Busyness: Footprints of Great Leaders

August 14, 2012

Busyness.

Never confuse motion with action. Benjamin Franklin

Great leaders leave indelible footprints in the passage of time, often spanning generations; unmistakable evidence, markers of where they have been.

Regardless of when, and where they walk, great men and women leave their footprints; revealing with clarity their spirit, courage and the direction they were going; along with encouragement to follow in their footsteps.

It is often stated that first impressions mean everything, and how true this can be when confronted with a business or organization where frenetic activity is taking place. Surely, all of this hustle and bustle must mean that plenty of work is being done, and great outcomes are being produced, doesn’t it?

Motion can indeed mean many things, depending on the eye of the beholder.

To the inexperienced or impatient, perhaps even to the naive or careless, motion alone could be confused with activity. However, all of that busyness and activity, the moving of people and materials around without direction, purpose or measurable outcomes can merely indicate inefficiency.

To the unenlightened or uninformed motion may also appear to be leading to outcomes; nonetheless, despite their best intentions, efforts and energy expended, such outcomes may be unlikely.

And to a third group, let’s refer to them as the devious or mischievous, motion by itself can be the very cloak of secrecy that hides poor performance or even illegal activities.

Regardless, in each of these instances the mere fact of things happening does not necessarily mean that measurable outcomes are occurring.

Unfortunately, activity, busyness, can conceal or mask attempts at measurement of actual performance. Indeed it can become quite difficult to assess whether, amidst the feverish commotion and activity, any real actions are being performed at all.

Too often, organizations have been known to embark on a process of restructuring or reorganization only to find that whilst the process did encompass significant, and usually costly redeployment of people and assets, little in the way of productivity gain was achieved.

Occasionally this process is even deliberate, although I am sure you haven’t seen this at first hand.

On a positive note, most businesses gain from increased activity or greater sales turnover; their critical mass and general efficiencies improve. But it is vital for leaders and managers to remain vigilant on this journey; to ensure that increased activity doesn’t lead to only increased activity; and that actual, measurable improvements in efficiency, productivity and the bottom line do eventuate.

The worst case scenario is where a struggling business, or poorly performing organization expands their activities only to find that their losses also expand, or their performance remains either static or declines. Such can be the case where systemic waste, poor cost control or management is in place.

Generally, these problems have at their source ineffective leadership.

Avoiding the perils of confusing motion with activity is achievable once clear planning is undertaken and executed. Inevitably this will entail accurate measurement of key performance indicators in the organization, followed by scheduled monitoring and reporting of changes as the organization evolves.

Without these critical activities in place, the likelihood of demonstrated improvement is slim, and the risk of observing and equating busyness with performance is high.

No business or organization can expect to survive or even improve its performance when leadership begins to associate growing busyness with a growing business.

Great leaders understand that their organizations must actually be productive and deliver real gains, not just the appearance of productivity.

The footprints of great leaders, who saw into the future and spanned generations, who have previously travelled our paths will often reveal simply, yet profoundly, how we should manage and deliver effectively.

Author Neil Findlay

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Integrity: Footprints of Great Leaders:

August 10, 2012

By Neil Findlay

Integrity.

Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that nobody’s going to know whether you did it or not. Oprah Winfrey

Great leaders leave indelible footprints in the passage of time, often spanning generations; unmistakable evidence, markers of where they have been.

Few subjects arouse the attention of the press, commentators and people in general than the matter of integrity; many believe it to be their duty to uncover, expose, and draw attention to impropriety at any level, but particularly in the halls of power.

Today, in August 2012 even a quick search online reveals literally hundreds of millions of links to, and comments on integrity; with one major book seller having no less than 8000 titles referring to integrity. Even allowing for some of this interest and content fielding separate issues like structural integrity or management systems integrity, the quantum of reference to human or character related integrity is gargantuan.

Given this prominence, the obvious level of interest in personal integrity requires, no, mandates our seriously evaluating what this is all about.

It is self-evident that people in general attribute enormous significance to this matter of personal honesty, truthfulness and strength of character in those they relate to, or report to; leaders; politicians; friends and associates.

