The Recipe of Foresight
The demand of a leader is to provide forsight.
A leader is only able to provide forsight when one understands the past, values the present, and appreciates the future. These are three distinct vantage points providing the recipe of forsight.
“In every moment of time, historian, contemporary analyst, and prophet - not three separate roles. This is what practicing leadership is, everyday of life.”
"In every moment of time, historian, contemporary analyst, and prophet - not three separate roles. This is what practicing leadership is, everyday of life." - Robert Greenleaf
A great leader can seamlessly jump between and meld THREE vantage points:
Historian (past)
Contemporary Analyst (present)
Prophet (future)
HISTORIAN - The past provides context & insights
CONTEXT
A 102 year old company has deep cultural roots and I was only able to begin to provide effective change in the organization after wearing the historian hat for over a year to appreciate the context of the business. In order to facilitate meaningful change, I've come to realize I need to understand: "this is how we've always done it..." By having true understanding and knowledge of the processes I'm able to empathize with the loss of old processes and begin point a light toward the bright side of a new beginning. Becoming a historian of the context of the family business is helping me build trust.
INSIGHTS - "History doesn't repeat itself but it often rhymes" - Mark Twain
Being an "absorber" of history at a micro and macro level is becoming increaslingly more important to me as I grow into my role in the family business. The rear view mirror builds the database for a leader to build out projections.
Contemporary Analyst - The Here & Now
Being truly present in the moment is a skill. Time travelling is a constant battle for me. Being present in a conversation, debate, or meeting is imperative to help make effective decisions in the moment. An executive is in charge of making decisions and resolving bottlenecks. Understanding the complexities and the current processes is a must. One cannot live in future land or be plopped on the historical island of irrelevance while there's a fire NOW.
Prophet - Vision
The future performance of the team & company is ultimately where a leader makes a living. The vision and articulation of the future is of the utmost importance but cannot be done without the past and present. An effective leader is able to share and articulate a vision in a "sticky" fashion that can resonate with the tribe.
Too often sloppy, unclear communication is the default and everyone gets lost working in the business without anyone stepping on the balcony to ensure the team is heading in the right direction. A clear message puts a leader and the team on the hook for results. Jesus, Moses, and Mohammed were pretty darn clear in how they communicated their vision! I'm taking notes on the power of parables.
The forsight is where the value is created by an leader/executive. An executive that only has awareness of only past or present can quickly become an overpaid administrator or technician. An executive only living in the future is all fluff.
Some of the techniques and routines I'm building into my daily practice include:
HISTORIAN - Past
Reviewing history of company with my grandfather and constant conversations with employees about past
Contemporary Analyst - Present
weekly touch points with employees to get a pulse
meditate & journal
Prophet - Future
Spend time in the morning (creative time) reading a good book and writing thoughts down about company and the future
Building a sustainable daily rhythm of the proper vantage points of a leader is one of my strategies to strengthening my insights and forsight into being a better leader.