Complacency inhibits your ability to create new growth and sets you in a condition for decline. Leaders who become complacent often are unaware of their situation. Complacency resonates with being too comfortable or when you lack the ability to see that conditions are changing, and you take no action.
You must be continually focused on improving yourself and your business. If you are unwilling or lack the ability to change, then it may be time to retire or find another career. Your team relies on you to create a strategic plan to determine new markets and new opportunities. Complacency on your part not only puts your future at risk, but it also puts at risk the future of your team members and their families.
Following the steps below will aid you in overcoming complacency in your leadership:
- Recognizing your situation. Being unaware of your decline is a major factor in complacency. Doing routine work with no recent new ideas and without a focus on the future are signs of your situation and creates much risk in your business. The business environment will change and you need to be ready to adapt. By reviewing your financial statements, you should realize your numbers may be in decline. Sales may be slumping, which means it is time to find new customers or create new products. Your financial statements tell your story and if you pay attention, you can then begin to understand your complacent situation.
- Surround yourself with positive new influences. The right mentor and even new friends can set you down the course of success again. It has been said that you are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with. Ensure you are hearing positive messages by being around optimistic people.
- Changing your mindset. Your mindset can be your greatest enemy or your single greatest motivator to move forward. You decide everyday whether you approach the day positively or you let others or the office environment ruin your chance to change.
- Take action. Be proactive with your schedule, with planning and with task completion. Every day, you get to decide what action is required to move forward. Do the research on what trends are happening in your industry and conduct the strategic planning that is in line with your vision to develop the next steps. Remove non-essential and non-revenue generating activities from your daily activities to revitalize your business.
Being more involved in the direction of your business increases your chance at new opportunities for growth. Overcoming complacency is a mindset that you must decide every day to engage. Additionally, by surrounding yourself with new friends, business associates and a strong mentor will encourage you to focus on new opportunities. After re-setting your mindset, it is critical to take action in changing your business.
“Growth is the great separator between those who succeed and those who do not. When I see a person beginning to separate themselves from the pack, it’s almost always due to personal growth.” -John C. Maxwell
What steps are you going to take to avoid complacency in your leadership and in your business?
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Copyright 2016 – Stephen McLain