Who hasn’t gazed up into the sky and pondered what’s out there beyond the stars?
OK, maybe you haven’t done it, but if you make a trip to Griffith Observatory, you just might change your mind.
The subject of this month’s Uniquely Los Angeles, Griffith hosts free Public Star Parties each month on its front lawn. Amateur astronomers bring out their telescopes and peer into the sky — feeling very small in comparison.
It may not be a perfect analogy, but many business owners look to the future of their company and feel rather small. They see competitors and a changing landscape and think about what they can do to keep up. How can they keep their product or service at the top of mind of consumers? How can they lure new consumers?
The challenge for some leaders, of course, is finding the time to have those conversations as the day-to-day work often pushes long-term planning off the table. The trick is to find the time to do both.
It sounds simple, but just as you ask your employees to prioritize their work, you must do the same with your own schedule.
Make time to address the hot-button issues of the day, but don’t forget to carve out some moments to sit down with your leadership team and consider where your company is headed. What could you be doing better? What is working really well? And what do you need to do to make sure your company is ready for the future?
If you make time to talk about what’s out there on a regular basis, it won’t seem quite so far away.
Share your experience
Over the past year, we have assembled a strong collection of leaders from across Los Angeles to write advice-oriented columns. Each individual offers a unique perspective based on his or her experience as a leader and each has found a way to share valuable lessons.
It’s not always easy to put your thoughts down on paper and share advice with others. Some feel like they aren’t in a position to offer advice or feel like other people wouldn’t respect what they have to say.
But the fact is we all learn through sharing. Our publication is all about the exchange of ideas regarding what it takes to succeed in business. If you’ve got an opinion to share, along with a track record of experience as a president, CEO or other C-level position in a company or civic organization, we invite you to reach out and bring us your ideas.
Experience is great, but if you haven’t done a lot of writing in the past, don’t let that stop you from giving it a shot. I’m happy to work with you to help develop ideas and shape your column to convey the message you want to share.
So give it some thought and maybe we’ll see you on these pages in the future. ●
