If you choose to walk along the top of the fence, you will occasionally fall to one side or another.
And while people may be impressed by your ability to walk the fence, they will REMEMBER when you fall, and they will NOTICE which side you fall on.
What does this mean to business and leadership? Take a clear stand and stick with it. Pick a side. This does not mean you should ignore balance, but be CLEAR and CONSISTENT about where your priorities lie.
Let me give an example. I work with many people in industrial production environments where there is commonly a tug-of-war between production and risk. Many companies and their leaders attempt to ‘balance’ these two equally, or they may favor one strongly in messaging but less so in action or culture. They may INTEND to walk clearly on one side of the fence, but still find themselves cautiously balanced on top. Then the plant stops, and something needs to be done. The winds of risk and production blow fiercely on the leaders from different directions, and they fall one way or another.
In my experience, when things get urgent they typically ‘fall’ on the production side. Yes, of course risks are considered and mitigated where possible, but this is a special situation and just this once we will take these extra risks because it will save days (hours, weeks) of downtime. We can manage it.
People notice that fall, they notice if it is inconsistent with your message, and they understand the real priority. People will follow what you do 10/10 times versus what you say.
I’m not suggesting you should choose production over risk, or vice versa. I’m saying understand your real priority, align your messaging, and stay clear and consistent. If you want to change the side of the fence you walk on, make a clear jump, don’t balance on top.
Deilen Development 