Of hurricanes and business

I have been highly distracted this week as hurricane Dorian, a record setting category 5 hurricane, cut a devastating path of destruction as it headed our way. Living in south Louisiana we are always on high alert when a hurricane tracks across the Atlantic. This time I was doubly on alert since my daughter and her family- including six children - are just south of Orlando Florida while my parents live on the east coast, in New Smyrna Beach Florida. Every hurricane season at least someone in the family will have to prepare and shelter in place or evacuate. This season, in addition to my Florida family, it looks like my daughter in Maryland will get a taste as well. 
 
That’s life isn’t it? It’s not if a disaster happens, it’s when. Nonetheless, I believe as a leader you can minimize the negative effects on your business with the right planning and the right preparation. More on what I mean about this in a bit. 
 
That reminds me of a very interesting documentary I watched this weekend on Amazon while trying to distract myself from the storm.  “The Food that Built America” was an incredible story of great leaders. These great men and women achieved incredible success over their lifetime. Their creativity and tenacity resulted in a legacy that is still affecting America today. How they did it was just fascinating to watch.
 
It was interesting to watch these leaders navigate through the most difficult of times. War, famine, and the great depression- no matter the difficulty they continued to operate and grow.
 
Here are three things I took away from the documentary that I thought might be helpful to you in growing your business:

1. Focus on the goal. Leaders see more than others see and leaders see further than others see. This can be a little unnerving for some leaders. But your vision was given to you for a reason - stay focused. These food leaders didn’t allow nay say-ers, the economy, or anything else to distract or defeat them from achieving their goal. Hershey had a dream of building a city near his chocolate factory. The problem, there was no city or factory in that vast farm country at the time. There was also no market for chocolate. 
   
   
2. Don’t give up. In a business, things can go really bad really fast. But leaders stay focused, stay calm, and stay in the game even in the midst of chaotic upheavals. Aviators have a saying when a crippled plane seems doomed to crash, “fly the plane right through the smoking hole.” This means that no matter what chaotic events are happening, don’t waste precious time panicking. Instead, continue to maintain your composure and think- the answer is there somewhere. You never know at what moment you will recover. 
   
   
3. Invest in your team. A great team will drive your business to phenomenal success. Great leaders draw great leaders to them. Hire the best, train the best, and your business will be the best.

 
Live Awesomely,
Angela Decoteau (Deck-uh-toe)
Success Strategist, Awesome Activator
Encourage . Equip . Empower