Leader’s key to success is preparation

Like excellence, leadership is not an act but a habit.

2 min readJan 8, 2022

When the chips are down, you have to show up every day with confidence (even when you’re not inside). Sail the boat and bring the team with you.

No, that’s not easy. Yes, that is possible !

Like life, in leadership, you need to be well prepared.

Start with “why” — Leadership is managing change. If nothing were changing, the autopilot would suffice.

Managing change requires self-management. The key to that is preparation.

Transparency

Communicate clearly what you intend to accomplish and how to accomplish it. Feedback is essential, so be open to it, and process it accordingly.

Inspection

Prepare by inspecting your options.

Is your plan comprehensive enough to cover all the positive and negative scenarios?

How will you respond if those situations arise? What’s your action plan?

What is your plan B or C (this is where preparation is needed)? Leave A behind.

Adaptation

Your problems won’t be isolated, but an amalgamation of A, B and C.

Simply adjust your solution accordingly. Rinse and repeat.

Key Takeaway

Example with a solution: Most meetings are wasted because the background homework is missing.
The 6-Page Amazon memo(Jeff Bezos’s idea) forces preparation well in advance of any meeting.
Call-to-action: For the first 20 minutes of each workday, I prepare by writing down key points, analysing data facts, or building up my opinion on the day’s meetings/decisions. This has helped me to approach meetings with confidence (based on facts due to preparation).
Once you’re prepared, there is no “yes”. Either “Hell yeah!” or “no.”

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