Dealing with ambiguity … one of the key traits of both leaders and recalibrators.
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Hi Steve
I liked your message on ambiguity and the importance of taking action instead of staying low and waiting for things to settle down. I read a fascinating piece in a UK paper the other day – the Independent. They were reviewing the first 100 days of Obama’s administration and asked several commentators for their views. One of the those, appropriately enough, was Richard Schiff – Toby Ziegler off the West Wing! He made a profound point, explaining how he’d been in the company of a billionaire recently who (when asked about Obama’s performance) said he was “willing to wait and see how well this president does.” In typically feisty Ziegler style, the actor replied, “Then he will fail, because he needs you to take part and contribute and make sacrifices like the rest of us…”. To me this echoes the JFK “think not what your country can do for you”‘ speech and underlines your point about the need for positive action instead of the ‘head in the sand and wait for green shoots’ approach. Life doesn’t just happen to us – we’ve got influence too!
Thanks Andy. I really appreciate your attention to this message of taking action, and not waiting for the world to happen to us. The ambiguity angle is very important, not only for ourselves, but as we think about how to persuade and influence people who are confused, uncertain and overwhelmed by the uncertainty and ambiguity of the situation.
Steve