To be successful, a town must think like a business. It’s all building and selling. GOOD LEADERS help resolve issues quickly.
If you don’t work to build a good product, it won’t sell, and conversely, if you don’t work to sell a product, it’ll sit on the shelf and gather dust.
The simpler a plan is, the better.
Today’s CEOs eschew presentations with scads of slides. An effective presentation should have a handful of take-aways.
Iola’s could read:
• We foster the arts with our Bowlus Fine Arts Center;
• We are a leader in health care with our new Allen County Regional Hospital;
• We are a leader in industry with Gates Corporation and Russell Stover Candies and a host of smaller manufacturers;
• We provide healthy living opportunities with our expansive parks and rail trail system;
• We are committed to education by supporting new schools.
The last item, of course, will be determined in the Nov. 4 election.
The issue of whether to build a new school campus on the north end of town as well as the ongoing debate regarding countywide ambulance service are making many uneasy.
People say they feel the issues are making the city polarized.
Ambiguity about the future is unsettling. People can accept change, but not knowing what to expect is very hard on employees and their families.
By nature, those in business are the practical type. They can’t afford to let problems be drawn out. They learn to eliminate distractions to keep on task. They also are willing to get down in the trenches with their employees. There’s no “ivory tower” to retreat to when times get tough.
Those in business expect dissent, which they learn to value. An unhappy customer, after all, doesn’t complain for nothing. Most often, their opinions can help shed light onto a project’s failings and necessary corrections.
Leaders expect friction — within and without.
Different people have different ideas as to what the path should be. Both can be right, but not at the same time. At some point, an agreement has to be made as to what needs to be done first.
A culture of respect, generosity and truthfulness allows for differences of opinion and keeps the focus on solving the problem.
And though it’s nice to walk down memory lane, that’s not the path to the future, for a business or a community.
Nostalgia is the opposite of thinking about the possibilities of tomorrow. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t treasure our past, but let’s not have it be our guide. Just because you fondly remember warming yourself against a radiator should not mean that’s what you want for your grandchildren. The only good use I know for lead type today is for arts and crafts projects.
A pessimist says his best days are behind him. An optimist is excited about the possibilities of tomorrow.
Which side of the fence are you?
Nostalgia: Sometimes an obstacle to deciding our future
