Waiting or Anticipating

Years ago, my father was attending a soccer tournament my sister was playing in.  As is common at these events, there were a number of fields with some pathways in between so players and spectators could make their way to the next field of play as they advanced through the competition bracket.  As dad was walking around the rear of one particular field he was hit squarely with a soccer ball which was intended as a goal shot. 

The ball hit landed hard in his torso.  He felt the impact and a good deal of pain along with it.  After some time had passed, the pain did not subside.  Within hours, he was in a hospital bed awaiting surgery.  The loose ball he collided with had ruptured his spleen.  While soccer can be a tough sport, this is not a normal injury for those hit with a ball. 

The reason this particular impact was so damaging was because Dad never saw the ball coming.  He told me later that he never tensed the muscles in this body in anticipation of the blow.  Therefore, when ball hit him his defenses were down.  The doctors believed that had he tensed his torso before the ball arrived the blow would have hurt, but not injured an internal organ.

Just as my dad never saw ball coming his direction, we cannot predict every threat, failure, or situation that will arise in the organizations we lead.  However, leaders have a choice: Wait or Anticipate.  Given the environment we find ourselves in we can lead strategically in thinking about issues which seem more likely to arise.  In this way, we are planning and preparing those we lead for the impact of a potential problem.  With enough anticipation as a leader, we may even be able to avoid the problem altogether.

Conversely, we can also assume a posture of waiting.  This is knowing that something could occur, but not actively seeking out what that something is or how we could prepare for it.  Waiting passively for events to occur almost always leads to energy and time spent cleaning up rather than averting danger. 

Take for example the issue of hiring. If you are leading your organization to be proactive in finding the right person to fit the right job position with the right stated expectations you are more likely to make a good hire.  You have anticipated potential issues on the front end of the process and will avoid unnecessary organizational heartache.  However, if you fail to anticipate potential problems with personal, position, or stated expectations you could have a real mess on your hands that will divert your attentions for days if not weeks.

This is not to say you have to create an endless list of “what if’s” or spend your days stalling decisions that need to be made because of unlikely possibilities that could arise.  Leaders have to be decisive and act upon the information they are given.  The point is to create a culture of anticipation within yourself and those you lead.  Teaching yourself and your people to be proactive keeps you on mission instead of constantly picking up the pieces.