There's no denying that what we are seeing in Ukraine is the unleashing of brute force by the very few who thinks that they can subvert the modern world order without consequences. Here again, we see that the West and rest have combined forces again in a matter of days. Unprecedented. 

But the best thing I see in this first online war was the power of ordinary individuals in full force. From donating online, going to the war zone as a choice, buying Ukrainian products, crowdfunding, fighting disinformation, fact-checking propaganda, reserving AirBNB, donating crypto, among others, these activities are decisive. 

There are no limits to what ordinary Canadians and citizens of other states can do to support a country in great need. My book on global impact leadership focuses on the role of individuals, not institutions, in transforming their communities and acting based their values and principles. 

I have no doubt that a hyper-globalized and interconnected world, normative forces usually enforced by states and institutions are no longer their purview. As more and more individuals are connected on a grand scale, they can not just vote, but take up moral stances and register their voices without leaving their homes. Before mobilizing for a cause takes time. Now, you can build a pipeline system in a matter of hours or days.

​The challenge for us is to differentiate rationality with demagoguery, popularity versus principled action. Not every time that you will stand with thousands. To make a difference, you need to be different.

​

To continue on the "big idea" discussion.... 

Big ideas generated from design schools and labs are great. They're ideas.

Everything we have right now, these tangibles were products of someone's imagination. 

Some are dreamers, some are designers, some are investors of dreams, some are implementors. Some are borrowers, refiners, and even auditors of dreams and ideas. 

From conceiving to implementing, many processes and actors will be needed.

Which one are you? What position will you take in this continuum? Where is your default position?

As I wrote in my recent Strategy article for CSAE, long-termism is over. Look hard around you. Rules and instructions change quickly and contradict all the time. 

"Focus your executives’ time on discerning where the pressure points and opportunities will be in the coming years, and identifying the most proactive approach. Review your plan every six months to a year, and be prepared to revise as driving forces (i.e. technology, regulations, consumer preferences, social mores) change rapidly without warning."

Key to this are three mindsets: agility in strategy (not just in operations and pouncing on opportunities), strategizing on the strategy, and the discipline to follow-through.

Agility in strategy is about absolutely turning conventional wisdom on long-term planning. It's about learning as you and improvising your subsequent steps rather than preoccupied with planning as if every ducks are in the row. Strategizing on strategy is ensuring that optimal use of resources of doing, measuring, and implementing your new strategy. Forget the 3-day strategy retreat in a nice resort or vacation destination. Try remote strategizing once a week for the next 3 months or so and be surprised as to how much you can accomplish with so little! And third, discipline is the modern-day effectiveness and efficiency combined as measures. Without the discipline and laser-focus commitment, your strategy becomes just a strategy, not a reality. 

Consider this when you think about long-termism using a short-term perspective for the future- the post-pandemic future, that is. 

Woody Woodpecker asked, "What's the big idea?"  

To which the other fellow replied, "You and your milk!" 


Big ideas grab headlines.

Big ideas move mountains and people.

Visionaries toggle between one big idea and on to the next.

The BHAG mindset gives us the excuse to think big and leave the mundane to others.  

People love big ideas. They like being entertained with the fact that these big ideas are being funded by OPM-other people's monies and OPM-other people's machineries.

It's good to see the view at 20,000 feet altitude but going down: the view changes drastically. 

Leaders cannot toy with big ideas without being unscathed by the realities of implementation.

The major fright comes from the fact that there are many hats to be worn and handshakes to make. There are investments to be made from resources that seem to deplete the moment the ink has dried. There are gazillion things to do to even get at basecamp. 

Instead of coming with big ideas, why not start with the next-level ideas.

There are studies supporting that change isn't scary when presented with the next logical step-an easy implementable blueprint where followers are not asked a 360% transformation, but a gradual shift over the course of time. 

Focusing on goals that you can realistically accomplish will ensure that there is enough fuel that keeps you motivated but also enough oxygen to get you through each day.

Overwhelm is a by-product of too much, too soon, too many -all at once.

Lastly, are you a delayer or early satisfier?

Delayer waits at the last minute to accomplish the big ideas by creating layers of complex rituals and processes that are not necessary or essential while satisfiers are good at completing the task in front them and slaying the proverbial dragon, one by one.

Creating impact is not after 5-10 years of hard work and sweat. It's right now.  

What's your big idea?

