Leadership is Full of Surprises

Last updated on: October 28, 2014 at 4:40 am by Greg Richardson

Leadership is Full of Surprises 2014-10-28T04:40:08-08:00 Greg Richardson

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The things that surprise me are the people and situations outside my expectations.

I have worked with people who believe leaders should never be surprised. They think planning and preparation allow leaders to anticipate every possible challenge. For them, leadership is about foreseeing and being ready for any eventuality.

The leaders who inspire me recognize that leadership is more than having a scripted answer for every question.

Leadership is as much about adaptability and being flexible as it is about organization and preparation. It is a real test of leadership when you face something that was not in your plan.

The leaders who inspire me not only recognize they will face surprises; surprises bring out their best.

Leadership is about more than analysis and completing steps on a checklist. There are times when leaders deal with the unanticipated.

Each day is filled with potential surprises, things we do not expect. We try to plan and prepare for every possible situation, and our expectations shape what we anticipate. We try to look into the future, but we tend to discount the likelihood of things outside our expectations. We tend to miss the possibility of surprises.

People who try to plan for everything tend to see surprises as mistakes, weaknesses of their preparation. It is easier for them to see surprises as failures to be ready, rather than opportunities to discover new insights. They often do not like surprises. They may miss significant lessons waiting to surprise them.

The main difference between happy surprises and sad ones, good surprises and bad ones, is how we respond to them.

You never know. Your leadership could be a pleasant surprise.

What surprise will unexpectedly bring out your best today?

How does your leadership surprise the people around you?

[Image by Tetsumo]

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