When the tide comes in, will your boat rise?

I was writing an e-mail today regarding the current marketing efforts of a specific industry and I had an epiphany. If you watch the evening news tonight you will hear about so many companies being cash strapped, laying off, down-sizing, lowering expectations, et cetra…all negative (BTW: The evening news is pretty much a waste of time, pick up a book). Their gut instinct is to bunker down and weather the storm. Bad idea! Someone has to emerge as the leader and start paddling out to sea.

Here’s what I mean by “your boat rising”: When this “economic downturn” or “recession” or whatever the heck you want to call it is over, most companies will still be stuck in the harbor because they didn’t have the chutzpah to paddle out during rough seas. This period of time is where the smart, innovative companies, business, and individuals will see a golden opportunity to emerge, rebrand, or redefine themselves as market leaders. I don’t care if you are in Real Estate or a CEO of a Fortune 500, “sitting tight” is a mistake. Now is the time to get creative, learn something new, and look in unexpected places for new ideas.

So, I beg the question: In 1-2 years, where do you want to be; stuck in the harbor with broken paddles, or sailing out into the Pacific with a nice tailwind?

My advice, don’t wait for the tide.