Reflexes really are amazing things. From the first time we go to the doctor for a general physical and they ‘tap’ our knee with that little rubber hammer and our leg instinctively kicks, we realize that good health is marked by the ability to react or respond to things going on around us. And I have always been impressed by quick reaction times. Someone who reaches out and catches a falling item before it hits the counter or floor, the driver who avoids an accident by quickly responding to a situation, the well-timed humorous comment that is appropriately delivered, or the goaltender who makes a seemingly impossible save based on remarkable reflexes all grab my attention.
In some circumstances, being able to react instinctively – without apparent thought or planning – is very important. But in many situations you do not want to simply be reacting. If you are just reacting it could be because you were not prepared or thinking ahead, which is not a good place to be.
A friend of mind recommended Seth Godin’s book, Tribes to me. Godin challenges the reader to re-think leadership in the new millennium. The style of the book would not appeal to everyone, but there are some comments made that anyone who is a part of an organization should at least ponder. Here is one statement I found interesting.
“The easiest thing is to react. The second easiest thing is to respond. The hardest thing is to initiate. Reacting, as Zig Ziglar has said, is what your body does when you take the wrong kind of medicine. Reacting is what politicians do all the time. Reacting is intuitive and instinctive and usually dangerous. Managers react. Responding is a much better alternative. You respond to external stimuli and thoughtful action. Organizations respond to competitive threats. Individuals respond to colleagues or to opportunities. Response is always better than reaction. But both pale in comparison to initiative. Initiating is really and truly difficult, and that’s what leaders do. They see something others are ignoring and they jump on it. They cause the events that others have to react to. They make change.” (Pg. 86).
One could probably argue with various elements of this quote, but there is a thread here that I believe to be true. Great organizations do not allow themselves to get into the pattern of simply reacting or responding to the situations around them, they initiate or plan. To a large extent, with things within their control, they create the situations they find themselves in. This is especially true when it comes to building great teams and creating a great place to work. Great organizations and companies thoughtfully and diligently work on the fundamentals that lead to greater success and, may I suggest, actually help them to react and respond better when elements outside of their control ‘force’ them to. It is generally easier to change directions when you are already in motion.
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The Easiest Thing
In some circumstances, being able to react instinctively – without apparent thought or planning – is very important. But in many situations you do not want to simply be reacting. If you are just reacting it could be because you were not prepared or thinking ahead, which is not a good place to be.
A friend of mind recommended Seth Godin’s book, Tribes to me. Godin challenges the reader to re-think leadership in the new millennium. The style of the book would not appeal to everyone, but there are some comments made that anyone who is a part of an organization should at least ponder. Here is one statement I found interesting.
“The easiest thing is to react. The second easiest thing is to respond. The hardest thing is to initiate. Reacting, as Zig Ziglar has said, is what your body does when you take the wrong kind of medicine. Reacting is what politicians do all the time. Reacting is intuitive and instinctive and usually dangerous. Managers react. Responding is a much better alternative. You respond to external stimuli and thoughtful action. Organizations respond to competitive threats. Individuals respond to colleagues or to opportunities. Response is always better than reaction. But both pale in comparison to initiative. Initiating is really and truly difficult, and that’s what leaders do. They see something others are ignoring and they jump on it. They cause the events that others have to react to. They make change.” (Pg. 86).
One could probably argue with various elements of this quote, but there is a thread here that I believe to be true. Great organizations do not allow themselves to get into the pattern of simply reacting or responding to the situations around them, they initiate or plan. To a large extent, with things within their control, they create the situations they find themselves in. This is especially true when it comes to building great teams and creating a great place to work. Great organizations and companies thoughtfully and diligently work on the fundamentals that lead to greater success and, may I suggest, actually help them to react and respond better when elements outside of their control ‘force’ them to. It is generally easier to change directions when you are already in motion.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011 at 10:59 am and is filed under Comments. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.