Encouraging Maximum Potential

AUTHORED BY TIM MORRIS, VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT @ GUIDEIT

Maximizing the greatest potential of an organization calls for an environment that fosters courage and encourages educated risks. Fostering and maintaining such an environment takes special care and attention.  However, an organization who’s environment appreciates, nourishes, and respects courageous attempts will surely reap some truly amazing benefits:

• distinctive separation from industry growth expectations and standards

• more empowered team members

• the best possible services and/or solutions not only suggested, but actually delivered to and realized by clients.

I recall an incident from my childhood when my father told me we were going to “paint the house”.  I was not quite six years of age at the time.  We lived in a small pier and beam house with asbestos shingles for siding.  I noticed, in the garage, paint my dad purchased. I decided to surprise my dad by helping out, and began painting the house myself.  I took the initiative to open the paint, and paint an entire side of the house.  Well, my father came out and saw me painting the siding, but his intentions were to only paint the trim instead of the entire side of the house.  However, I was not scolded nor punished for my actions, regardless of the misunderstanding and miscommunication. And regardless of the unintended outcome (clearly not a positive one), because of his gentle reaction, I was not discouraged.  That lesson taught me to always continue to try new things, and catapulted me at many times in my life into experiencing more than my peers.

Operating within existing guidelines and comfort zones is like playing in a sandbox; sustainable positive outcomes are predictable and a business can thrive and achieve consistent results within industry standards. But only with courage to be creative, and courage to take risks, is it possible to expand the sandbox and drive results that create milestones and surpass the industry standards. Indeed, each and every act of courage will not result in a positive outcome, but a leader’s stoic reaction to failure is what continually fosters and enables courage in others. And it is through creativity, risk taking, and courage that opportunities open for major breakthrough changes.