You have a stinky mold-pile in the corner of your office.
You try to ignore it and may have become accustomed to the putrid odor.  But others can smell it. How did you get such
a mess? It probably went like this:

When you were in a planning meeting and a project was
assigned to you, how did you execute? The first thing you did was to collect
data. This is important because you needed not only to strike while the energy iron
was hot, but also that you struck correctly.

But collecting data can became a never-ending project in
itself. No matter how much you gathered, additional questions will be raised,
for which you needed to get more information. Soon, so much time had gone by
that whatever energy and priority there was has dissipated. The project that
was so compelling is now tossed into the mold pile, uncompleted.

It only takes a few key missteps until you have a full-blown
mold pile and have developed a reputation of being a mold producer. And if you
are influential in your firm, you built a culture where good ideas go to mold.
That’s why everyone knows nothing will ever get done if you’re involved.

And it’s no wonder the people around you don’t put forth
much energy to solve problems, make decisions and innovate. They would rather
not expend the energy in the first place than to contribute to the mold pile.

You need to lose the mold-producer reputation by doing
two things. First, examine the mold pile to determine what is redeemable.
Scrape off the early mold and commit to seeing the projects through. Get help
if you need it, but get it done.

Second, for the next project that comes your way, make a
concerted effort to think it through, plan it out and execute it to conclusion.
You’ll feel better about accomplishing something and amaze others with this
freakish event that occurred.

In time, your leadership will be respected and you’ll be
taken more seriously. Welcome to being a professional. Welcome to being a
leader…without a stinky mold-pile.