Sunday morning, a hot day in sunny Perth, we rocked up for Malaysian breakfast with our friends. We were having a great time. Kids had a casual play; we were chatting on a few important topics. Topics that do not require much brainpower. You know what I mean?
Casually watching my classic vintage-looking watch, I grabbed everyone’s attention!
It is time to go to Karate! I yelled out.
This is the last thing my daughter wants to hear. She was not ready for it. Anyhow, we rushed home. After some fierce resistance, I was able to push my daughter to go to Karate with me. Not a pleasant experience for my daughter, me and my wife.
As we often do, I analysed the aftermath within the Karate class with my daughter.
I concluded that I should have prepared better for the day. I should have prepped my daughter for a Karate class on a hot day. We are ok to put in work if we are prepared for it. No one likes surprises and marching orders out of the blue.
As a leader, you should do the same. Look ahead for the challenging times. Communicate, prepare and motivate your teams to put in the work. Show them what is in there for them. Be with them. Genuinely care for them, and demonstrate it with your actions.
Because great leaders prepare for a hot day and stupid ones give marching orders!
