We must not make the mistake of focusing on Leadership only when things are bad.  Of course Leadership is what is needed most to turn around a poor performing organization, however it is also needed for those high performing organizations that seem unstoppable.   The reality is that Leadership is needed most at both the bottoms and tops of an organization’s performance level.   Focusing on the top performers, how did they get there and what are they doing now?  Leadership (Vision, Strategy, Execution, Culture, Humility, etc.) was a big part of getting them there, but what is going to keep them growing?   More Leadership.

The challenge is that change seems unnecessary and potentially harmful when times are good.   However, no one can deny that the market, competition, economy, and the needs of our organization and the people who make up our teams, are changing every day.  Therefore believing in the saying “If it is not broke, don’t fix” it, is not a good concept to follow, unless it is interpreted as a leadership model being broken if it is not continuously evolving.

Everything is in perfect tune when organizations are running at the highest level.   Leaders understand that things go out of tune quickly and that the focus on leading is crucial no matter how the organization is performing.  Even an organization in perfect tune needs leadership and sometimes what is needed most during these times, is to purposefully knock it out of tune in an effort to prepare it for the next level.

In summary, do not get too comfortable just because things are good.