We should strive to be in the centre of activity. When we are here, we gain perspectives that allow us to make better decisions to lead our teams well. The problem is, it isn’t always easy to stay in the centre. We must continually be working to gain this position and perspective.

A few months ago, I made reference to “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunities and how they seem to come along about every two weeks. I am finding that to be very true right now.

When you are communicating with someone, whether it be a single person or an entire audience (as with a public speaker), it is not just for information, but for transformation. The thing about transformation is that it often takes place in a series of steps.

Leaders must be effective communicators. There is no doubt about it. You show me a leader who struggles to communicate, and I will show you a team that is struggling to perform.

Last time we met, I encouraged you to consider conferences as a great place to find new ideas. Writing that post got me to reflect on the various conferences I have attended throughout my career. I thought I would share a story with you today.

When I sit down to write this blog, it not uncommon for me to identify experiences I had at various conferences to use as inspiration for my writing. I realize now that we really shouldn’t be surprised about that.

One of the best things that a leader can do is to collect a big bag of ideas. Then, when various challenges come up, you have a deeper well of solutions or possible solutions to draw from.

A couple blogs ago we looked at the concept of options and how leaders look for options to navigate through various challenges. Today, we are going to consider the value of an idea. We all have ideas. Some are good. Some are not. But consider the value of a good idea.

Let me ask you a more focused question: where does leadership fit in to what you are betting on? Is it first? Last? Somewhere in between? Is it even on your list?

How often do we find ourselves in situations where we feel like we have very little choice? This is the only thing we can do. Occasionally, we may look at the opposite position and then make a choice. Often, we may defend the decision as being the lesser of two evils.