Many will tell you that the sign of a great leader is a positive attitude, regardless of what is thrown at them.
I prefer to suggest that the sign of a great leader is a realistic attitude, able to see the good, bad and ugly before, during and after the fact and able to act on it.
Organizational leaders, project leaders, political leaders and all other leaders need to be able to stand up at any time and say, “It’s time to bail’. They need the business acumen or advisory services to understand the situation clearly and make those tough decisions.
Target Canada was a huge failure but was made much worse than it had to be by leaders unable to admit defeat, to admit their mistakes and stand up to power and say “Enough!”. Blackberry (RIM) lost years of its life due to leadership’s inability to admit defeat and Blockbuster held on way too long before seeing the light… or darkness.
I want my leaders, at all levels, to have the wisdom and strength to know when its time to quit. That positive attitude will get us only so far.
Are You Ready to Bail?
