Things to Think About

“The wise man builds bridges, the fool builds walls.”  Chinese proverb

This is an interesting and timely quote on many levels.  One of the most frequent comments I hear from the leaders I work with is that the members of their senior team are very insular, they operate in silos without taking the time, or having the interest in knowing what other team members are doing, or how to capitalize on possible synergies. This represents a real danger today in a number of ways, but I will focus on just one—a major one.  As businesses struggle to remain or become competitive in a world that seems to nurture disruption, like it or not, there is an accelerating need and awareness of interdependence.  Things are happening at such speed and in such volume that we need each other’s help to connect the dots in a timely way.  In times of stress, many of us withdraw into our own silo, or behind walls, which cuts us off from the vital flow of data and sense of cohesion that all teams need today to survive.  But, it is the wise person who takes the time, and makes the investment to build bridges, because it’s only a matter of time before that bridge you built turns into a valuable source of insight, perspective, support, or clarity.

Good luck on your journey!