It’s what you don’t do that creates capacity for greatness

In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing and the next best thing is the wrong thing-the worst thing you can do is nothing.-Theodore Roosevelt

Richard G. Stieglitz recently argued that at the end of the day, only action produces results. Building relationships, developing others, and making decisions lead to more effective actions; but it is the actions of you and your team along with the outcomes they produce that will build your reputation as a great leader.

My own experience is that sometimes pausing to reflect, thinking before doing, planning before action or more specifically not taking action is sometimes the key to success. You can often remedy inaction with action, but you cannot do the opposite.

Great Leadership Action (and Non-Action)
1.    Choose action or inaction wisely. In the words of Kenny Rodgers.. Know when to hold’em, know when to fold ‘em.
2.    Make teamwork a priority, encourage challenge and consensus rather than simple compliance. Another favourite quote.. None of us is smarter than all of us!
3.    Up-front conversations are better than costly consequences and wasted time and effort. It’s possibly better to ask What if? than Why?
4.    Ask staff and customers if they understand you mission, vision, goals or intentions. If their answers are accurate, congratulate yourself. If they are not, improve your communications.
5.    Put your effort to support, reward, motivate and inspire the people who create and deliver the products, and they will put their passion into what is delivered to your customers.
6.    Encourage risk taking and learning. Push your people into the uncomfortable learning zone and coach them to higher levels of success as part of the quality process.
7.    Confirm alignment. Get team-members to confirm team goals and their roles toward expected outcomes and benefits.
8.    Get comfortable with silence. Silence can be the prelude to a big decision or decisive action. Use silence in your conversations as thinking and reflecting time.

My advice to leaders..
It’s what you do that makes you great, it’s what you don’t do that creates capacity for those actions. – Tim HJ Rogers

With acknowledgement to Richard G. Stieglitz for some of the ideas in this blog.