Leaders build pipelines. They manage the future by thinking ahead while still managing the day. They forecast, they calculate, they design without allowing the anxiety of the unknown to take over.

Always preparing for the next sequence, greatly improves the chances of being ready to capitalize when that sequence happens. 

• Interviewing before you need someone prevents a desperation hire.

• Staying one meal ahead prevents a carb-coma.

• Making the kids’ lunches the night before reduces stress the next morning. Maybe this gives parents more time with kids and maybe because that parent is not distracted, they have time to ask questions about school and hears a child’s comment “if I don’t bring a car to John today, he’s gonna punch me in the face”.

• Coaching staff early in their development makes sure important areas are covered for sick time.  For health care settings this may mean a medication or surgical mistake does not happen.  For a construction setting, this may mean a safety mistake does not happen.  For an academic setting, this may mean a student does not get left behind.

Always having something in the pipeline, puts the planner ahead of the non-planner.  Pipelines are the seeds of life’s step ladder that bloom at different future steps that make or break the climb.

Each day, we have opportunities to build pipelines.  What are yours?