WIN stands for What’s Important Now? Not what was important…last week, last month, last quarter or last year.
I don’t know who originally coined the acronym. I know many have used it. And I’m sure all can benefit from using it.
Too often leaders stay stuck in the past. If you can analyze past experience to mine lessons that are useful in the present, then do it. But recognize that analysis is imperfect and you may never know why something happened as it did.
Instead, use your best thinking and intuition to determine and then implement the things you should be doing now.
Do you know what’s important now? Do the people you lead?
After all (to borrow another worn but wise saying) there’s no time like the present for taking action.
Great post. Thank you!
Yes, ‘Being Present’, the ability to be completely in the moment, and flexible enough to handle the unexpected is one of the great qualities of a leader which has also been spoken about in the very famous book, Fish! by Stephen C Lundin.
And I love this Zen story that captures the notion of ‘Being Present’ in very few words:
“A man runs through the jungle chased by a hungry tiger. He comes to a cliff and grabs a vine hanging over the edge. He looks down and sees another tiger waiting below. Two mice begin to gnaw through his vine. He has only moments to live. He sees a berry growing from the cliff before him. He plucks it and drops it in his mouth. It is the sweetest, juiciest berry he’s ever eaten.”