Mentor Moment #9: Insight without Action…a waste of time and money
As a leader in your business are you constantly challenging what is believed to be the truth in hopes of identifying unmet market needs and roadblocks to servicing your market? Or, are you busy brainwashing your team with inside out beliefs that are only true in the recesses of your gut and intuition?
One of my favorite scenes from the movies came from A few good Men, the famous “you can’t handle the truth scene.” In this passionate exchange Jack Nicholson states “you can’t handle the truth!” This scene resonates with me as I have found myself in a position far too often when I have been asked to help take a company and its team to the next level. The first thing I must do is help the team gain truth and market loser teams wish to debate the findings.
My first step always is get in your market, deep in your market,with customers, and non customers alike.
I am often referred to as a Heretic as my loyalty is not to the understood norms created inside your building, but to gaining true market knowledge to drive decisions that increase shareholder value. we will be asking a lot of open ended questions with the focus on understanding the truth. I highly recommend every business leader make it a point to intimately understand the market of today as we redefine “normal”. Once we gain current market knowledge, we undertake what often takes the most energy;the Detox of the leadership team from truths created in boardrooms and often in the “gut” of their leader.
Leaders must know what they know, and know what they do not know. You have an obligation to those you serve to gain market knowledge to insure the strategies you implement add the maximum value.