PREPARING FOR THE UNEXPECTED

Frequently, it’s not the worst-case scenarios that end up hurting companies and organizations; it’s the unknown factors that were never considered. One known factor of business is that unknown factors will pop up. Here are some tips that leaders can use to both anticipate and prepare for the unexpected. 

1.    Leaders need to run with a margin in their life and organization. Margin in time, capital, relational resources, energy, etc. When you run with margin, you will be more mobile and flexible to adapt when new factors come up.

2.    Test the water. Before diving in headfirst, put your toe in the water. What feedback are you getting? When you take on a new adventure, hedge on the side that you have a severe case of confirmation bias. 

3.    Trust your gut. You’re a high performer that has a history of successful decisions. When you start to get that feeling that something is wrong, there is a good chance that you’re right. Lean into it and see if there is more to it. Seek wise counsel and make a move before you are over committed.

Leaders who fail to do these three things are choosing to position themselves in a place of overconfidence and vulnerability. From the fall of Lehman brothers to devastating military defeats when the leader has lost his ability to accurately see and assess the situation in front of him, there is a danger for both himself and those he leads.

To combat overconfidence, you don’t have to become a Negative Nancy or a devil's advocate, but you do have to choose a mindset that prepares you for the unexpected.

-Greg