Alive or Healthy?

There’s a big difference between “Alive” and “Healthy.” We all know this intuitively, but its so often easy for us leaders to forget. Something can be Alive and not be Healthy. But anything that is healthy is most definitely alive! Here’s what I know…

Every leader wants Healthy way more than we want merely Alive!

Let’s make it practical:

? Is your Product merely Alive or is it Healthy, Thriving and Growing?

? Is your Schedule / Pace merely Alive or is it Healthy?

? Is your Marriage Alive or Healthy?

? What about your Relationship with your kids?

? What the P & L Statement of your Business?

This question works with any Environment, Thing or Relationship in our life. Healthy or Alive? It provides an instant filter doesn’t it?!?

So how do we move from Alive to Healthy? There are 3 steps required to move something from Alive to Healthy:

1. Analyze it accurately.

The first step to getting where you want to go is having a realistic view of where you are. If you don’t know where you are it is impossible to get where you want to go. According to Max DuPree, as leaders, our primary responsibility is to “Define Reality” for our organizations. If we aren’t willing to admit that our product line is outdated, our structure is wrong or our personal pace and schedule is out of whack, we will never move from Alive to Healthy. Period.

2. Determine what needs Added or Deleted in order to make it healthy.

Once someone has been diagnosed as unhealthy in the medical world, the next step is to ask, “What can be prescribed or Added to bring about health?” and/or “What needs to be cut to bring about health?” A diabetic who is alive but not healthy may need insulin prescribed and need to lose 60 pounds in the next 6 months. Add and Delete.

As leaders, when something in our organization is not healthy, but merely alive, we may need to add intentionality or innovation. We may need to add structure, or personnel to up the health quotient. Or we as leaders, may need to stop doing meetings in their current form, or cut staff or programs that are no longer effective in helping us reach our goal. To move from Alive to Healthy, we must add or delete accordingly.

3. Make the changes.

The third and hardest step is to do it. Pull the trigger. Have the hard conversation. Make the call. Act. Often times, its not that leaders don’t know the right thing to do, its lacking the courage to actually do it that’s difficult. Just because change is scary, doesn’t mean its not right. We will never move from Alive to Healthy if we don’t act.

Challenge:

Come on leader, what area of your organization or life is merely alive and not truly thriving and healthy? Don’t you owe to yourself, your team, your family and your potential to make the changes necessary to get that area on the path to health again?