Leadership Catches Up

Discovering A Better Life
P.O Box 1540, Albany Western Australia 6331
Phone/Fax: (08) 98 418 418
E-mail: abl-alb@omninet.net.au

Leadership Catches Up
One of the more obvious facts about organizational leadership is that key people have to stay in touch with the enterprise. They have to be present with the persons they are leading. Even if mobility and travel are part of the job, you can't lead effectively while disconnected from your associates. For example . . . The Swiss railway system is famous for its punctuality. In November, 2004, one of its trains left a station without its conductor and with its doors wide open! The Swiss daily, Le Matin, carried the story on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 of the unidentified female who quickly hailed a taxi cab, rushed to a train station nine kilometers down the track, and rejoined her train. The train that had left the original station right on time had to delay its departure at the next one to wait on her. "This pretty young lady with curly blonde hair was still carrying her machine for selling tickets," said an amused taxi driver. "In ten years of taxi driving, I've never seen anything like that!" It cost the negligent conductor about $20 in cab fare to catch up to the train. Businesses have had the same thing happen countless times. Markets shift, customer needs change, or product development moves ahead. In the meanwhile, inattentive leadership gets caught napping. What once was an innovative company can no longer be competitive. And it costs a great deal to catch up with a train that left the station a long time ago. Sometimes, in fact, there is no catching up. And the company fails for a lack of visionary leadership. The same thing happens in families. The arrival of a baby or two distracts the man and woman who created the home from their marriage. While being parents, they forget how to be friends, lovers, and partners to each other. Or, as those children grow up, the parents fail to see how the world has changed since they were adolescents. The disconnection can become so great that they cannot lead their children into productive adult life. It may be possible that a tutor at school or a youth minister with the church can help them catch up. But some ground can never be regained. Friend, I hope you'll take some time today to reflect on the degree of meaningful connection you have with the key people in your career or company. Be alert to signs of estrangement from your family members. And be very honest about your sense of God-presence and God-connectedness in your spiritual life. You don't want your train to leave the station without you. If you would like some help in achieving a higher level of meaningful connection in your family life, or a higher level of spiritual maturity, I'd be pleased to send you two booklets titled: "The Secret To Building A Positive Atmosphere In Your Home" and "DEALING POSITIVELY WITH CRISIS". To receive these FREE booklets, just write to me at: P.O Box 1540, Albany W.A 6331. Telephone / Fax (08) 98 418 418 or Email me

One of the more obvious facts about organizational leadership is that key people have to stay in touch with the enterprise. They have to be present with the persons they are leading. Even if mobility and travel are part of the job, you can't lead effectively while disconnected from your associates. For example . . .

The Swiss railway system is famous for its punctuality. In November, 2004, one of its trains left a station without its conductor and with its doors wide open!

The Swiss daily, Le Matin, carried the story on Tuesday, November 30, 2004 of the unidentified female who quickly hailed a taxi cab, rushed to a train station nine kilometers down the track, and rejoined her train. The train that had left the original station right on time had to delay its departure at the next one to wait on her.

"This pretty young lady with curly blonde hair was still carrying her machine for selling tickets," said an amused taxi driver. "In ten years of taxi driving, I've never seen anything like that!" It cost the negligent conductor about $20 in cab fare to catch up to the train.

Businesses have had the same thing happen countless times. Markets shift, customer needs change, or product development moves ahead. In the meanwhile, inattentive leadership gets caught napping. What once was an innovative company can no longer be competitive. And it costs a great deal to catch up with a train that left the station a long time ago. Sometimes, in fact, there is no catching up. And the company fails for a lack of visionary leadership.

The same thing happens in families. The arrival of a baby or two distracts the man and woman who created the home from their marriage. While being parents, they forget how to be friends, lovers, and partners to each other. Or, as those children grow up, the parents fail to see how the world has changed since they were adolescents. The disconnection can become so great that they cannot lead their children into productive adult life. It may be possible that a tutor at school or a youth minister with the church can help them catch up. But some ground can never be regained.

Friend, I hope you'll take some time today to reflect on the degree of meaningful connection you have with the key people in your career or company. Be alert to signs of estrangement from your family members. And be very honest about your sense of God-presence and God-connectedness in your spiritual life. You don't want your train to leave the station without you.

If you would like some help in achieving a higher level of meaningful connection in your family life, or a higher level of spiritual maturity, I'd be pleased to send you two booklets titled: "The Secret To Building A Positive Atmosphere In Your Home" and "DEALING POSITIVELY WITH CRISIS". To receive these FREE booklets, just write to me at:

P.O Box 1540,
Albany W.A 6331.
Telephone / Fax (08) 98 418 418

or Email me