

As a leader, see the big picture- Robin Trehan

There are many managers who fall victim to what we will call myopic thinking.  In essence, they lose sight of the forest for the trees.  Or they lose sight of the beach for the sand.  However, you may choose to describe it, it can prove to be catastrophic for the long term growth of an organization.

This is what we consider to be the different between a manager and a leader.  As the term implies, a manager obviously manages an organization.  The manager steers the ship.  Anybody can steer the ship.  Charting the course; now that takes a leader. That describes one of the main defining differences between a manager and a leader.  A leader has a vision.  A leader knows how to cast a vision and take the ship into uncharted territory.

But what we are talking about here goes a little bit further than just having a vision and throwing your resources at it.  This is more than just steering your ship into unknown lands. No.  What we are talking about here is not losing sight of where you want your ship to be 20 years from now just to beat this quarter’s earning expectations.  To be sure, short term targets are very important.  We can think of these as the objectives that accumulate to advance you in achieving your ultimate goals.  But a leader cannot allow him or herself to become so encompassed in hitting those short term benchmarks that they forget where those benchmarks were leading them to in the first place.

Where do you see your organization going in the next 10-15 years?  What kind of pivotal role do you plan on playing in reaching that destination?  What are you implementing TODAY that is conducive to not only hitting this week’s objectives but also bringing you a step closer to where you want to be in the next decade?

Be results oriented.  Be aware of the impact everything you do on a daily basis has on the big picture.  Be aware of how you are contributing towards your long term goals.  This is how you find a balance between attending to the day-to-day details on running a company and doing the necessary things to launch your company towards its goals for long term growth and success.

Robin Trehan B.A, MIB, MBAebusiness