Let’s be honest, no one likes change… Unless it’s your idea. Change is scary, but mostly it’s uncomfortable. It changes your position and you have to figure out your position as a leader.
However, change is also necessary. Sometimes you need to make changes because your business is outgrowing your current plan. Other times you need to make some changes to grow your business. Either way, it’s all about growth.
Spring is a great time for reflecting and planning for new growth. The buds on the trees are growing and the eggs in the birds nest have hatched. All signs that new growth is around the corner and you may need to make some extra room. This time allows you to look back and assess what has worked well, and what needs some work.
Great leaders take this time to reflect on the values that they have sought to incorporate in their business and whether those values are making a difference. Taking some moments to reflect on “failures” or learning moments allows us to learn from mistakes and make the best choices in the future. Chances are there are situations that are unexpected or didn’t turn out as planned, and these too, we can learn from. One of my biggest takeaways from English, and the literature we read, was expecting the unexpected, and take note of the foreshadowing.
Expecting the unexpected doesn’t mean that you are ready for anything. Rather it means that you position yourself and your mind to work with the good and the bad. You take on whichever situation you have, problem solve, seek wisdom, and move forward. This mindset or “preparing your heart” for unexpected things means that you choose to work with what you get and knock those curve balls outta the park.
Written foreshadowing can often be easy to see. It’s the words in the middle of the story that point you to the possibility of the revealed ending. The point is to bring the reader to the correct conclusion so they feel eased into and not entirely shocked. It’s a lot like the crime shows on TV. If you’ve watched them long enough you can quickly ascertain who dunnit. The same is true with people. In business, true colors aren’t always paraded, but certain actions and tones can give you a better understanding of how they will react, or who they really are.
