Leadership Checkers

My daughters, ages 6 and 4, decided they'd like to learn how to play checkers tonight. After helping them understand the basics, I tried to help them consider the consequences of each move. I asked them to think about one question before moving a piece. "What will probably happen if I do this?"

It struck me that this is a great question for leaders to ask themselves. Effective leadership is oriented towards the future. Unfortunately, sometimes we just do things without considering the consequences. We do things out of habit. We do things because everyone else is doing them. We do things because of pressure from others. But we forget to ask ourselves, "What will probably happen if I do this?"

As I watched my daughters play, I saw that when they asked the question, they made better decisions and got better results. When they just moved without thinking about the consequences, they made bad decisions and got bad results.

It may seem like a simple lesson and it is. However, it is often overlooked. So, next time you have an important move to make, remember to ask the question. "What will probably happen if I do this?"