Ever contribute your thinking only to realize that the decision had already been made?

“Without a vision, the people perish.”
                                      –Proverbs

We’re coming to believe that the space between mission and vision is where strategy comes to life.

Rethinking how organizations are designed and organization charts are drawn can be a performance success changer.

Okay, maybe confidence is not a link to the WHOLE universe, but it’s definitely a key to organizational and leadership excellence.

By Robert T. Whipple MBA CPLP. Guest blogger, Leadergrow Inc.

Some leaders appear to have a belief in meetings that approaches magical thinking.

When my son was smaller, I told him that the two tablets of Tylenol I was giving him would relieve his pain. Then I warned him that taking more could be dangerous.

I recently read about a triathlete who suffered from acute kidney failure because of the profound number of red blood cells destroyed by the pounding of his feet on pavement during one of those demanding events. He required extensive dialysis; his athletic career and health have been significantly compromised.

In each case, overusing abilities–whether to relieve pain or endure with tremendous stamina–carries the risk of disaster. How is it that our greatest strengths can become our biggest weakness? What is the right dose of our best skill sets that make us look brilliant instead of ineffective, or worse, a liability?

A few months ago, Co-CEO Sherri McArdle answered some questions for the "Women Entrepreneurs" blog for the Simon School at the University of Rochester. For those of you who might have missed it, we're sharing that exchange again below.

What did you expect when you set out on the journey to start your own business?
I’m not sure I had specific expectations but I did have specific goals. I wanted the freedom and flexibility to raise our two children. I also wanted to do work that I loved, to grow professionally and to generate a reasonable income. My partner Jim Ramerman and I had very modest expectations when we started, but our desire to grow the business evolved over time.

I help organizations improve their "game," and I love my job. In fact, my hobby is reading and learning about how innovative organizations are stepping up their games all the time. I’m like a sports fanatic working as a coach in his favorite sport.

Speaking of sports, I know we hear many analogies linking winning teams of athletes and thriving organizations. There are good reasons for that.

Competition and passion to excel drive great athletes. They work hard to take their performance to higher levels. Outside of sports, there are fewer public scoreboards and standings, but successful organizations must master many things: strategy, strategy execution, adapting to change, operational excellence, and never-ending improvement.

How can leaders face the daunting task of keeping up on it all? Here are some of the lessons from winning athletes and teams: