In the early history of mankind, before the advent of GPS and other technological advances, sailors would depend on the stars to guide them. The North Star became the fixed and guiding point in the sky that would help steer early explorers back to their course in the event of a storm. Without the North Star as a point of reference, there would have been no way to re-orient the ship after the storm passed.
When founding and leading a business, leaders should expect storms. Despite their best efforts, unexpected events will occur, which will make navigation temporarily impossible. Leaders are compelled to focus on the immediate conditions in order to navigate the external environment safely. Once the storm has cleared, the business leader must have a vision that they can use to re-orient the business. The long-term vision re-positions the business and helps bring it back to its original destination. It allows for sustainability in the roughest of times.
Leaders must guide their organizations through the current environment while keeping an eye on the long-term vision. As with sailors, they must keep a weather eye for approaching storms while keeping their focus on the long-term vision, so that the organization can safely reach its destination.
–written by Chris Jurin
Christophor Jurin is the Founder and CEO of Construct-Ed, Inc., an e-learning technology startup that has been established with the primary goal of empowering members of the construction industry through training and learning opportunities.
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