No one gets jazzed about having “problems,” much less dealing with challenges. But as a leader, you’re going to experience roadblocks in your business, whether those are related to your team, external competition, unforeseen crises, or any other types of issues. What’s more, how you deal with your roadblocks can make or break your success. In fact, Disciplined Leaders make it a practice to view challenges as “opportunities.” As soon as they become aware of a challenge, they recognize that it’s a moment of truth in which they can run, hide, or stay present in the discomfort, fully embracing the issue at hand. Above all, they really get that each roadblock is a chance to demonstrate integrity and their commitment to their most vital asset—their people. In your leadership role, you, too, will have such opportunities. So when everyone is looking to you to demonstrate leadership excellence, courageously make the best moves. By avoiding complacency at all costs and consistently choosing to do what’s right, you will win your people’s loyalty and be more effective at reaching your goals.Here’s a short list of some top issues we see with our clients at MAP. Do any of these hit home? If so, ask yourself: How can I take action against these challenges today?
1. Company bottlenecks. One of the most common problems we coach people around has to do with organizations getting in their own way. Because they are struggling with a management process or maybe have the wrong system altogether, they’re causing their own internal and, perhaps, external pain. When you see departments struggling to work together or observe team activities undermining goals as well as your company’s greater good, serious bottlenecks can occur. In such cases, it’s your job as the leader to rise to the rescue. Get in there and ask good “why” questions around what’s going on. Then, develop strategies based on your findings, taking corrective action and aligning everyone around the right goals.
2. Talent gaps. Sometimes leaders just don’t have the right people working for them. These “talent” gaps turn into major time traps when leaders feel they need to pick up the slack or do all the work themselves because they’ve not brought on enough of the right people. However, hiring sufficient talent is vital for productivity and performance. Just think about customer service companies that cut back on their good performers for the sake of saving a dollar. What happens? Customer service rates go down, along with the company’s reputation, employee morale, and customer loyalty. I’m not saying trimming back staff is a bad thing in and of itself. However, not hiring enough of the right people can cause countless issues for your company and, ultimately, your ability to be effective as a leader. Whatever it takes, bridge the talent gap. Either get your current staff into positions that speak better to their gifts and abilities, or hire more of the right people—period.
3. Training troubles. Most companies should get some degree of training at least from time to time. However, training opportunities are a dime a dozen. Whether it’s for your leadership or your people, you could literally spend countless dollars training on practically any subject you like! So here’s the key question: What do you and your people really need in regard to training? To determine this, first assess the critical deficits in skills or knowledge. Then, choose the trainings that will deliver the greatest impact relative to your Vital Goals and choose professional development programs that are proven to get results. Above all, don’t get suckered into the latest training trend or what others think would be best for you. Do your homework and choose the trainings wisely.
Which one of these three issues really hits home with you—what have you done to address it?
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