My life seldom goes according to plan.
Once I saw the unplanned as an obstacle, a challenge that I needed to overcome. If only we had planned better, we would have foreseen that. If only we had been clearer, things would have gone more smoothly.
The day I realized that exceeding other peoples’ expectations did not make me happy was a turning point. Since that day, I have become less and less adept at exceeding, or even meeting, expectations. I do not really do “expectations” any more.
Now I specialize in doing something unexpected.
I have known people in positions of responsibility who love planning. They are only comfortable when they feel they have anticipated every possible eventuality. They are happy to spend more time and effort planning than putting their plans into action.
I recognize the value of planning. Without a clear plan, we will not know when we need to head in an unplanned new direction. Without a plan, we would not appreciate the unexpected benefits our leadership produces.
It may be a young man who starts a company in a garage, loses control and has it taken away, then regains it to make it better than ever, who inspires us to “stay hungry.”
The leaders who inspire me do not allow our plans to limit the results we produce. They recognize that the purpose of planning is to spark our imaginations, not determine our actions. They appreciate that there are goals we will be able to meet because we do not realize they are impossible.
There are times when our plans, not what we have left unplanned, are the obstacles we need to overcome.
Do you celebrate the unexpected?
When did you produce the most unexpected results you have ever accomplished?
[Image by Mike Goren]
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