#2. Perspective
Definition: Competitive edge comes from an ability to live in the fog of reality and still make rapid, excellent interpretations of where the world is at this moment and where it is headed.
This is a helicopter point of view! Several years ago, while on vacation in the Smokey Mountains, my family and I went on a helicopter ride around the Pigeon Forge area. What a spectacular view we had of the beauty and growing congestion of the area. It is interesting what you can see once you leave the confines of the ground. Too often we can only see our immediate surroundings and miss what just over the hill.
Leadership and business today must find ways to rise above the daily fray and see what lies ahead and learn some lessons from where they have been. As a friend of mine says ... "You need to take some time to think about thinking." We all need perspective! We need mental, emotional and spiritual perspective on life. However, "life" seems to crowd out any time to gain the perspective that is so critical to the success of our future.
When you have perspective, you gain discernment, insight, and foresight! The truth is there is nothing going on in any of our businesses or lives for that matter, which a healthy dose of discernment, insight and foresight would not help.
Question ... What happens after what happens next? How far into the future can you see? Can you see what you want the future to be like? Can you describe it? So, how will you know when you get there besides the calendar?
Too often we go through our daily lives crossing our "T's" and dotting our "I's" without realizing we are writing the wrong sentences or are at the end of the paragraph. It may be time for you to turn the page and start a new chapter.
QUOTE: "If you think you can run your business the next 10 years the way you have run it the last 10 years, you are crazy. To succeed in the next decade, you'll have to disturb the present." - Roberto Goizueta - Coca-Cola
Statistic: If you look at the Fortune 500 every 10 years, you will see the average attrition rate is about 40 percent.
Question ... What is your current perspective on your business and its future?