Whether you are working in a firm or winging it solo on your own as an entrepreneur, there’s something you need to know about successful managers when leading a project:
they shoot from the hip and morph into renegade cowboys.
Sound like a stretch when considering how you will UP your A-game at work? Here’s the deal, you can be the best team player at your firm, but
if you are aiming to raise your rank at work, you need to take the reins and lead a project of your own even if unofficially.
You can do this, I promise and here’s what you need to know. You need to have a project plan in place and resources selected, however at the end of the day, most successful projects which go-live “on time and within budget” are released when only near-ready. There are budgets and dates set in stone looming above your head. There are meetings with senior people you need to brief. Setting out to perfect the completion of your project tying all loose ends, is a sure-fire way of setting yourself up to fail. Most successful managers admit it is better to push forward to make your project milestones, pick your spots and let the chips fall where they may and fix whatever still remains open – afterwards.
.
That’s not to say you should deliver on something that is not ready. You prioritize what really matters. If there’s a process or function which is not 100% ready, you can put contingencies in place, go live and loop back to it after you have pulled the trigger.
You succeed by correcting on demand, fixing as you go, holding people’s hands until they establish a trust in you.
This dear readers is what it takes to flex your leadership muscle.
- You will not succeed by always dotting your i’s and crossing your t’s, although they have their place as well.
- You will not succeed by making everyone happy with your decisions.
- You will succeed by shooting from the hip where necessary, making decisions that may not be always popular but will get your project on track and the attention of senior management by fully expecting and preparing for points of failure, even if you can’t predict what will break down. Firing up Plan B is a sign of a strong leader.
.
Early entrepreneurs also work this way all the time. They are growing a business, therefore they aren’t yet sure what business model will stick and what won’t. They throw things against the wall and see what does. If it sticks, they jump on their horse and quite literally run with it. So the big question is if you are ready to take on some risk,
can you be that smart driven cowgirl at work?