Equally, perhaps more so, people regard poorly any person who lacks integrity.

To take this even further, most cultures today rank people who masquerade as being of sound character and having integrity, whilst failing to live up to this conviction, right at the bottom of the confidence food chain; for it is considered one thing to lack integrity and be recognized as such, but entirely another matter to pass ones self off as possessing integrity yet not actually having it.

Indeed, people place much higher value on those who can be depended on; who observe moral and cultural norms; and who consider the interests of others before their own.

What is readily apparent in all of this is the role of an individual’s personal values: those inner defining principles that outwork themselves though our character and integrity.

These values, our behavioral DNA, like their blood relation our character, are intrinsically ours to own. Further, they are ours to determine, for they are a deliberate personal choice: the values we elect to conduct our lives by. Not one of us can attribute blame for any deficiencies in integrity to our culture, upbringing or the times we live in.

We have a choice.

Integrity then is a demonstration, or out working of our values; this very unique structure and fabric that is, you and I; the foundation of our decision-making.

It is this fact that distinguishes those who have genuine integrity from those who feign integrity, for real integrity to one who possesses it is as natural as breathing; it is never something that they have to think about, or consider the implications of when making a life choice. It naturally, instinctively, automatically flows out of them and is evident for all to see.

So much so that it is irrelevant to these people whether they are under scrutiny or not: their decisions and behavior will not differ, regardless of circumstances or any peer pressure they are subjected to.

People who have chosen to live a life characterized by integrity care not whether their actions are subject to scrutiny or audit; they don’t care whether their actions, or words, are in the public domain for they would be the same regardless. These people don’t have to be supervised, watched or audited for their behavior and their decisions will stand the test of time.

Importantly, if our integrity is dependant on, or proportional to scrutiny by others, then it is not really integrity at all.

Great leaders understand that their words and actions must align, and that history will judge their decisions.

The footprints of great leaders, who saw into the future and spanned generations, who have previously travelled our paths will often reveal simply, yet profoundly, how our integrity should determine our speech, actions and behavior.

Author Neil Findlay

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Dreams to Reality: Footprints of Great Leaders:

August 8, 2012

By Neil Findlay

Dreams to Reality.

A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work. Colin Powell

Great leaders leave indelible footprints in the passage of time, often spanning generations. Unmistakable evidence, markers of where they have been.

Regardless of when, and where they walk, great men and women leave their footprints, revealing with clarity their spirit, courage and the direction they were going, along with encouragement to follow in their footsteps.

All of us have dreams; dreams of achieving great things; of going where we want to go; of being who we want to be.

We all have goals to reach in life, business, sport and a host of spheres that are so important to the individuals that are, you and I.

This is how we are wired up and it is normal to seek to bring our dreams to reality.

No matter what the odds are, how great the difficulties and challenges are, visionary people will pursue their dreams and overcome the difficulties that seek to constrain and limit them; to rob them of their potential.

Yet it should be no surprise that turning our dreams into reality, transforming ourselves into someone stronger, smarter and achieving our goals takes more than mere chance or luck.

Taking an idea and turning it into a workable, bankable reality takes more than magic. It usually takes herculean energy, persistence and determination.

Whenever someone decides to take the easy road to success, fame or fortune it usually ends in tears.

For turning the intangible into the tangible, the idea into the concept, and then into a working capability is rarely as easy as winning the lotto or just landing on our feet as the saying goes.

Nor is it often achieved, or at least retained by picking up an inheritance, for historically, easy gains are often just as easily and quickly lost.

Contrary to many views today, wealth and success are rarely obtained through litigation; the services of a smart lawyer who proceeds to take someone else’s wealth and deliver it to us.

Yet despite all of these well-known facts, many of our generation are mislead, deluded even by the belief that success can be achieved without commitment, work or personal effort. Indeed, many feel that someone else should be responsible for their well-being; someone else should pay; someone else should do the hard yards.

In this regard it’s easy to look up to role models in society, business or politics with all of their apparent success, to aspire to that success and feel that we too can have it all. But let’s never forget that for every great achiever, or achievement there has generally been a price paid.

