This was taken from the Chamber's September Current
As you all know, I have made the decision to retire from the Chamber at the end of this year. A lot of people have asked me why I decided to do that since we have had some degree of success (thanks to all of you our Members) since I came here eleven years ago. A couple of life lessons came into play when I was thinking this whole thing through and I thought I might share them with you.
First, past success is not an indicator of future success in the world of today. Just look at my struggling Chicago White Sox and you can see how difficult it is to repeat as a champion. Many business teams and organizations assume that if we just do more of the same, we will get the same results - and that’s the problem. In today’s’ fast-paced world, that is a major fallacy. Continuing to do more of what you have done in the past will probably guarantee problems and disappointments, as other competing organizations around you are changing every day. Staying the same is actually falling behind.
Second, real organizational change starts at the very top of the organization. The Board of Directors needs to change the way they do business. And the CEO needs to change also. He/She can either change the way they do their work or you change the CEO. Fresh agendas and new plans require fresh energy and fresh enthusiasm. That’s the reason you see so many managerial changes in professional sports. If you can’t or don’t want to change the team, then change the leader and the plan for success and winning. You also need to make sure you have the “new” team assembled if you are going to keep the old manager.
Third, just like flying on an airplane, baggage is a problem. The more baggage you bring with you, the more difficult it will be to change. The longer the stay, the more you accumulate baggage. A fresh leader brings virtually no baggage with them. They don’t know how it was always done and hopefully, in many cases, they will not care how it was done in the past. They will only care about how it will be done going forward.
Lastly, a good leader knows when it time to leave and they make it happen rather than waiting for it to happen. After thinking about all of these issues, it became very apparent to me that this organization will move quicker and better with a new CEO. The next leader will be free to “go for it” and fully embrace a new vision, mission and work plan for this outstanding organization. He or she will have an energized Board of Directors, a great staff with some new and fresh faces and energy, and, most importantly, a phenomenal “five star” Membership base that has evolved over time and is committed to exceeding expectations for themselves. The stars are aligned for an exciting ride. Strap it on, folks.
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