When to Take Action

Things aren’t working out the way you hoped with the online advertising campaign (or new hire, new product introduction, etc.). Should you be stoically patient and stay the course, or immediately take action to set things right?

Good leaders seem to instinctively know what to do. But it’s less a matter of instinct, and more a result of practice. Such leaders are neither impulsive, nor are they fence-sitters.

They develop the skill of mentally testing and visualizing how a plan can unfold, and what could cause it to unravel. They rapidly run through what if options in their heads, learning to recognize critical milestones and markers, and etching these into their mental plans. They acquire these skills consciously and deliberately at first, and then unconsciously with practice as their confidence builds.

If key milestones and progress markers are being met the leader is patient, no matter how anxious others may be. Yet when a critical marker is missed, even if it’s not obvious to others, the leader acts decisively, knowing exactly what to focus on.

What appears instinctive is more often the result of methodical practice.

Written by Michael

Michael Douglas has held senior positions in sales, marketing and general management since 1980, and spent 20 years at Sun Microsystems, most recently as VP, Global Marketing. His experience includes start-ups, mid-market and enterprises. He's currently VP Enterprise Go-to-Market for NVIDIA.

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