Consider an even worse case: where some people experience a feeling of loss, disadvantage, perhaps even extending to depression when languishing over the fact that others have more than they do, or someone else has achieved more than they have.

In our efforts to succeed it is key to understand the significance of both the effort and time required to succeed; to know that great gain is usually acquired incrementally and not overnight; to understand that success comes to those who work faithfully at it without ceasing, without quitting and without losing focus.

In all of this perhaps the greatest forté we can have is a sense of reality, of perspective; the ability to accurately know just where we are and what is possible, rather than a sense of delusion and unrealistic expectations.

To this end, it is salient to remember that we don’t have to be the best in the world: but we do have to be the best we can be.

Great leaders understand that not all will achieve greatness, but those who choose to focus, persevere and work hard are naturally disposed to excel in their chosen field.

Author Neil Findlay

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Risk Taking: Footprints of Great Leaders

August 2, 2012

By Neil Findlay

Risk Taking.

Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly. Robert Kennedy

Great leaders leave indelible footprints in the passage of time, often spanning generations. Unmistakable evidence, markers of where they have been.

Not everyone achieves great things, or rises above the mediocrity of the times.

Great achievement is reserved for those who are prepared to take the necessary risks; who are prepared to exert themselves and make the extra effort to go where others have not gone before; to step up from being merely normal and risk being called abnormal.

Folk lore coupled with today’s global media access recount the stories of those who have passed from the ordinary to the extraordinary. And frequently we hear, perhaps in a mumbling tone that could have been me; or I could have done that.

But really, how many of us would have been prepared to invest the effort to succeed like great achievers do? How many of us would be prepared to take the chances, to risk all in pursuit of a great goal?

It is true that within each of us there lies a well of un-tapped potential, waiting, poised like an athlete on the starting blocks for the opportunity to leap forward and achieve their goals.

But beyond the tedium and persistence of extended practice and training there lies a further barrier to success, like the final hurdle standing between us and our goals: the willingness to act, and place everything on the line for our cause.

This willingness and single-mindedness to stay focused and committed regardless of the naysayers who call out to us that it can’t be done, it has never been done, this confidence in ourselves and confidence that leads us to ignore our detractors, to ignore the odds and accept that we just might fail, is what separates those who do from those who don’t.

While those condemned to mediocrity see only obstacles, achievers see opportunities: yes, there are risks, yes, they could fail and yes, they could lose everything, but far better than others around them they see what could be.

Indeed, when once asked by a business associate why are you doing this particular project, when you clearly don’t need to, my response was because I might fail, but I have absolutely no intention of doing so!

Every great leader is prepared to stand out, to stand apart from the crowd, from mediocrity and remain true to their objectives and beliefs: to achieve great things.

Great leaders aren’t concerned by those who doubt them, or doubt their chances of success and question their judgment; for they see things others don’t see; they sense opportunity when others see only difficulty; and above all else have that unique gift of perspective.

They aren’t limited by normal behavior, normal outcomes and normal performance but are only limited by their imagination and belief in themselves.

Great leaders understand that not all will achieve greatness, only those who choose to dare greatly; those who are prepared to risk what they have to achieve what they don’t yet have; those who are prepared to step out of the impossible and into the realm of the possible.

Author Neil Findlay

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Servant Hood: Footprints of Great Leaders

July 30, 2012

By Neil Findlay

Servant Hood.

A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves. Lao Tzu

Great leaders leave indelible footprints in the passage of time, often spanning generations. Unmistakable evidence, markers of where they have been.

Generally, if asked to recall a leader, people launch into a description of someone who was strong, fearless, perceptive and who demonstrated enormous charisma. Usually this type of leader is credited for, and remembered by people for great achievements.

History favors these kinds of leaders.

Leadership lore, and the chorus of commentaries on the subject invariably expound on clichés such as leading from the front, taking it to another level, leading by example and so forth. In fact, one of the hallmarks of a contemporary leader seems to be their ability to spawn memorable clichés.

But despite the annals of history being kind to these leaders, despite being front page on Google or trending on Twitter, does popularity or notoriety constitute successful leadership?

