The Nostalgic Leader
The older I get the more nostalgic I become. I’m not sure why. It’s not a bad thing, but as leaders, sometimes the past can become “the good ol’ days” especially with the challenges of today.
COVID was like a bomb that blew up the bridge to the past. If we’re not careful we can look longingly toward those non-COVID days.
We can become nostalgic leaders longing for the more comfortable days of the past instead of visionary leaders who plow through new ground.
Let’s be honest though. We have a tendency to forget the pain of the past, at least I do, especially when we wake up to today’s challenges. It’s okay to have a fondness for the past but we also must not overlook the challenges we had there too.
Leadership teams can make a mistake trying to lead their teams unknowingly back to the past. This happens because it’s familiar ground and we had success there.
It’s why we must look forward by creating quick wins over 90 days. I’m not sure a 5-year vision will necessarily work in today’s ever-changing world. But a few, quick wins over the next 90 days bring clarity, synergy and causes us to turn toward the future.
Nostalgia is fine. Just don’t get stuck by being a nostalgic leader longing for days gone by.
FOR You,
Jeff Henderson
P.S. If you aren’t sure what to do next, pre-order my new book, What to do Next, releasing August 23rd.