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Business Growth, the NFL Playoffs and What If?

Guest post by: Rebel Brown

Article Overview: Shifts can hit us from out of the blue. Sometimes we never see the shift coming until it's upon us. Just like the Ravens on Saturday. The energy of the game had shifted to them in the fourth quarter and they appeared to be unstoppable. And then - the momentum shifted.

Business Growth, the NFL Playoffs and What If?

I'm a big-time football and basketball fan - must be the Hoosier in me! I've been watching the NFL playoffs with great enthusiasm. What a fabulous playoff season it's been! Few games have been blowouts. The majority of been tightly played, high-energy games - with a bunch of shockers thrown in to decide the ultimate champion. I love great football!

This past Saturday I was watching the Ravens play the Steelers. What a rock 'n roll ride that was! And what a great lesson for all leaders. Why?

Shifts can hit us from out of the blue. Sometimes we never see the shift coming until it's upon us. Just like the Ravens on Saturday. The energy of the game had shifted to them in the fourth quarter and they appeared to be unstoppable. And then - the momentum shifted.

• That fabulous return run for a touchdown was called back due to a penalty.
• That's okay - the Ravens moved the ball down the field anyway.
• But then, the Steelers stopped them from scoring a touchdown from first and goal.

That was enough to shift the momentum of the game. The Steelers took charge and never looked back.

The same kind of shifts happen in our business and personal worlds.

We're going along, confident in our course and forward momentum - and then the world shifts. Suddenly the way we've always created success doesn't work anymore - and were caught flat-footed, deer in the headlights staring at our results, wondering what happened.

We can be prepared for the shifts – ready to capitalize on them, to accelerate our momentum rather than falling to the wayside.

How?

By continuously and consciously questioning our beliefs and our actions in response to those beliefs. I don't mean an upheaval of questioning like the Spanish Inquisition. I'm talking about a simple mindset.

Try this on for size.

Instead of assuming that your current trends will continue – start asking yourself, "What if?"

• What if my market changed? What would that look like? What are the most likely shifts?

• What if shifts have already happened? Are their significant shifts that I haven't noticed, or that I've ignored or pooh-poohed?

• What if I had to respond to those shifts? How can I respond today, ahead of those shifts?

• What if I created those shifts? Now there's some Zero Gravity thinking!

How do you prepare for and respond to your own shifts? Please share your tips and tricks to help us all keep the momentum flowing in!

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Article Tags: business growth, fourth quarter, game, momentum, nfl playoffs, ravens, significant shifts



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