If you had the power to control the economy, it would have been different the last few years. The good news is that we cannot blame it on you; the bad news is that you did not have the power. The economy is just not in one person’s ability to control because the results or EFFECT is a demonstration of many CAUSES and un-resourceful decisions. It is “what it is”. So how does it affect you, a Curse or Opportunity?

I have experienced four major soft economies, which may reflect my age or just poor choices in location. I have learned some very important lessons and those I will share with you. My conversation may seem more business focused yet consider the principles also on a personal level.

It is easy to consider a Soft Economy as a Curse. That is a way of dealing with your environment as an external cause for your present Curse. That is like running your business or your life with a more competitive thought process. “What is happening outside is the driving force which creates your strategy.” That is also known as “commodity thinking”, a best price mentality. How are you running your life and business?

Another way of thinking in a Soft Economy may be examining your environment as “Opportunity Knocking”. When you begin to focus internally from a strategy of Creativity, not Competition, you start a process that puts you in control. How can you add Value to your business, customers, vendors, support functions and yourself? Creative and in control thinking may be considered Value Added thinking. We build by connecting to Value and when we can offer Value, others are attracted to us. When your strategy is Creative based there are Opportunities emerging and you are perceived as a Leader not one of the pack. Whom would you choose to be in relationship with?

I heard an explanation of Creative Thinking some years ago and it has stuck. Consider this “down turn” in the economy like an auto race. On the straight runs, everyone is very competitive and racing for the lead position. On the turns, most of the racers hold their position [the pack] yet there are always a few that take a risk and hit the gas. Who do you think emerge as Leaders on the straightaway?

I have found that clients I have worked with over the past 38 years who have “hit the gas” during those four down turns I experienced [soft economies], actually emerged as Leaders when the economy improved. They kept their employees on the job with some creative wage and time strategies and developed solutions that helped their customers even at a slight loss in some cases yet they knew that as things turned their business would benefit. What they didn’t do was revise their goals around “moving away thinking” budget slashes, yet they did clean up their act a bit and continued to provide resources to their most important assets, people [including customers], product and creative solutions.

I invite you to examine your thinking.

1.        Be more creative in your thinking and move away from competitive driven strategy.

2.        Be in cause [control] and away from reactive thinking [effect]

3.        Hit the gas and emerge a leader. It is not resourceful to base your decisions on a “Moving Away” strategy. All resourceful outcomes derive from a “Moving Toward” strategy.

4.        Be a “Value Added” person or business and be perceived as a Leader

5.        Support your greatest assets, the ones that you need to serve and grow.

If you would like to expand on the strategies as suggested, I encourage you to reach out to a trusted and experienced advisor or coach. I am not advising a major change in your business approach yet I am suggesting that if you are experiencing a bit of a “Curse” a slight shift in your behavior created by your thinking will have a domino effect. [The Kazan Way] Small shifts create major movement.

Until next month, have a prosperous experience.

For further information or assistance please feel free to contact me.

Marvin C Sadovsky, PhD

Director

505.982.4361

ms@leadershipstrategy.ms

www.leadershipstrategy.ms