This Monday the DOW hit a new high point of 16,000. As I watched the DOW cross a new threshold, I couldn’t help but be reminded of one of the greatest lessons on leadership the stock market can teach us. The lesson is that of the age-old stock market mantra which declares that “past performance is no indication of future gains.” Just because a stock is doing well doesn’t mean it will continue to do well in the future.
The great thing is that this also applies on the flip side, and to people. Just because we did poorly doesn’t mean we always will. Just because your teammate failed does not mean they will continue to fail. And just because someone once had a bad attitude, doesn’t mean they always will have that attitude. The power of our leadership doesn’t live in the results of our past, the power of our leadership lives the choices of our future. Besides, everything is relative. When adjusted for inflation the actual record was set on January 14, 2000 at 16,261.40.
Just because we’ve been successful, that doesn’t mean we will always be successful, and just because we’re struggling now, that doesn’t mean we’ll always struggle. Learn from the past? Sure, just stop the comparisons, then look forward, make powerful, informed choices and take the action that honors the vision and dream.
