Musings at Altitude

In the toughest times for a business, the headwinds are extreme.  The headwinds slow down an organization – the thought processes, the decision cycles, the time to execute even the no brainers.

In those times when the headwinds are the highest, some businesses seek a low, wind-resistant profile, hunkering down and marching methodically forward.  Their goal is to minimize risk and protect a greatly reduced yet still forward momentum. 

A very few elite businesses, though, gun the engines, leverage the power to overcome the wind created drag, and accelerate through the storm to get to the desired destination on time and within budget.

For those of you who know me, it won’t surprise you that I prefer to power up and accelerate into the storm.  It just seems natural.

In fact, I struggle with the guy that walks in and starts the conversation with, “it’s going to take longer now because of _____________”.  You fill in the blank. 

That’s his way of saying, “the headwinds are going to make the time to deliver against the previously made commitment impossible”.

On the contrary, I love the guy that walks in and says, “Man, it’s a lot harder now, but I’ve cranked into a higher gear and we’ll get this done”.

It’s a clear choice, and the hunkerers aren’t getting it done, though they certainly seem to be in the majority.

Long live the turbo driven team members who refuse to cower to the headwinds (regardless of velocity) and instead amp up the performance and power through the momentum killing resistance.

Or, to grossly tweak the renowned quote from David Farragut, “Damn the headwinds, get it done”!