All Things Are Ready

King Henry V: "All things are ready if our minds be so."
Westmoreland: "Punish the man whose mind is backward now."

I love the speech Henry V does before the battle of Agincourt in Shakespeare's play. If you have never seen the film version starring Kenneth Branagh as Henry, it is worth renting the DVD.

I know I have mentioned this quote before because it is one of my favorites (if not my favorite).

It's not my favorite because I think it is the answer. Readying our minds is certainly important and advantageous. But sometimes, we need to nudge our minds into readiness.

Nike's tag line, "Just Do It" is equally powerful.

Mind - Action - Mind - Action
Action - Mind - Action - Mind

It's Friday - make this an extraordinary day by being unstoppable and getting your mind into it. Friday is a great day of the week to do your best management. Finish the week well and set things up for Monday. It is also a day when greatness is often not expected - all the better reason!

Today's post is brief. Focus on other things - important things - compelling things. Say, do, think in amazing color, tone, and timbre. Ask the question worth it's weight in gold.

Managers earn success by helping their organizations move forward in ways that would not occur without them. Earn the best weekend you have had in years (even if your plan is to do much needed yard work).

All things are ready if our minds be so
All things are ready if our hearts be so
Punish the man or woman whose actions are backward now

Act now and engage in life
Act later and engage in tale
Punish the manager whose mind is backward now

I love management and leadership because I think at its height it is magical and transforming. Nothing short of magical and transforming.

Comments

[Dave]

Hi Lisa,

Phil gave a nice heads up on your post here. I have had some sort of management title for nearly thirty years. My single biggest problem with those one layer above me has been the incapability of recognizing the little ways in which I have helped to create success.

One might think, "well, maybe Dave hasn't really done anything worthy and that's why he has this mindset."

For twenty of those years I worked for one individual. Throughout those years I rose to a higher level of responsibility. This individual complained about EVERY person who followed me in my previous role. I just heard yesterday that the person who took over my position in Cleve is being stoned by this guy.

The regrets that I have are not those of lost praise. They are the lack of understanding on this guy's part and the roadblocks that his deficiencies have caused me in my career.

And in all honesty I probably wouldn't call any of it regretfull. I just chalked it up as life's lessons.

BUT, for any of you out there who oversee others, please make sure you UNDERSTAND their real contributions!!!!! PLEASE!!!

[Lisa Haneberg]

Dave:

You make an excellent point. They say that $#%& rolls downhill, but great managers make sure it never rolls past them.

[atlantica gold]

BUT, for any of you out there who oversee others, please make sure you UNDERSTAND their real contributions!!!!! PLEASE!!!