This ability to bring about change differs from person to person. Some are aggressive while some, calculated and patient. I believe being a combination of both is important, having patience to ensure that strategic analysis is carried out, then implement the next steps and actions swiftly, thereby balancing the two.

One mistake businesses often make is that when they find something is not working out, they give the task or process several ‘second chances’ - always hoping for a turnaround. Sometimes it is better to be decisive to avoid feeding a problem and watch it grow with every passing day. The best parallel I can draw is to ones’ health. If a small symptom is not treated in time, it could lead to something fatal. The human body is a machine that needs regular maintenance, hence the emphasis on routine check-ups and integrating a healthy diet and moderate exercise into ones’ daily routine. That holds true for almost everything, be it proactively preparing solutions for potential problems, or carrying out preventive maintenance to prevent equipment breakdown, to restructuring in your organization even when times are good (one great example for this is Siemens AG and the continuous improvements they bring about towards their organization on a yearly basis).

I would like to leave you with the following thought: there is no such thing as a ‘perfect moment’ to get started on something – instead, every moment should be seen as the ‘perfect moment’ and in my vocabulary that moment is always ‘Now’.