In the recent blockbuster, Cinderella Man, we meet James J. Braddock as a top light heavyweight boxer, known for his powerful and predictable right hand. As the Great Depression descends on the nation, Braddock loses his savings, and injuries to his right hand force him out of the ring. On good days, Braddock finds work on the docks, where he masks his injured right hand, relying on his weaker left limb to lift and maneuver the heavy cargo. While it isn't an easy transition for him, eventually his left arm becomes stronger and when given the opportunity to box again, the addition of a more potent second weapon-the newly-conditioned left arm-carries Braddock to a title he couldn't achieve before: Heavyweight Champion of the World.

A nice story, but what does this have to do with running a business? If we look past the context of the ring, we see a simple truth about business and our day-to-day dealings with people and enterprises: Successful people and, by extension, successful organizations develop new tools and strategies over time to remain successful.

What does that mean in real terms? It means people in organizations need to do things differently to stay successful and competitive. Yet like Braddock, many leaders at all levels have achieved a high measure of success relying on certain safe and comfortable actions--and just don't realize the need to add new tools to their arsenal of skills.

Facing the Risk

Braddock, who had many people telling him to change his tactics, knew his advisors stayed safely outside the ring. It was his face, his torso, his career at stake, so he simply discounted their input. It is, after all, a risk to let go of what has worked in the past and try something new. Ironically, Braddock's reliance on the familiar and comfortable resulted in injury and loss. As leaders, our reliance on the familiar and comfortable can hold us back as well.

So what is your "right hand?" What are the familiar tactics you focus on to the exclusion of other tactics that would bring even greater success? Here are some common "rights" we encounter as we work with leaders:

So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains, and we never even know we have the key.
- The Eagles

Often the difference between a successful person and a failure is not one has better abilities or ideas, but the courage that one has to bet on one's ideas, to take a calculated risk - and to act.
- Andre Malraux

You have to risk going too far to discover just how far you can really go.
- Jim Rohn

It's not because things are difficult that we dare not venture. It's because we dare not venture that they are difficult.
- Seneca

If you're not making mistakes, you're not taking risks, and that means you're not going anywhere. The key is to make mistakes faster than the competition, so you have more chances to learn and win.
- John W. Holt, Jr.

People who don't take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year. People who do take risks generally make about two big mistakes a year.
- Peter F. Drucker

I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.
- Thomas Alva Edison

It's not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.
- Charles Darwin

CEOs work against empowerment consciously and unconsciously. Executives do not always seem to want what they say they need.
- Chris Argyris

Things difficult to quantify are inconvenient for analysts to credit.
- George Will

Most companies are risk averse. They don't like to say so, but they are.
- Warren G. Bennis

A message from Lynne Key and Tom Dambly

Summer is here and with it comes the "watch out" time in Florida-- hurricane season. Last summer, you may remember, got our attention in a strong way. In central Florida, we had not been hit for a long time, and many of us had become apathetic about hurricane preparation. We got a wake up call when Hurricane Charley roared through our region. Still, while some of us got serious about preparation at this point, others still didn't take the next storm, Hurricane Frances, seriously. The newscasts were still brimming with locals whose greatest concern was what food and beverage to serve at their Hurricane party. By the time Hurricanes Ivan and Jeanne hit, even the most apathetic responded to the threat and got serious about preparation.

We were fascinated by what it took to drive individuals to substantially change their strategy of hurricane preparation. Seeing the destruction Charley brought to Jamaica and Cuba-and knowing the hurricane was tracking straight toward us -- was not enough for some. Experiencing the power of Charley was not enough for some. We saw that many individuals had to experience the negative situation multiple times before they would unfreeze their perception of the "right" strategy and make substantial changes.

Do you know what it takes to inspire change (not compliance) in your organization and your people? Do you know what inspires you, as a leader, to spark that glint in your eye, see the possibilities, have that "Aha" moment, and take the first step to add a strong "Left" to your skill set?

Of course, the answer is different for every person and every organization. At DiamondWinds, our primary interest is fueling performance improvement within organizations through individual behavior change. We know that simply stating a new direction or new expectations is almost never enough to generate real buy-in to change. Sometimes it takes a gritty simulation to unfreeze long-held perceptions and create those "Aha's." Sometimes it takes immersion in the customer's world or the workings of another department. Sometimes it takes ongoing coaching that is immediate, specific, and positive.

We are experts in helping organizations see the possibilities and move beyond outmoded strategies. When you want to inspire change, give us a call.