“I like a man who grins when he fights.”
— Winston Churchill
If you tour the Winston Churchill war museum in London, you will walk through concrete, narrow walls, below street surfaces, past tiny offices with cots in them, breathing in stale air that seems to still linger from his days. The complex is surprisingly simple and basically essential. There is no flaunting of supremacy nor declaration of entitlement. Men and women spent days on end working and sleeping in makeshift quarters to win the most important days their country had faced.
Yet, the greatest acts of leadership emerged in the darkest of days and the simplest of means.
As I write, US coronavirus cases approach the 4500 mark. Companies are racing to implement the first two acts I have previously written about: Adapt and adopt technology, and Collaboration. They are doing so with the existing means of the next two acts I will soon write about: Talent and Security.
But now, an interlude.
The virus has reminded you and your stakeholders that no matter the ACTS, it’s the CEO, CIO and other leaders who must be effective. Today, there is no such thing as entitlement or perks, no such measure as overtime or above and beyond. There is a fight and there are warriors and there are leaders. If you are reading this, you are likely someone others are depending upon.
“It is no use saying ‘We are doing our best.’ We have got to succeed in doing what is necessary.” Winston Churchill
We watch movies where characters come face-to-face with the moments they had prepared for. They are emotional, tense. “Not on my watch” commitments are made. We cheer them on.
You are in this moment. Financial peril, social upheaval, business-not-as-usual - so much is at stake. This is how what got you here now serves you: your ability to learn, to decide, to endure, to both listen and command. All bets are off, no holds are barred. Time we spent in meetings talking about theory just surrendered to tactics of necessity. The people that irritated us are now the ones that are measured simply by if they can deliver. And the ones who have wanted their shot to prove themselves, well, now is their time. Heads will roll and promotions will be granted based on these days and months.
Winston Churchill also said, “Play the game for more than you can afford to lose...only then will you learn the game.”
Urgency gets a bad reputation. We suffer from “tyranny of the urgent” and we manage time based on priority. In days like this, urgency says “I told you so.” The beauty of urgency is loss and focus. Urgency may not be the best path to gain, but it is the sure cure to suffering loss. You know how one phone call about a family emergency can bring everything else to a halt, how all you are focused on is what is needed in the situation? The phone is ringing.
If you read me, you know my heart for the C-Suite and the stakeholders. You know I lead the CIO Mastermind. You have watched me pour out my passion for the CIO and CEO to lead together on mission. Today, all eyes are on you, and rightly so. There is no need for fear of the unknown. There is ever need for confidence in the known: your competence, your credibility, your character, your commitment.
I write this way today because this is your moment and you have been made ready for it. I’m excited for the stories that will pour in about your courage and wisdom.
