patahaconsulting said:
Fair enough Jennifer, so help me with the connection to the Hamlet and leadership article. Would this mean that you agree with a leader staying focused in spite of distractions and that Hamlet neglected doing this?
How would one apply this to their own life or managment style?
I gave myself some time to consider what to say before blurting it out.
Good leadership requires understanding truthfully where one starts, recognizing shortcomings and honestly appreciating what is needed to achieve the destination. A good leader allocates needed resources, both material and performance, to ensure success is enabled. A good leader needs to know how (s)he will define arrival. This seems silly to some but the lack of measurement leaves one with only a vague (and perhaps short lived) feel-good result unless something has irrefutably, physically changed. And when that physical change occurs, the leader should have a means to measure satisfaction with the change because expectations can differ from achievement.
A leader needs to make a plan from this data so as to have any kind of focus. A Gantt chart should help to keep an idea of where they should be in the plan, and key players can be noted in there if so desired. Lists of needed resources must be developed, meaning comparing what the leader has now against what is to be attained--and what will be needed to get there. Even if they delegate making the plan, leaders should keep the plan handy. Hamlet didn't have a plan.
Even in small endeavors there are bound to be some distractions--especially when there are other people involved! A leader must learn to at once deal with what comes up but not stray far from course. If the plan needs to be altered, such as an unexpected training need or a key player is unavailable, then change the plan. Hamlet can't alter a plan he doesn't have.
Sometimes leaders shrink from sharing authority, responsibility and try to do too much themselves. Some distractions might not be so bothersome if there were proper utilization of help sources. These incllude skilled and ready people. Hamlet didn't use his ready people to help--he didn't optimize use of his personnel resources.
Without a coherent plan, all alone among the details and feeling the stress of distracting occurrences, a leader can be overly tempted to overreact to inputs. Hamlet overreacted when he stabbed the curtain and killed Polonius.
Not having a coherent plan, not knowing just what is needed and not having needed expert and ready help, a leader is tempted to go berry-picking from time to time, let schedules slip and transgress into distracting situtations that require effort that saps effort that should have been used to achieve the endeavor. Hamlet, in failing to say "No," allowed himself to tarry to England and had to deal with a bunch of matters that turned serious.
Hamlet failed to take responsibility for his failing to make and adhere to a plan, use resources, and say a well-timed "No."
Did I say too much?