Fiddling on the Roof

When I think of business leaders in these tough economic times, I'm reminded of the fiddler on the roof. The fiddler's true passion is making beautiful music. His only real problem is to avoid falling off the roof while he fiddles. Where does he need to focus his energies -- on making beautiful music or on clinging to the eaves? If 95 percent of his energy is devoted to holding on and not falling, it's doubtful that he'll be playing much music with the remaining five percent. However, if he can learn to steady himself, have confidence in his balance, and maybe even look out and survey the beauty of the world around him, he can live his passion and continue to make beautiful music.

What about you? Are you crouched down in a defensive mode, hoping at best to hold on, devoting 5 percent of your resources to new ideas, fresh approaches and bold initiatives? Or are you standing tall, scanning the horizon for new audiences, continually improving the quality and value of your products to keep them as memorable as ever?

Your answer says something about the role that fear plays in your psyche as a business leader. In the final analysis, fear is the only thing that can ever defeat us. We can more consistently achieve our potential -- and our organization's potential -- if we are not distracted or intimidated by the fear of falling/failing.

While others are worrying about falling/failing:

• Seize the moment. Be even more aggressive in your selling efforts. Call on people you've never had the courage to call on before. Play your music for them with passion. Given the tough times, they're looking and listening for opportunities where they might not have considered looking before. That's where you come in.
• Innovate. Package things differently. Offer new solutions. Give enticing incentives to an audience that didn't even know they liked your kind of music -- until you showed up fiddling. Let passion prevail.
• Be persistent. If you know you're making beautiful music, never stop playing. Play with energy, drive and a need to finish. Get someone to help you if you need to be better organized, disciplined and focused. Do it now -- don't procrastinate.

I've heard it said, "Life is like a grinding wheel. It will sharpen you up or wear you down, depending on what you're made of." That metaphor is especially true in tough times. Use this dip in the economy to sharpen your skills as a business person and a leader...and to prove what you're made of.