It is even better to act quickly and err than to hesitate until the time of action is past. -
Carl von Clausewitz
I say
when in doubt, lead it out almost daily. Its the rhyming version of
ship it! Whether its a decisive moment in battle like
Mr. Clausewitz was likely referencing, in
bike racing or in business; to me: this rhyming axiom has become a life motto.
In the context of leadership, an article on Harvard Business Review reminded me to focus less on consistency and rather to confidently embrace paradoxes that make decisions difficult. HBR is always a bit wordy but
this post from last summer catches my drift perfectly. In their words:
“[Leaders] must be humble, even vulnerable, admitting that they might not know what the future holds. This approach emphasizes the value of experimentation and failure, spurring critical feedback to enable learning and ongoing adjustments.”
The paradoxical tension between conflicting goals is a theme below in 37 Signals’ ’
Why we choose profit’ post as well.
What do you think? Does the merit of a just ship it mentality at the expense of organizational consistency in the interest of learning and ongoing adjustments hold water?
As always, thank you for reading!
with appreciation,
Jon