I screwed up recently. Not because I moved too boldly or because I misspoke.
I screwed up because I wasn’t ready to take the next big step towards a professional goal. Someone opened a door for me and I turtled.
It’s not that I was scared. I was simply unprepared, because I thought the opportunity would arise years from now.
You may have made a list of dream board opportunities. (If you haven’t, do it now.) You may imagine these successes to be five or even ten years away. And if you are dreaming big enough, that kind of time horizon may well be tempting.
Now take that list and blank piece of paper. For each dream board, write out how you are ready to serve as a director today. Express your specific, unique offer; the gift you have to give right now. How are you “board ready” right now?
Next, push beyond the “what” into the “how.” What about your style, practices and approach position you to transform these organizations today? How are you ready to serve right now?
If we take the time to prepare, the future will come sooner than we expect. And when it does, we’ll be ready.
Have you been surprised to find the far-off future right in front of you? How do you prepare to achieve big wins whenever opportunity knocks?