It’s true, real leaders do tend to lead from the front, and do bring about improvement in their organization and do set an example for those around them. Without doubt, these leaders understand the key leadership principles of consulting widely, listening carefully, deciding clearly and acting decisively. Their sense of timing is exquisite.

But they also understand the concept of servant hood: the principle that they exist for the benefit of their people collectively.

Secure leaders inevitably devote their time and energy to identifying and raising up leaders from amongst their people, before promoting themselves. They are not threatened by rising leaders in their midst and are more concerned about the intellectual and social capital of their organization than their share options, on re-generation and succession than short-term gains.

So powerful is this regenerative, positioning strategy that if the primary leader is absent, whether temporarily, or even permanently, these organizations will continue to function and grow as if the leader were still present.

Leaders who understand that it’s not about me and who build this resilience and capacity into their organization build a fabric and cohesion into their people that is creative, productive and unbreakable.

Conversely, it is not uncommon to see a company’s stock price slump upon mere rumors of its leader having a sickness or contemplating moving on to another challenge. This is indicative of a leader not having done their job, not having built resilience into their organization and having big shoes that won’t fit anyone else.

A great leaders shoes will fit their followers feet, and are slip-on shoes allowing others to step quickly into them, into their role, at a moments notice.

These great men and women know that success depends on not only having their people understand their vision completely, but having that vision seared into their very being. They share the ownership of goals, as much as they share the fruit of their success.

When their vision is realized, their people, their team are confident enough to say we did it!

The footprints of great leaders, who saw into the future and spanned generations, who have previously travelled our paths will often reveal simply, yet profoundly, how important it is to devolve not just power, but success and opportunity amongst their people.

Author Neil Findlay

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Collaboration: Footprints of Great Leaders

July 23, 2012

By Neil Findlay

Collaboration.

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Aristotle

Great leaders leave indelible footprints in the passage of time, often spanning generations. Unmistakable evidence, markers of where they have been.

The strength of any process, system or organization is often compromised by its weakest link.

Aristotle’s famous statement that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts is true, but inevitably, should we include and rely upon our weaknesses in that sum, then the potential of the entire collective is reduced down to that of its weakest part.

Alternatively, and critically, once a collective’s sum is taken to be that of its cumulative strengths, then it becomes limited only by those strengths, not its weaknesses.

This is the essence, the core of collaboration.

Thankfully, we are all wired up differently, having our own personally distinctive traits hard-wired into our DNA. This means that we each have a unique set of strengths, and weaknesses that we call our own and which characterize our ability, or inability, to perform particular tasks.

In most cases this is not a problem, for as we execute our daily or even lifetime tasks we align our selves with others who can do what we can’t do and who make up for our shortcomings.

An analogy to this would be a builder who engages another specialist party to complete a task when he, or she, doesn’t have that skill personally.

Key to maximizing the return on our own strengths is to pursue a collaborative effort where our own strengths, like those of the builder, compliment and make up for the weaknesses of others. And vice versa.

Issues arise when people align themselves with others of like interests or capabilities only to find that they share common weaknesses, and their collective effort is unable to rise above the limitations of those weaknesses, regardless of their collective strengths.

Ideally, our strengths should compensate for the weakness of others in our mission, and we should be complimented by others’ strengths in our areas of weakness.

The old adage ‘birds of a feather flock together’ applies here and is a formula for mediocrity and inefficiency when those who share a particular weakness congregate together, resulting in a team of ten with the capability of just five or six.

If we simply align ourselves with people of like weakness we perpetuate that weakness, falling far short of our collective potential, as our team will only ever be as strong as its weakest link.

The secret lies in not being part of a chain constrained by the strength of its weakest link but rather being part of a team limited only by the strength of its strongest member.

Indeed, if individually we purpose to contribute our strength to the diverse, complimentary and collective strengths of others we will find that as a team of ten we can carry the weight of fifteen, confirming Aristotle’s principle that the whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts.

Great leaders understand this principle and search out opportunities to work hand-in-hand with others to achieve greatness.

