There are days that I feel very blessed.  Today is one of them.  I am in Colorado with some friends fly-fishing.  There is something about being at nearly 7000 feet elevation, the crisp air, and the aspens that is completely refreshing.

Fishing can be exhilarating, and it can also be demoralizing.  It is amazing how sometimes they are biting, and other times whatever you choose it’s wrong.  All of us are fishing for something – and so today are some simple leadership thoughts on landing “the big fish.”  Here are four thoughts on catching or landing that illusive fish you are striving for:

• Go fishing.  I am sure that this sounds pretty basic, but think about it, it’s not.  Sometimes people are not catching the fish, because they are not fishing.  Yesterday, the only time I caught a fish was when I was out in the water, casting, and taking the time to fish.  Are you fishing?  I have a friend that was a successful real estate guy and he would say 2 + 2 = 1.  2 hours of prospecting + 2 hours of previewing properties every day would equal 1 deal a month.  This was “fishing” for him.  What is fishing for you?

• Be prepared.  It is hard to fish if you don’t have all the gear.  This means the waders, the vest with all the tools, the different types of lures.  It’s amazing how much longer a person can fish, how many more casts you can do, if you don’t have to keep stopping.  In sales, are you ready?  In recruiting, are you ready?  In relationships, are you ready?  What is the “big fish” for you?  Are you putting yourself into position to land it?  Do you have all that you need?

• Stay patient.  I will be honest, I lost two fish yesterday that I had on the line.  Why?  I was trying to bring them in before they were ready.  These fish still had a little “run” in them.  Consequently, I lost them.  There is a real estate guy in our neighborhood that I have never done business with.  Yet, every month I get a little something from him;  A new note pad, a calendar with all the important dates in our community, and his attendance in our charity golf tournament.  A few days ago my neighbor asked me if I had a real estate agent – I said, “yes.”  I passed along his name . . . his patient persistence landed him a fish!
  

• Learn and look.  There are people who are a lot better than me at fishing.  I need to watch them, look to them, and listen to them.  I can get better!  I also need to learn and look in the fishing hole I am in for where the activity is – and go there!  There are many of us who are fishing day in and day out and we are not learning!  We are not seeing what 1-2 things we can adjust to increase our odds at landing a fish.  In your field of expertise and profession – what does it look like to learn?  What does it mean to “look around” and notice?  One of the guys in our group who caught the most fish yesterday (6) accomplished this when he did what the guide told him.  Who knows more than you that you can learn from?

Think about these four principles as they relate to your leadership.  What “fish” are you trying to land?  How can these principles help and assist you to not only be better, but to “land the big one!”

Blessings,

Eric Scofield