Should vs. Could

I've seen really good ideas cause serious harm to an organization's health. Seems counter-intuitive, but many leaders have fallen prey to the Should vs. Could dilemma.

As leaders, we are drawn to new ideas that have a little extra spark or sizzle to them. We believe that they will put our organization ahead of others, and perhaps give us the notoriety with senior management that we need. We like to have them as resume builders to show we live on the edge of leadership fame.

Unfortunately, great ideas don't result in great results if they are outside the strategic intent of our organization. In fact, great ideas can be counter-productive forcing us to spend additional time and money to recover from the distraction they cause.

It is natural for strong leaders to have thousands of creative ideas. As we generate ideas, we feel a compulsion to implement them without considering the strategic fit. We certainly "could" implement them, but we must determine if we "should" put them in place.

It takes courage and strategic insight to pass on a creative idea that is not in keeping with our strategic goals. In the end, it is far better for the organization to stay within the "should-zone" when evaluating options.

Copyright Rod Brace