The footprints of great leaders, who saw into the future and spanned generations, who have previously travelled our paths will often reveal simply, yet profoundly, how each of us are capable of contributing to, and delivering greatness by collaborating and leveraging our respective strengths.

Author Neil Findlay

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Self Confidence: Footprints of Great Leaders

June 23, 2012

By Neil Findlay

Self Confidence.

Whether you think you can, or think you can’t, you’re right. Henry Ford

Great leaders leave indelible footprints in the passage of time, often spanning generations. Unmistakable evidence, markers of where they have been.

Like other great men and women who have preceded us, leaders today find that performance depends not only on physical or financial strength, but equally on the ability to make those critical decisions, to act. Until we season our tangible strengths with self-confidence, our purpose and potential are compromised.

Indeed self-confidence has the ability to compensate for shortcomings in many of the resources we need to achieve. It is the essential fuel that powers and motivates us, the incredible, unique and personal part of our cognitive processing that empowers us, that switches us on. Or off.

Self-confidence is the rocket-fuel within that transforms us from being ordinary, part of the crowd, into someone extraordinary. In those critical moments when we have to decide yes or no, stop or go, when faced with adversity and risk our self-confidence will often be the trigger that will, in effect, make the decision easier and transform us into an overcomer.

Conversely, a lack of self-confidence we will see us limited, along with others who wilt in the face of challenge, who fall back instead of stepping up. Regardless of how well resourced or organized we are, if we lack self-confidence our potential is limited.

Self-confidence is a pre-requisite to success in many of life’s challenges, whether in business, sport or socially: without it we will generally not achieve optimal results.

Importantly, a self-confident person should never discount common sense, or fail to undertake adequate due diligence before taking action, but when a self-confident person is looking either adversity or opportunity in the eye (they can sometimes be indistinguishable), their personal confidence is often what empowers them to act.

Once they have done their research, know the facts and are contemplating next steps, self-confidence is often the determinant. When no-one has done it before, when our detractors say it can’t be done, our self-confidence is often key.

It stands to reason that regardless of our self-confidence within, it must be utilised to bear fruit. An essential part of out-working our self-confidence is to articulate it: not just think it but speak it, write it and act it out.

Unused self-confidence and unrealized potential are synonymous.

The ability to innovate and be creative are integral to our self-confidence since these abilities often involve going against the crowd and doing what has never been done before. Regardless of what the crowd has to say.

Thomas Edison failed some 10,000 times before the electic light worked. All along he faced the risk that it would never work, yet he never gave up, being confident that he would ultimately be successful. He did things never done before, proving that experience is optional.

Self-confidence inherently needs to be a part of our thinking 24/7, wherever we are, whatever we are doing, whether we are alone or not.

Life is not a roll of the dice as we take our chances, but a roll of the drums as we make our choices and our self-confidence is crucial in determining the right choices.

Self-confidence to decision-making is what double-glazing is to noise reduction, or ceramics are to temperature insulation: it insulates us against pessimism, group-think and failure, all of which are enemies to releasing our potential.

Our confidence in our competence is key to seeing successful outcomes.

We should never forget that we are personally responsible for our self-confidence. Within each of us is this intangible strength that can spectacularly change the outcomes of events around us: a classic case of the intangible determining the tangible!

Self-confidence is an integral and indispensable part of successful people and organizations: of winners. It is highly contagious and when manifested it readily spreads from person to person to team, to success.

Likewise, a lack of confidence can also be contagious and lead to cataclysmic slumps in morale and performance.

Great leaders understand this principle and are always careful to demonstrate confidence to their people. Confidence starts with us, spreads to those around us, lifting spirits and performance capability measurably.

Author Neil Findlay

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Strengths: Footprints of Great Leaders

June 13, 2012

By Neil Findlay

Strengths.

I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things. Mother Theresa

Great leaders leave indelible footprints in the passage of time, often spanning generations. Unmistakable evidence, markers of where they have been.

Our individual strengths are indeed just that: our strengths, which should not be confused with our often multiple weaknesses, and certainly not be lost, hidden or overwhelmed by these.

