Fear the "Known." Dissolve Complacency.

By Michelle Golden -

People seldom realize they should fear the "known"—the status quo, the now—far more than they fear the unknown; for only amidst the unknown lies the chance to find a better way.

This saying may have come from somebody else or it could be my own. (I found it jotted on a piece of paper in my own writing. If the former, I couldn't locate a source but thought it was worth sharing anyway.)

Covey's "4 Roles of Leadership" teaches that "Organizations are perfectly aligned to get the results they get." and further states:

If you are not getting the results you want, it is due to a misalignment somewhere in the organization, and no pushing, pulling, demanding, or insisting will change a misalignment.

Therefore, as a leader, you must work to change your systems, processes, and structure to align them with the desired results...

Complacency is something firm leaders despise in their businesses, but it's something that needs much more than short-term plans to correct. Strategic plans, compensation systems, and an annual retreat are helpful tools, but they are not the foundation.

The foundation is structure and desire followed by vision, then strategy.