Are you letting opportunities pass you by?
In every organization, there are processes that are inefficient, people who need training, frustrations about workload, and problems that need to be solved. These are just a few examples and there are many more that exist in a company.
How come no one is trying to solve them? The list of reasons usually sounds like this: lack of time, may not have the skills or expertise, don’t view it as part of their job responsibilities, or they are waiting for someone else to step in and do it. What if you stopped seeing it as a problem, and inserted the word opportunity instead? Does that shift how you see it at all?
When you think of it as an opportunity, it implies something that can be good for you. It helps you see it in a positive light vs. a negative one and you get to decide whether you want to take advantage of it. You could be the one that solves the problem, process, or challenge that no one else wanted to do. I remember a former manager of mine said, “look for the problems that need to be solved. When no one else is doing anything about them, you can step in to address them and be seen as a leader who takes initiative to improve things.”
This former leader of mine was teaching me about the importance of taking advantage of visibility opportunities. It is important because you can gain visibility for what you did when no one else would. You will get to show another side of your leadership and it can change how people see you.
Look around and see how many opportunities exist all around you that you could make an impact on.
This is a leadership moment, and you get to decide: Are you ready to step up and solve problems or let the opportunity pass you by?