I worked in retail management for a long time, including a lengthy tenure at the Banana Republic flagship in Rockefeller Center in New York, N.Y. It was a massive operation; at its peak, our store employed more than 300 people, and roughly 100 of them were my responsibility. I oversaw a few layers of leadership and an army of sales associates, forcing me to navigate an array of personalities.
Of course, any public-facing job is about the decisions made minute by minute. I lived and died by hourly sales results. A great hour was cause for celebration; a bad one meant panic.
But even in a business so focused on the minutiae (e.g., the placement of product, the number of people shopping the store, etc.), I had to keep sight of the big picture—the weekly and monthly sales goals, the team schedule, planning for the holiday season, and so on. It was perhaps the greatest juggling act of my professional life, one I didn’t always manage well but that taught me a great deal about leadership.
I think of this issue’s Leadership And Management stories the same way. Our writers are concerned with the issues of the day, including sector-specific challenges and revenue-generation strategies. But they’re also focused on long-term achievements. For example, when a local referendum passes, leaders can celebrate the win because months of hard work and public engagement have paid off. However, there’s also anticipation for the future—funds connected to successful referenda support projects that can benefit residents for years, and even generations, to come. In-the-moment success, big-picture accomplishment.
This month’s batch of stories includes nuts-and-bolts strategies for managing people alongside specific initiatives and projects that demonstrate strong leadership. It’s an excellent and timely mix that reiterates what it takes to push forward in parks, rec, and camp. And in any industry, for that matter.
There will always be fires to put out, and it’s at each leader’s discretion to determine the appropriate resources to manage those fires, though the big picture still matters. Maybe it sometimes takes a backseat to a more pressing issue. But it should always be in view, even if that view is the periphery. I hope these stories help you find the right balance to keep delivering daily results while chipping away at your biggest goals.