For instance, the worlds best hammer cannot match the performance of the worlds worst screwdriver when it comes to fitness for purpose, but by virtue of its own unique qualities it can certainly compliment that screwdriver, while adding to the versatility, capability and performance of the toolkit as a whole.

The reason being that a hammer is no more a screwdriver than I am a doctor or an airline pilot, which I am not. Each tool is designed and built to be different, as are our expectations of it in fulfilling a task.

Likewise, each of us have different DNA: we are wired up to be different, to have different strengths and weaknesses.

Not better or worse, just different.

Because of this, we should never, ever feel inadequate because we lack any given strength or skill-set, so long as we are willing to work alongside another who has that requisite skill for a particular task, and are prepared to help them in any way we can.

We should rather be willing to share some space in the toolkit of life, and be both available when needed, and ready step back to allow another to perform when they are better suited to the task.

Without doubt, when we out-work our life-skills to compliment those of others, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

In this context, ability without availability is a recipe for mediocrity, wasted time and lost potential. None of us can ever hope to do everything, but we can all do something when opportunities present themselves.

Opportunities do come, frequently without warning and their outcomes will almost always depend on our willingness to use what we have in our hand, at the right time: those skills and strengths that define us as individuals.

These individual strengths will only ever give us the capability to excel at what is our natural forte. However, when our strengths are used in concert with the complimentary strengths of others, much greater things are possible. Even the impossible!

For example, a chisel will never be effective unless used in conjunction with a hammer, and great buildings are always built by combining the skills of great stonemasons, plasterers, electricians, painters and others: a skilled and complimentary team each performing what they are best at.

Further, logic will confirm that the even the best of these strengths and talents will not deliver excellence unless they are actually used where the need arises.

You know: right place, right time.

To deliver greatness, each one of us should ensure that our natural strengths are applied in a co-operative, collaborative environment, where the strengths of others are recognized and harnessed for the greater benefit.

Because greatness, and great outcomes are rarely achieved alone. This means that prejudice, discrimination or any other restraining influence should be discarded when it comes to contributing to a collective project, process or outcome.

Just as a good tradesman will not be pre-occupied with the colour, age or manufacturer of any functional tool placed in their hand, neither should we demonstrate reluctance in working productively with those who serve alongside us.

The footprints of great leaders, who saw into the future and spanned generations, who have previously travelled our paths will often reveal simply, yet profoundly, how each of us are capable of contributing to, and delivering greatness: by doing what we are individually best at, whilst in concert with others who can do well those things that we may not be able to do at all.

Making the impossible, possible.

Author Neil Findlay

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Potential: Footprints of Great Leaders

June 9, 2012

By Neil Findlay

Potential.

Most people live and die with their music still unplayed. They never dare to try. Mary Kay Ash

Great leaders leave indelible footprints in the passage of time, often spanning generations. Unmistakable evidence, markers of where they have been.

Few people ever fully reach their potential. Yet almost everyone has the ability, the latent reserves within to do more, achieve more and influence their generation more.

Regardless of how we rationalize this lost opportunity, the fact remains that we each have unused potential within us: potential to do more with what we have, to reach out and do completely new things we haven’t done before.

Usually greater personal growth and performance comes from identifying and developing those strengths that we all naturally have, but which are often under utilized.

Most people have reasons why they haven’t yet come to life, and occasionally even valid ones, but usually these reasons are better described as excuses.

I know, it is true, that sometimes a persons’ upbringing or the events of life have limited or hurt them such that their ability to reach out, to trust or to take risks have been damaged and they unable to step up to new opportunities.

But usually this is a mental block, not a road block. Almost always there is no real reason why any one of us cannot rise to greater challenges and achieve more, other than a lack of confidence and self belief.

Normally, once a person understands this they begin to do better, regardless of their past history, their past failures or present obstacles: it just starts to happen, and the best time to make it happen is now!

Yesterday can’t be changed: its door has closed. Tomorrow can’t be changed: its door hasn’t opened. Today is our only opportunity to influence our future, to change our world: whilst its door remains open. Right here, right now!

To many people it is incomprehensible how they could achieve or succeed because they don’t think they can, preferring to spend their time dwelling on the reasons why not.

