Leaders obsess over solutions. Pretenders focus on problems. Think about a specific solution that changed your life.
We lost a game in high school in overtime because we didn't handle a full-court man-to-man press. Every practice thereafter we went five versus seven (initially no dribbling) until pressure became opportunity.
In the rematch on the road, pressure turned into layups and we crushed the defending state champions 70-52. The game ended in a silent gym. Obsess over solutions.
Finding solutions requires openness.
- "Why I am right or wrong?" (What are the facts?)
- What about free speech? When we peddle disinformation (yelling fire in a crowded theatre), we present risk of harm to others.
- What's the harm in that? In his early days at Carolina, Coach Dean Smith and his team returned after a hard loss and found himself hung in effigy. What if someone had actually assaulted Smith as a result?
- What's the other side of the trade? We're vulnerable to confirmation bias, only reading or listening to information that supports our position. We're bombarded with the merits of the Princeton Offense. Run well, it creates a lot of excellent opportunities. But there's no Holy Grail of offense.
- What's in it for me? Be aware of the bias from self-interest. The snake oil salesman knows she's selling snake oil, but rationalizes why. "I'm the best person for the job." Compared to whom?
I know a couple that regularly went out to dinner with Bernie and Ruth Madoff in their younger days. They couldn't believe that this charming couple could be part of anything nefarious. Be aware that "past performance may not guarantee future results."
What's our process for solving complex problems? We've heard, "I go with my gut." That could be better or worse than flipping a coin.
Consider a proven method, the Feynman Technique, named after physicist Richard Feynman.
- Name it. (e.g. Zone offense)
- Define it.
- Research it.
- Restate it clearly and simply having done our investigation.
When I Google "Feynman Technique" and "basketball zone offense" what comes up first?
So that's my self-education for the morning.
Lagniappe (something extra). Remember the wisdom of Mr. Rogers, "look for the helpers." That reflects "mentoring is the only shortcut to excellence."
