I sometimes get the opportunity to help leaders develop their strategic plans and skills. For many it’s the first time they’ve had to create plans and budgets, and the materials that support them. That first pass is often more about familiarization with the terminology and process than content: they ask questions and develop spreadsheet capabilities, draft narratives for completeness and coherence, brush up on their presentation skills, and overcome fears of presenting to corporate executives. That’s when the smallest compliment has a disproportionate effect on their feeling of confidence and purpose: some call that ‘catching people doing things right’. You can see it on their faces and in their body language, you can hear it in their voices and their presentations, and you watch their understanding of the process and its importance grow. In the course of those initial efforts they gain poise and self-assurance and, through that experience, become better thinkers and leaders. Business acumen is about trial and error, stepping up to the challenges, and learning as we grow. We’ve all been there: in business meetings for the first time and realizing we can survive the anxiety of doing anything for the first time. Remember what that’s like and compliment others as they grow and improve today.
Robert Brault (b. 1938): American Writer
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