Race car drivers accelerate coming out of a turn instead of waiting for the straightaway. The concept of “accelerating out of the turn” captures some important ideas for leaders at this time. Here are a few ways that you might be able to put the idea to work in your business, practice, or organization:

1. Thoroughly evaluate your market. What areas of the economy and your market are going to be slow to recover or never recover? Which of your clients will you stand by if it takes longer to get back to their former strength? What trends were you counting on that are picking up strength or were shut off by a changing economy?
2. Reclaim your big picture, purpose and vision. Months of cutting, pacing, and wondering have left the heads of many business owners and executives spinning. Cut through the haze – remind yourself what your care about, and what you’re really doing this for.
3. Start staffing (or reassigning existing staff) strategically. Envision what your organization needs to be like to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead. Get people in place and ready.
4. Re-think and reinvigorate your brand, your marketing, and your network. People are ready for an optimistically “new and improved” version of your business. This is a great time to update a tired brand, bring your marketing message and tools up to date, and start talking with your network of clients, vendors, and other supporters.

The economy is thawing – slowly, but it's thawing. Now is a great time to be looking at national trends to see where you can begin to cultivate opportunities. Some of the best opportunities for success will be as the economy comes first comes out of the turn. Make sure you’re not caught with your foot on the brake. Start accelerating now, and you’ll be in a great position to take the lead as soon as we hit the next “economic straightaway.”