In 1989, I was hired as a ranch hand outside the Texas town of Fort Stockton, Texas.  The ranch was about 100,000 acres (41,000 hectares).  The head cowboy and my boss was a guy by the name of Snotty.  He was 70 years old and many years before had suffered a stroke.  The entire left side of his body was immobile, but this did not stop him from riding each day while managing 20 cowboys, 10,000 cattle and 25,000 sheep. 

One day, when we were out working, he said to a group of us, “We need to head for the house, boys.”  He said that he could “feel and smell the rain”  - that it would rain soon.  Then, he turned his horse and began the ride back to the barns. 

I looked around and there was barely a cloud in the sky.  It was actually hot that day. 

Most of the cowboys began to return to the barn, but I wanted to get one more thing done that I thought was important.   I thought, “What did the old cowboy mean that he could ‘feel and smell the rain?’”

After I had finished doing what I thought was important, I began the hour horseback ride to the barn.  And as I began, I realized the winds started blowing clouds were rolling in.

Well, you guessed it.  The storm came in before I was back to the barn.  It was a horrible storm with really high winds.  I became really scared.  Being on the back of a horse, with lightening all around you in the open country is not a fun place!

About that time, I looked up and saw a truck with a horse trailer.  Snotty was coming to get me.  After he put my horse in the trailer and I got into the truck, he turned to me as he was driving and said “You know, this ain’t my first rodeo, I have done this thousands of times and you young people always think you know more.” 

I learned a few very valuable lessons that day. 

1. Nothing beats experience.  No matter how much schooling, or knowledge you think you have, nothing beats having been in the same situation before.  Snotty had probably seen it rain literally hundreds of times.  He know when a weather front was arriving and could predict it.    
2. Be sensitive to the situation.  Always be flexible to allow your plans to change to the situation.  It was not Snotty’s plan to head for the barn early, but he was sensitive to the situation and flexible. 
3. Care about the team as well as yourself.  Even though some of us did not listen, Snotty cared because he warned us and rescued me.
4. Lead when others don’t respect you.  Even when some people did not respect his authority and his experience, Snotty bailed them out of a bad situation and earned a new level of influence.

As we discussed during leadership, I have been in the position we are currently facing as Khidmah before.  I sense that we are about to grow rapidly and about to enter a "Season of Chaos, caused by the rapid growth.  Like Snotty did in 1989 with sensing the coming rain, I sense this season of growth and choas from my years of experience of growing property companies.  So with this said, we must now focus on answering the question, "How do we lead in a season of Chaos?"  

Leading during the Chaos

1. Treat time as a precious resource.  

Look at what you are doing and make sure it is important and helps achieve the goal.   Many times during a lull in business, we fill up our day with busy work.  

2. Prepare for all possible outcomes.  

The mistake is, we focus on what we WANT to happen, not all possible outcomes.  

What is the best and worst case scenarios.  

3. Pace yourself – this is a marathon, not a sprint.  

You can not work 60 hours a week for 52 weeks.  

As a leader, everything can NOT be urgent or a crisis.  

4. Focus on your core competences.  

• What makes you money?   
• What will save you money?  

5. Ask and listen to your customers – they will foreshadow the need to change.  

What do the customers want now in Abu Dhabi?  They want low service charges, good quality service, and being able to pick the services they pay and don’t pay for.  

6. Understand that Team Work and Team Culture are really important heading into a crisis.  

You cannot be fighting with team members heading into a crisis.  You must be one team, one vision, one focus. 

Techniques to build culture and shared purpose:

• Orientation and training programs that emphasize corporate values. 
• Social gatherings 
• Storytelling events and corporate histories which dramatize guiding values. 
• A unique, shared corporate language that reflects these values. 

7. Put the Right Person in the Right Place at the Right Time

Weakness in a department, service or position will be magnified during a crisis or chaos.  Know where you are weak and work to strengthen that weakness.   The time to address weaknesses is NOT during the Crisis or Chaos. 

8. Don’t stop investing in your people during the Chaos. 

Conferences, Training, Benefits, Time off, telling people Thank you, weekly 1-on-1 meetings, etc. 

9. Lead Clearly and Coolly under pressure.   

Because Chaos adds stress to the situation and company, leaders must clearly communicate expectations and goals under pressure. 

10. Focus on the Success, not the Chaos.  

Lead On!

Sutton

GIANTS are a big task, event, problem, or challenge that you have never tackled before. It is something that seems like a "GIANT Hill to climb," or "GIANT obstacle to overcome."  It is something that creates a crisis, hardship or difficulties in our team.   It seems like you are fighting a GIANT sometimes when you try to overcome, tackle, or “kill” these challenges. So today, we will become GIANT KILLERS and beat the biggest challenges we have ever seen.

1. Every Giant introduces you to yourself.
2. People who reach “giant positions” have defeated giants.
3. Giants are often Tools that are used to shape up for bigger opportunities.