“If You Don’t Have a Plan B,

You Don’t Have a Plan !!!

from Linked IN 09 Sept 13 enhanced by Peter/CXO Wiz4biz

That’s one of the more memorable expressions I’ve heard over the years, and it’s a great reminder to always have a Back-up Plan – for strategies for your Business. The theme was brought to life in vivid terms by two leaders I interviewed this year for my NY Times “Corner Office” column.

1st CEO INTERVIEW. Ilene Gordon, CEO of Ingredion, which makes ingredients for various industries. Here’s an excerpt from my Interview with her:

One question somebody once asked me was, ‘What do you think are important attributes to be successful in leadership?’ I said it’s about “tenacity” (persistence). It’s never giving up. It’s having a Plan B. And that’s one of my favorite expressions: Have a Plan B, because Plan A doesn’t always go well, or maybe it’s derailed by a competitor’s move or somebody else’s new product or some type of regulation. You never know. My point is to always have a Plan B that you can implement. Maybe you have to go to Plan C or D, but the point is, that you always have to have a Backup Plan.

Business is always challenging. It doesn’t always go well, and Plan A doesn’t always work. So I look for people who have dealt with some adversity in their life. It could have been in business — maybe their company was acquired, and they had to figure out what they wanted to do and made a change, rather than sitting around for two years lamenting,

‘Why me?’ The point is, they’ve dealt with some type of adversity or illness and they came back and they persevered. That’s what I look for, because very few people have had perfect lives. You want people who are able to have a Plan B & C, and to rise above a challenge, move ahead and just get on with it, and have that “can-do” attitude.”

2nd CEO INTERVIEW The insight was echoed recently in conversation with Clara Lippert Glenn, the CEO of the Oxford Princeton Programme, which offers Training for people in the Energy industry. She discovered the importance of having a Plan B early on in her career.

[ 2nd CEO Interview continued, CEO’s Background, Life Lesson, New Career, & future info from Author in Premium Content ]