How much time are you spending on Offense?

Recently, I read an article about the presidency of George H.W. Bush. The author made an interesting point that Bush’s national security team was great because of what did not happen during the dissolution of the Soviet Union. They deftly managed it, allowing for the change to occur without catastrophic consequences. This article made me think about the kinds of environments that enable businesses to thrive. They are the ones that rarely have surprises, drama or are unprepared for change. They spend most of their time on offense rather than continually dealing with internal issues that hamper its growth. One simple metric an organization should have time on offense, defense, or self-inflicted wounds. This discipline is an excellent addition to a business review that leadership discusses on an ongoing basis.