33 years ago, my father had me in tears. 

It was long into being mentored how to speak from a stage.  I was tired.  Doubting myself.  Wondering if I had what it takes.

That’s when dad held up 4 fingers.  “Games are won or lost in the 4th quarter,” he said.  Dad wanted me to learn the importance of “bringing it” until the end.

Tom Brady, in the 4th quarter of his career is getting stronger and keeps delivering championships.  Warren Buffet turned 89 this summer and continues to bring it having amassed 99% of his wealth after his 50th birthday. And, no matter what the prior decades delivered, it is in the 4th quarter of your career that your legacy and life’s work will be defined.

Your Fourth Quarter

Many distribution c-suite leaders are finding themselves in the 4th quarter of their career.  Rightfully, still calling the plays as the game goes on.

Unlike the NFL your career’s 4th quarter doesn’t have a defined time of 15 minutes.  For some our 4th quarter is just starting.  For others we are in the 2 minute drill.

But wherever you are, this will become the culmination of your life’s work.  It all comes down to now.  This moment in time.

Here is the thing.  Our survey with over 200 distribution leader responses found that 62% of distribution leaders question if their business has a clear path forward for long-term sustainability.

And clear path forward or not, it’s in the 4th quarter when you set the trajectory for the business way beyond your playing days.  The long-term sustainability of your business – your life’s work is literally captured in those four fingers my father held up. 

It is the 4th quarter and time to bring it to the end.

But How Do You Create The Clear Path Forward For Your Life’s Work

When you decide to create the clear path forward for your businesses long-term sustainability it can be a bit overwhelming.  Even lonely.

Some lack the vision as disruption is bearing down.  Others find it difficult to escape the day-to-day and devote the depth of thought necessary to understand the complexity of today’s environment.  And still others are finding it daunting to clarify the next strategic investment and decision as they struggle to understand and keep up with the pace of change.

And many simply want a trusted group they can confide in and validate their thinking.

33 years ago, my father had me in tears. 

It was long into being mentored how to speak from a stage.  I was tired.  Doubting myself.  Wondering if I had what it takes.

That’s when dad held up 4 fingers.  “Games are won or lost in the 4th quarter,” he said.  Dad wanted me to learn the importance of “bringing it” until the end.

Tom Brady, in the 4th quarter of his career is getting stronger and keeps delivering championships.  Warren Buffet turned 89 this summer and continues to bring it having amassed 99% of his wealth after his 50th birthday.

And, no matter what the prior decades delivered, it is in the 4th quarter of your career that your legacy and life’s work will be defined.

Your Fourth Quarter

Many distribution c-suite leaders are finding themselves in the 4th quarter of their career.  Rightfully, still calling the plays as the game goes on.

Unlike the NFL your career’s 4th quarter doesn’t have a defined time of 15 minutes.  For some our 4th quarter is just starting.  For others we are in the 2 minute drill.

But wherever you are, this will become the culmination of your life’s work.  It all comes down to now.  This moment in time.

Here is the thing.  Our survey with over 200 distribution leader responses found that 62% of distribution leaders question if their business has a clear path forward for long-term sustainability.

And clear path forward or not, it’s in the 4th quarter when you set the trajectory for the business way beyond your playing days.  The long-term sustainability of your business – your life’s work is literally captured in those four fingers my father held up. 

It is the 4th quarter and time to bring it to the end.

But How Do You Create The Clear Path Forward For Your Life’s Work

When you decide to create the clear path forward for your businesses long-term sustainability it can be a bit overwhelming.  Even lonely.

Some lack the vision as disruption is bearing down.  Others find it difficult to escape the day-to-day and devote the depth of thought necessary to understand the complexity of today’s environment.  And still others are finding it daunting to clarify the next strategic investment and decision as they struggle to understand and keep up with the pace of change.

And many simply want a trusted group they can confide in and validate their thinking.

Don’t Worry, We’ve Found A Path

We’ve been working with brilliant leaders, innovators, and strategists for decades.  More specifically since we started the UnleashWD Innovation Summit in 2012 we’ve been focused on helping you define and create your future and the future of your business.

And we’ve discovered that there is a success path of clarity,  capabilities, and confidence that ensures during this 4th quarter you lead your team … your business to long-term sustainability and success.  Securing your life’s work.

The My Life’s Work Success path includes:

Purpose Driving Leadership

Business and life always come back to purpose.  Leaders are purpose driven.  Estee Lauder, Walt Disney, Sam Walton, and David Packard, for example.   They were driven by purpose, and as such, each of these leaders built an enterprise that lives on far beyond themselves.  It is your purpose that secures your life’s work.

Read More Here Including Key Milestones

Don’t Allow Your Business To Drift

Your business can’t be allowed to drift. Businesses drift when they become distracted by the overwhelm.  Lost in a fog of uncertainty. Consumed by busyness.   And, maybe worse when they start to deceive themselves.  Amazon won’t impact your business will it?

“I owned a distributorship for 30 years” I was told a lunch one day.  This gentleman continued, “I HAD to sell it two months ago.  And I have nothing to show for it.”  It was sad really.  He had allowed his business to drift.  The opposite of drift is design.  Being intentional about what the business must become.

Read More Here Including Key Milestones

There Is More To Do

You AND your organization must get better, faster.  This, your life’s work depends on.  You know the saying, what got you here, won’t get you there.  The capabilities of your organization in linear times served their purpose.  What are the capabilities that the market will require tomorrow? 

When you realize there is more to do in building new capabilities, you begin to prioritize your personal focus on what’s next.  You commit to leading the organization into the future, rather than simply managing for today.

Read More Here Including Key Milestones

Long-Term Thinking In A Short-Term World

Sustaining your life’s work requires that your business is strategically committed to the long-term and is making decisions and investments accordingly.  A group of distribution CEO’s I am working with have called this thinking … FOREVERNESS.

Foreverness is a mindset that insures leadership is focused on continuing the business forever.  As such they are not simply focused on the next 12 months or even 3 years, but are continually setting the conditions for the next generation’s success.

Read More Here Including Key Milestones

An Appetite For Solving Hard Issues

In our recent survey, we found 80% of distribution leaders approach the day with energy, focus, and purpose.  While they might get pulled into the crises of the day (or hour 🙂 ) they know strategically they have more work to do and are energized by this.  They have an appetite for solving the hard issues in front of them.  And they are energized to finish the job before transitioning leadership to the next generation.

Read More Here

This Is Your Time

It is in the 4th quarter of your career when you set the trajectory for the business way beyond your playing days.  The long-term sustainability of your business – your life’s work is literally at an inflection point as you prepare to transition to the next generation.

This is your moment.  This is your time.  It is the 4th quarter and time to “Bring It” to the end.