Part 1 - "Checking our direction."

"Checking our direction."


Greetings, Summit Leaders.


Where am I going? Is this the right place? 


Am I in step with the timing? What is my motivation?


Our journey as leaders requires we take time to answer these questions.
Why is it important? Our journey as leaders allows us to create a vision for our life and career. We think the dream through in our minds, write the concept down with pen and paper. We speak it out by rehearsing. 


Rehearsing is our approach as we envision our vision.
Each day is an encounter with the unknown, so we need instruction, teaching, guiding, and counseling to engage each day successfully.


Great leaders take time to check their direction. Why is this important?
Life and leadership are demanding and filled with decisions. Include the pace of life, frenzy of emails, texts, meetings, required training, and business objectives; it is apparent how these things can distract us from our journey's real purpose.


We are in a battle. We recognize our enemies. Busyness, confusion, doubt, feelings of inadequacies, and delays all await us to derail us from our pathway to victory.


Armed with the understanding that we are in a daily battle gives us the right perspective regarding the fight's true nature and enemy tactics.


It took over two decades to realize that my life and sales journey would consist of battles to stay true to my vision, purpose, and goals. Once this occurred, my mindset for competition and strategy for winning became a new way of thinking and responding. 


So, how do great leaders respond? 


1. They take time to be alone and think about the real purpose of the engagement. It's in these tranquil moments, away from the busyness and clamor, they hear and see more clearly.


Stand at the crossroads and look. Ask for the ancient paths and where the best road is. Walk in it, and you will live in peace. This pause for thoughtful consideration often gives us clarity and affirms; this is the way walk in it. 


Empowering is the conviction that you are in the right place, heading in the true north direction and with the right motive in your heart. 


I recall that my most significant sales opportunity came during the third decade of my selling career. The competition was intense, with three highly recognized firms and ours. The pursuit went on for nearly a year.
There were times the voice us doubt tempted us to give up, but our leadership decided to continue.  


Remembering the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end, it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.




Finally, after numerous meetings, presentations, and discussions, the final oral presentations were due the next day. That evening around 8:00 PM, our team is huddling to determine our best strategy for winning and rehearsing. During our preparation, we receive news that our chances of winning were "impossible." You could feel the enemy in the room—silence and then clamor about what to do. 


Then I spoke.

Next week we will share the rest of the story and the lessons learned.

Victory!