How do you turn that 'big idea' into everyday wins and giant outcomes? ​

A few weeks ago, I talked about Leading in Crisis and Beyond Resilience, two sides of the coin in the quest to rebound well in the post-pandemic environment. The last missing piece in this equation is impact.

LI + BR = IMPACT

Impact, in the broader sense, is the achievement of lasting effects that you want to see in your client/customer or stakeholder. If you are non-profit, we tend to look at the overall societal gains as a barometer for how far your results have achieved or contributed to these. In a post-COVID19 scenario, the stakes are high to put impact back as the centerpiece of your mission. 


1. Impact is not cooked up in isolation

Impact is not something that you create on your own as an island. It is about building important relationships and connections in order to secure a broad base support for your work and increase the likelihood of its success. The triple bottom lines of planet, profit, and purpose emphasize a shared responsibility in creating, defining, and measuring impact at all levels of engagement with all partners concerned. Doing this alone is like walking through the tunnel in darkness and expecting a marching band to welcome you out. 


2. Evidence doesn't come from big data
The biggest fallacy I have ever come across my desk in the area of impact is the fact that big data is the solution to the lack or incompleteness of the impact stories of governments, businesses, and the social sectors. Moreover, the overreliance to data is imbalanced. This time, there are more considerations and requirements in keeping with ethics, accountability with populations, and communicating strategically. All these, data can never tackle on its own. It needs the human element to interpret and make sense what data conveys. 


​3. Plan to fail 
​Despite the planning for success in measuring impact, failures are inevitable in the context of learning and re-learning to get things right. Obsession with success puts pressures on staff and management to be the first, the best, the most competent. These false measures only create frustration and bad precedents. Sometimes, it is not in your success that can tip the balance between being average and excellent. Failure provides tremendous opportunities that are not visible in the naked eye, either failures lead to real progress or give the impetus to redirect the actions to more fruitful areas. 


4. Delivery is an art and a science
We judge a book by its cover all the time. Presenting your impact requires deliberate attempt to be concise, informative, and directive. Your audience deserves to know and best of all, to be engaged  in exploring the future work that lies ahead. Sell them the vision but more than that, sell them how you are best positioned to lead them in that future through the results you are doing right now. Everybody loves a winner. 

​
Leading in crisis and going beyond resilience will accelerate your impact in the post-COVID 19 climate. There is no substitute to doing good work. But why do you work hard when you can work smart.
​

While trudging along highways in Alberta all the way to the BC border, there are sections that are badly maintained and those that are kept good. 

Apparently a local contractor that was assigned for many years to manage these roads was no longer awarded the contract, instead a subsidiary of a larger company took it on. A few miles from these bad roads are well-kept highway that have a different road maintainer. 

Typical siloed work increases more stress and aggravation which leads to more work and waste of time, resources, and energies. They need to work together as an eco-system instead of partitioning work in a piece-meal fashion to contribute to the bigger picture- better infrastructure, better economic conditions, better quality of life for citizens across the province. 

Think about the fourth impact of your actions, initiatives, and initial feedback. Then you are really thinking big.
​

What is legacy and how do you leave a good, lasting legacy to your family, communities, workplaces, industry, and country? 

Legacy for me is what you do right now- an accumulation of life long work, passions, happy memories, and great contributions. It is not about what you leave behind so that families and friends can remember you well but it is about who you are and what you do that gets the biggest impression on people. It is not the attempt at " leaving" but the attempt at "contributing" right now, when it matters the most. 

Last week, I had the privilege of interviewing one of the best women leaders of Alberta, Lyn Radford, the Chair of the 2019 Canada Winter Games which the City of Red Deer proudly hosted. Talking about the successes and accomplishments of this community effort, Lyn noted that there were significant legacies of the Games.

First was the physical infrastructure that the City of Red Deer now owned as a result of the Games. Second was the legacy in volunteerism which was observed that the next generation stepped in and provided a strong leadership. And third but not the least, the historic moment for Red Deerians through collaboration with countless individuals and organizations to make it a community endeavor.

Truly, when people and communities come together, insurmountable problems can have enduring solutions. It was  a memorable moment for Central Albertans and for the next generation to enjoy its legacies. 

​Lasting legacies are what we do on a daily basis. That is what our families and friends will remember about us by. Learn to be the best example of the virtues and values you want to live with and do not refrain from doing your best to serve others in need. 
​