Fostering focused thinking

Success doesn't generally happen by chance! Sure, it requires hard work in the form of blood, sweat and tears but it also needs some mental effort too!

Fostering focused thinking

Success doesn’t generally happen by chance!   Sure, it requires hard work in the form of blood, sweat and tears but it also needs some mental effort too!   Time dedicated to generating fresh ideas and thinking about the future plus all its possibilities, helps business leaders get creative and take advantage of the opportunities that unfold.

It was the American essayist, lecturer, philosopher and poet Ralf Waldo Emerson who said:  “Life consists of what a man is thinking about all day.”  

As human beings we are graced with the ability to think, imagine and focus on ideas and the future.  Time proactively and regularly set aside to evaluate creative options means businesses can become innovative and move forwards instead of getting stale and stuck in a day-to-day or even in ‘fire-fighting’ mode.

The leadership author John C Maxwell suggests the first step is to understand the value of good thinking.  He states in his book Thinking for a Change:  “Achieving your potential comes from making progress and progress is often just one good idea away.”   He also states:  “Only when you make the right changes to your thinking do other things begin to turn out right.”    However, he also suggests changed thinking is not automatic.  Effort needs to be made to strategize and so set time aside to do this regularly.

Productive time management must come into play.  For franchise owners it’s about spending enough time working on your business not just in it.

Maxwell also encourages habitually spending time with other good thinkers.  Every leader has strengths and weaknesses and being able to acknowledge where input from others can be a valuable asset is useful.  This is how the whole team concept works – everyone brings different strengths and perspectives to the party for the benefit of a stronger whole.

It’s worth remembering the famous quote from Kenneth Blanchard, leadership guru and author of The One Minute Manager, who said, “None of us is as smart as all of us.” 

Therefore, leaders of franchised businesses, will need to accommodate time for strategic thinking and spending time with ‘good thinkers’ but they also need to foster this skill within their teams.  Acquiring the right people who can see the ‘wood for the trees’ is helpful but it can also be a skill which can be trained, fostered and encouraged.  Scalability can only be achieved with the right team members who can look ahead, identify and navigate challenges and opportunities for the benefit of the business long term.   

Further, if the franchise owner is at some point planning to take a step back from the business, then it’s also essential the rest of team can take over this strategic thinking and visionary role.

This approach means a leader must value people.  At Papa John’s one of our core values is to ‘put people first’.   We know our success is down to those who are committed to putting in their absolute best every day.  But we also know each team member can bring new ideas and perspectives to our business too.  Foster focused and intentional thinking within your teams and the result could have powerful and profitable consequences.

Remember: “Progress is often just a good idea away.” John C. Maxwell.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Justin Gilbert
Justin Gilbert
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