Yet the solution to changing our life paradigm is no secret, no mystery. All it takes is the resolution to do it, and do it now. Don’t wait until conditions are perfect, until all the ducks line up: they rarely do. Just do it!

Likewise, excuses such as ‘I live or work in the wrong place, or, no one has ever achieved anything here’ are usually cop outs. The best place to start changing our future is right where we are.

Begin by looking for opportunities around us, in our job, in our locality, in the environment where we are placed. There are few places where opportunities do not exist, to those who look for them.

It is often accepted in our times that someone else is to blame for our shortcomings, lack of progress or misfortune. But ultimately it is really our responsibility to ensure that we do well and succeed. Positioning ourselves and training our minds to be ready for opportunities and difficulties are key to ensuring that we achieve our best.

Remember, we need not discourage ourselves by trying to be the best in the world, but we should commit to being the best that we can be.

The footprints of great leaders, who saw into the future and spanned generations and who have previously travelled our paths will often reveal simply, yet profoundly, the steps we should take to unlock and realize our potential: to ensure our success.

Author Neil Findlay

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Vision: Footprints of Great Leaders

June 2, 2012

By Neil Findlay

Vision.

The most pathetic person in the world is some one who has sight but no vision. Helen Keller

Great leaders leave indelible footprints in the passage of time, often spanning generations. Unmistakable evidence, markers of where they have been.

Few human limitations lead to such loss of potential, and such utter misfortune than that of myopia.

No, not the physical myopia, or short-sightedness that leads to a person’s inability to see objects clearly in the distance, but that much more debilitating, and life limiting form where a person’s perspective is short-sighted so they can’t see the future.

Not restricted by or confined to any to age group, gender or race this inability to see things as they are, and could be, saps the very potential within people, as they cannot see opportunity, and renders them prone to misfortune as they cannot see impending risks approaching.

There are many root causes for this short-sightedness. For some, it has been their upbringing, the environment they have been raised in: negative experiences or being told repeatedly that they will never amount to anything, that they have no potential or hope resulting in a life philosophy that says I cannot, therefore, I will not is the limiting factor.

For others, education, persistence and the opening of their eyes to the potential that resides within them, the understanding that I can, therefore, I will is the revelation that releases their latent potential and capability.

One of life’s great deceptions is that it can wait, I can do it tomorrow. Yet time, this irreplaceable asset is one of the single most valuable possessions we have. No amount of effort, finance or good intentions can make up for lost time.

This thief in the night, shortsightedness, seeks to rob us of time, our best years, our potential from right under our nose as it were. While we look on.

Short-sightedness, the inability to see what is happening is usually an affliction that is avoidable. For all of its risk, impact and cost it is like many diseases: easy to treat once diagnosed.

Yet short-sightedness blinds many people due to its very nature: it sneaks up under the radar, under cover of our modern lifestyle, our busyness and lack of focus. It revels and excels in the time destroyers of 21st century life: social media and preoccupation with gadgets.

This myopia, this lack of vision for our lives, careers and environment is not a condition confined to people in other places, other paradigms: it affects us right where we are. Fundamental to insulating ourselves against short-sightedness is to understand the concept of ownership of our time, and our times.

The problems and risks around us are our problems, not someone else’s. The opportunities and potential that lie before us are our opportunities and potential, not someone else’s. If we see them.

Closely allied to this concept of ownership is that we ourselves are personally in the driver’s seat when it comes to vision: whether to have it or not. Vision, the ability to be perceptive and have foresight lies inherently within each of us. Often dormant.

The fact that this vision, this ability to see what others fail to see, to perceive what others fail to perceive, costs nothing, and is able to be taken up by most, is lost on most.

The life changing principle for anyone suffering from short-sightedness is that just as a waking person’s eyes open to see their world, it is possible for the eyes of our understanding to open, revealing their world, present and into the future.

The footprints of great visionary leaders, who saw into the future and spanned generations and who have previously travelled our paths will often reveal simply, yet profoundly, the steps we should take to ensure our success, to have vision.

Author Neil Findlay

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