Strike…While The Future Is Hot
All leaders must eventually decide whether they are willing to accept the enormous price necessary to lead their organization into a different future.
Think back to when the pandemic of 2020 was at the height of uncertainty. It would have been easy for any leader to say we don’t have time right now to invest, let alone think about the future through those dark March and April days. We are in survival mode. No one would have blamed you for focusing on the chaos and uncertainty. None of us knew what would happen to our businesses, customers, suppliers, employees, and the workplace as we knew it. Never mind how a pandemic would impact our health system, community, schools, and democracy.
But those are the moments where you may find yourself at a crossroads – one choice, two paths. And that’s precisely when Jim took a very different path with his team and jumped into the fire—deciding to embark on a long-term mission and build a brand identity and strategy that would prepare them to be well-positioned for the future.
Jim knows a timeless leadership secret.
There will never be a perfect time to plant a tree. They will always need time to root, grow and blossom.
Nearly two years ago, when the world was desperate for answers, Jim Pientka and his team in Madison, Wisconsin, started asking different questions and subsequently planted a tree.
Discover what Jim saw in his crystal ball and why he already sees the fruits of his labour on this week's episode of Leaders & Legends.
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.”
CHINESE PROVERB
p.s….If you want to do something extraordinary—don’t wait. Start today.
It always helps to study what others have done. Learn the strategies and decision-making processes of those who have come before you. Long-term brand building is what best-selling author Simon Sinek would describe as an Infinite Game. To play any game from an infinite perspective, leaders recognize you can’t change your destination overnight, but you can alter your direction. One key decision can fundamentally impact your company and your brand for years, decades and generations. This concept was explored in detail with Chapter 11 in BIG LITTLE LEGENDS, specifically focusing on Bob Harlan’s role in turning Lambeau Field into a fan-friendly shrine-like no other. Decades ago, when the small-town Green Bay Packers were faced with the possibility of extinction due to rising costs from free agency and shifting economics, Harlan was the leader who could see through the fog of the present and see a brighter future. If drastic decisions weren’t made then, it’s doubtful the NFL Packers could have survived in Green Bay.
BIG LITTLE LEGENDS
Published in November of 2021 through Vancouver-based Page Two Publishing, this national best-seller has sparked a groundswell of support from Real Readers just like you.
“Heroes get remembered. Legends never die.” BABE RUTH.
YOUR BRAND. ON TRACK.
If now is the opportune time to discover the brand story and strategy uniquely your own, consider exploring a metaphorical road trip called THE BRANDING HIGHWAY. Our Executive Bootcamp serves as a journey and destination to help your brand emerge as an undeniable, undisputed, "Category of One.” Along the way, you will discover how to create substantial Differentiation and strategic Relevance for your brand while aligning your executive team. Learn more here.
“The most important victory is the one which has to arrive.” ENZO FERRARI
PLANNING A SPEAKING EVENT?
The wheels of business turn faster each quarter, and your company or industry association may be anxious to stay ahead of the lighting-fast relevance curve. In that respect, we are scheduling many in-person and virtual programs for 2022 with customized content designed to inspire conference attendees to acquire a “STADIUM-SIZED PERSPECTIVE.”
For more information on scheduling an In-Person or Virtual Speaking Program, please send us a note here.
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“When someone makes a decision, he is diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision.” PAULO COELHO