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Centered Leaders Create Sustainable Success

Have you ever worked for a short time leader who focused on short time results, at the expense of any sustainable success?

I once worked for a company that held a culture led by what we called parachute leaders. They would show up from some other remote (to us) site, where they apparently had a quick turn-around success record, and as if parachuting in to the rescue would proceed to radically try to change the culture, chop the headcount, and trim the team up for sale.

It was demoralizing. Quarter to quarter, for a year or two, they would look like superstars. But, never having been with any team for more than two years they never saw the end results of their slash and burn change making. Eventually, the positive results turned sour. But by then the organization had been sold. Sometimes, after the results took a nose dive, the organization would be dismantled and scrapped.

Real leaders create sustainable success. Real leaders create teams that produce growth without the harmful side effects of laying people off and selling valuable assets. High performance leaders don't just re-brand a team, they transform a team while honoring the parts that have kept it going so far.

Leadership that does not bring about sustainable success is not leadership at all.

What are you doing to create the future while honoring the past?

Which of your goals are likely to bring about sustainable success?

-- Douglas Brent Smith


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