I’ve come to realize that having good timing is something that I have developed over time. Actually, I see it as a combination of skills (such as observation) with intuition, instinct, and experience.

Having developed good timing skills has allowed me to seize many great opportunities. Opportunities that have been a blessing for me and for the people around me (family, coworkers). But it has also allowed me to act quickly and efficiently when faced with a sudden challenge.

Today as I write this blog post, we are experiencing unprecedented challenges around the world. People are scrambling, and many are hurting. Strong leadership has never been as important and as needed as it is at this very moment. As leaders, we need to find every opportunity we can that will help our teams get through these trying times. To regroup, reorganize, and reenergize. It’s not easy finding the positives when things happening around us are so negative. However, people within our team are counting on us. We need to keep our eyes on the big picture, even if that picture keeps changing from day to day. There are many uncertainties, and often when opportunities present themselves, they also come with a certain amount of uncertainties. Talk about a compounding effect! That is why being able to recognize the right timing is so important. When is a good time to push our team members to step up to the plate? When is it time to have that courageous conversation so that we can move forward? At what point should we celebrate to lift our spirits? When is it time to take a risk and try something completely new? The timing of these opportunities can either make or break a team. It can also make or break the trust people have put into you as a leader. So let’s be aware of our surroundings. Let’s be present in those moments that we have with each other. What is happening around the world today is forcing us all into uncharted territories. And because of this, we will be called upon to do things differently in the months to come.

Being a leader today means that we must continuously transform ourselves. Not only because of the fast-changing environments that we work and live in, but because we cannot hope to lead and improve tomorrow if we keep relying on yesterday’s abilities. Once opportunity is knocking at our door, it is too late to prepare. You have to be ready to seize it!