a stake in the outcome as | | | | that philosophy. One is that if you focus on "holding the |
| well. Even more to the point, they can add value by | | | | fort" it is a major challenge to reverse that mentality |
| contributing their unique points of observation and | | | | when it is time for growth and expansion. The second, |
| intellectual capital. | | | | is that while you are ramping up, companies that |
| Charan tells the story of how DuPont CEO Charles | | | | continued to focus on strengthening organizational |
| Holliday marshaled his forces to implement its | | | | culture, efficiencies and innovation will be miles ahead |
| Corporate Crisis Management plan. Employees were | | | | of you in capturing market share and introducing new |
| called upon to find three ways they could immediately | | | | products and services to their (and many of your |
| conserve cash and reduce expenses. As with other | | | | "former") customers. |
| companies we have interviewed, DuPont curtailed | | | | Although we are not economists, we agree with |
| travel, canceled meetings, and terminated consultants | | | | Professor Sean Snaith of the University of South |
| and contractors, helping the company save money for | | | | Florida, who was quoted by the Associated Press as |
| the short run but, as a result, they also created a | | | | saying "If you overshoot on the downside and lay off |
| 'bunker mentality' based upon fear. | | | | workers, it puts the company at a disadvantage when |
| Pfizer, on the other hand, cut inefficiencies by breaking | | | | the economy comes back to life." The cost of |
| its research and business units into smaller groups, | | | | recruiting, selecting and onboarding new hires can be |
| giving them more responsibility and ownership of their | | | | more than the cost of retaining your intellectual assets. |
| work and products. The result of injecting these | | | | Now is not the time to wait out the storm, it is time to |
| "entrepreneurial genes" into their teams was a higher | | | | get on the bus to the future. Even more, it is time to |
| level of creativity and innovation, improved productivity | | | | take charge and set the tone by building core internal |
| and enhanced morale. | | | | attitudes of gratitude and abundance, establish alliances |
| Like nearly every other situation in life, success is the | | | | that facilitate your movement towards the future you |
| result of how we think about things. Everything that | | | | desire and do it now. Don't wait to take action when |
| exists was first a thought that materialized into action. | | | | times are good - you may find that bus has already |
| In the classic book Think and Grow Rich, author | | | | left without you. |