This week, we are going to focus on how we can capitalize on opportunities.

As I sat down to write today’s blog post, I was reminded of a story I read last night about Miley Cyrus and the recent “events” in her life. I need to preface this by saying, I don’t follow her career, don’t condone her behavior, or agree with what she appears to be doing. I know enough of her life to know she is Billy Ray Cyrus’ daughter, used to be a young girl sensation as Hannah Montana, and now is apparently dead set on making herself over in a completely new image.

When I would hear some of the stories of her recent behavior (and who could have missed some of those stories?!), I thought, “Oh my goodness! She must not be thinking about what she’s doing and the potential implications and consequences of her behavior!” Frankly, I thought she was yet another public train wreck — another young person thrust into the spotlight and dysfunction that comes with that kind of celebrity when one is too immature to understand and deal with it in healthy ways. But, if the article I read last night (a recent issue of Entertainment Weekly, following her episode as host of SNL) is accurate, my initial perception of her is dead wrong.

She shared with the writer that, in fact, what she had been hoping would happen following her performance on the music awards show is exactly what is happening! She noted that while it’s clearly more than a month since the music awards show, people are still spending a lot of time and energy talking about her, her performance, the controversy, and her music. In fact, the cycle continues to churn with new stories popping up, a couple of “open letters” from Sinead O’Connor, etc…Then she appears on SNL, making fun of herself, and spoofing others in the skits, and not in a pathetic, clownish performance. She says her most recent album (dating myself, aren’t I?!) is getting lots of play…and she commented that she knew exactly what had happened to Hannah Montana, “She was murdered!”

Clearly, this last comment is her telling the world that she has deliberately shed the innocent young girl persona and is ready to take on the world in this new, very sexual and very risque new version of who she is at this time.

The result, lots of air time in a lot of forums…lots of discussion…and more opportunities for exposure. Perhaps she’s not entirely a train wreck? She sounds as if she is indeed a shrewd young woman with a plan (a strategy) propelling herself forward. This is not to say that she will be entirely successful in achieving all she dreams of; only time will tell. But, for the moment anyway, this young woman has a strategy and she is executing against it.

So how does this apply to us? As leaders, it behooves us to have a strategy clearly mapped out and to rehearse them in our minds prior to executing them. This gives us the opportunity to operate at a higher level of awareness, which, in turn, allows us to be more intentional in our words and actions as we work to propel ourselves, our teams, and our organizations forward, as well.

What opportunity is in your near future? In what ways could preparing give you every advantage as you move forward?

As Charles de Gaulle said,

You have to be fast on your feet and adaptive or else a strategy is useless!