“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.” — Abraham Lincoln

Leaders take time to sharpen the axe before they start swinging at the trees. They prepare and plan before they go into action. They also understand that planning is of no value unless it results in action. Or as Peter Drucker put it, “Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.”

Dwight Eisenhower said, “Plans are useless but planning indispensable.” The planning process is critical to success — it is where the preparation for the battle takes place. Likewise, a business that does not take time to plan is daily going into battle unprepared and setting itself up for chaos and defeat.

The Bottom Line: Leaders invest time in planning and they work their plans.