Keeping the Vision in Front of You

Several of my most recent posts have been along the same theme. I don't mean to keep "beating the same horse" but in times like this I've found that unless my team and I are locked on to our vision and mission there are simply too many distractions that can deter us from reaching the ultimate prize.

The other night I was channel surfing and landed on an interview with a race car driver. The ESPN-based interviewer asked him, "So how do you go so fast and not hit the wall?" The race car driver without hesitation said, "I don't look at the wall. I look where I want the car to go. If I look at the wall, I'll crash into it."

I think that's excellent advice for leaders. How many times do I find myself looking at the wall and crashing into exactly where I didn't want to go? Notice too he didn't say he ignored the wall. He simply keeps his eyes focused on where he wants to maneuver the car and ultimately go and win the race.

The same is true for leaders if we want to make progress in our company, division, or team we need to keep the vision in front of us and our people. We need to know and be aware of what's around us, but in the end we need to keep our eyes on the prize and our vision so we're moving forward and not crashing into circumstances we cannot control.

I'd love to know, what do you do to not crash into the walls that can stop you from reaching your vision?