Lean Quote: Leadership Isn’t A Matter Of Luck, It’s A Matter Of Skills And Planning

On Fridays I will post a Lean related Quote. Throughout our lifetimes many people touch our lives and leave us with words of wisdom. These can both be a source of new learning and also a point to pause and reflect upon lessons we have learned. Within Lean active learning is an important aspect on this journey because without learning we can not improve.

"Luck is where opportunity meets preparation."   —  Seneca

As St Patrick's Day approaches it often brings to mind the idea of "chance" and the meaning of Luck. The best definition I have found and believe to be true is below....

Luck is where opportunity meets preparation. Seneca

You’ve probably heard the expression, “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” It’s a powerful truth. Planning enables you to determine strategies and actions for achieving your vital goals. It also forces you to identify foreseeable obstacles. Importantly, planning isn’t just a one-off activity. To execute it well, you’ve got to become a disciplined planner, doing both master plans and daily planning. It’s common for us to make excuses to put off planning—we’re too tired, too stressed, too confused about where and when to start. If you’re noticing that you’re making excuses, make a commitment to stop this habit. Planning is a vital aspect of management that forms necessary direction for your leadership and organization. And it will boost the odds that you’ll get to where you want to go.

If you want your plan to work, you’ve got to do the work—it won’t just magically happen on its own. Identify and secure the resources (time, money, staff members, etc.) you need to make it possible. And then build in accountability for both yourself and all others aligned to the plan, using a proven accountability system to create performance measures and track progress. If your plan feels overwhelming, you can take small steps toward your goals or break bigger strategies and actions into more manageable activities. Point is, don’t just let your plan gather dust on some shelf. Make it a working document so to better execute against your goals and drive the results you want and need.

Great leaders don’t just teach about work. They offer life lessons and wisdom around topics like empathy, emotional intelligence, courage, and purpose. It’s imperative that you give people the right experiences to grow and learn. Sometimes team members may struggle, but it’s okay to push them to figure out what they need on their own.

We don’t know everything and in many cases, we need someone to teach us. Let’s focus on being intentional about planning and mentoring, so we’re not leaving leadership to luck. We must plan and mentor others to help them find their passions and achieve their goals.