One of the most important truisms in leadership is the need to be prepared, willing, and able recognize, and then take advantage of all opportunities that present themselves. Arif Bhalwani Third Eye Capital said it best: “Opportunities can be like sunrises.” You will miss opportunities if you wait too long. While many people who assume leadership positions appear to have the technical skills to lead effectively, it takes much more. If they aren’t open-minded, willing, able, and ready to learn, how can anyone be able to act quickly (and have a reasonable chance of doing the right/best thing/choice)? These are four reasons opportunities matter to effective leaders.
1. Are you open-minded enough to look at all options? Do you plan to continue learning and to actively learn so you can understand the pros and cons of each option and decide which one to prioritize.
2. It is far more important to be willing to take risks than to just go with the flow (hastily), and sometimes foolishly. Only by being able to distinguish between good and bad risk can one be able to make the right decisions and prioritize the best ways to meet needs.
3. True leaders must be able to recognize that there are opportunities and take advantage of them. The leader then quickly analyzes the opportunities, understands their ramifications (both taking action and doing nothing at all), and then chooses to proactively pursue the opportunity that will most benefit his group, its relevance, and sustainability.
4. It’s not enough to simply review some or all of the possibilities. It is imperative that leaders make the best choices and take action to transform opportunities into viable, meaningful, and desirable actions. A leader of quality can recognize an opportunity and choose the best course, focusing on priorities and needs.
Avoid anyone who attempts to blame others or places or circumstances for their own problems. This can often lead to narrowing of one’s thinking. These 4 Reasons Opportunities Are Important To Effective Leaders.
