October 10, 2023
by Stephen T. Messenger
In leadership positions, you’re constantly going to have people tell you what you can or can’t do. In fact, one of the great benefits of being in charge is that many well-meaning advisors will give you their best advice to move the organization forward.
However, one of their jobs, and rightly so, is to try to limit the risk for you and your organization. The problem here is that it’s easy to be talked out of greatness.
You’re in charge because of your skills, knowledge, experience, creativity, and judgement. Like the famed war theorist Carl von Clausewitz opined, these skills are needed to address the uncertainty of the battlefield and the unpredictable nature of war. It’s not always a math problem.
In other words, sometimes you just have to blow the stop sign.
Baseball Playoffs: Game 1 – Phillies vs Marlins
Major League Baseball playoffs are back and last Tuesday night, Philadelphia Phillies MVP Bryce Harper blew the stop sign. With one out in the bottom of the eighth with the Phillies up 3-1, Harper was on first when the batter hit a double down the left field line.
As Harper rounded second base, there was the third base coach, Dusty Wathan, standing there doing his job well. He had both hands up signaling the runner to stop on third. Harper did not. Check out the 56 second clip below:
Dusty made the right call. Keeping the runner at third reduced the risk of getting thrown out at the plate. The next batter would score Harper with a lazy fly ball or ground ball in the infield. Dusty did his job to recommend mitigating the team’s risk.
But Bryce Harper saw the situation differently, and the announcer describes it perfectly:
“The ball and the play is right in front of Bryce Harper. He knows exactly what he is seeing and what he is doing. Yes, Wathan put the hands up but at this point right here that play is in front of him. He’s being his own base running coach. If there is a time to run through a sign and you feel that you can make it, that’s the time right there.”
Run through the Sign
As a leader of a team, organization, company, or unit, you have to make tough decisions all the time. Your trusted advisors will provide their best guidance from their point of view—and often their opinions compete.
But you’re in the unique position to see the whole picture and have a wealth of experience to back it up. You are your own base running coach, and if you feel in your gut you can make it, maybe it’s time to try.
I recently decided to throw my hat into the ring to compete in the Expert Soldier Badge testing. This intensive test grades soldiers on over 30 basic tasks and drills, physical fitness, competencies, and a 12-mile road march. It starts in nine months and requires a significant amount of training.
At the same time, I’d be competing with focusing on work, my family, a doctorate program, working out, this website, and a number of other professional and personal commitments I’d like to achieve.
If Dusty was in my life, he’d be throwing up both hands telling me to stop—and he would be right. But my gut says differently.
The Gut Decision
The gut is a powerful part of the body, and some scientists have labelled it the “second brain.” This is because there are 100 million neurons lining your digestive tract, more than in your spinal cord.
When you go to make a decision using intuition, your brain and gut work together to retrieve memories, previous experiences, needs, and preferences. Your intuition then leads to that gut-feel decision.
It’s important to distinguish intuition from fear. Gut fear is when you get pulled over by a police officer. There is no decision to make, just a sinking feeling in your stomach. Gut intuition is the feeling that you’re being pulled towards a certain direction. It’s not fear, but excitement and anticipation. So, what to do?
1. Balance the art and the science. The science of leadership is listening to the numbers. The art is how you feel about it. Don’t rely solely on either one.
2. Listen to your advisors. You have smart people working for you. Just like you, sometimes they’re right and sometimes they’re wrong. Use their advice.
3. Rely on your values. Ensure your decision matches your personal values and the values of the organization.
4. Know the consequences. Understand the risk you’re taking. If blowing the stop sign and being wrong has cataclysmic consequences, think again.
Don’t Limit Greatness
Making a decision based on gut feeling and intuition is never perfect. Bryce Harper could have been out at home with a great throw. Dusty’s intuition to keep Harper on third would have resulted in no runs scored. My choice to add Expert Soldier Badge testing to my plate could completely overwhelm an already full schedule.
On the other hand, imagine the greatness you can obtain when you just go for it—ask Bryce Harper.
In the end, listen to your trusted agents, weigh each side, and make a decision. Sometimes it’s okay to blow the stop sign.
Subscribe above to join The Maximum Standard community. We are looking for others to lead along with us, write about leadership, and improve organizations. Clicking above will place you on our weekly, free email distribution list – no ads, no fluff. Just leaders connecting with leaders. Join us!
The Maximum Standard 