Creating a Super Leader: Two Opposing Skill Sets
Dreams and executioners. You’re usually one of the other.
The executioners are the doers. They are task masters who can put their head down and produce large volumes on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis.
The dreams are the visionaries. They have ideas and the good ones have big ideas. Much of the vision skill involves placing one’s attention outside of the moment. After all, that’s where the future is, isn't it?
The most dominate leaders are both visionaries and doers.
By the time you get to the bottom of the page, you should know which of these two skills you’re best at.
The Case for the Executioners
Ultimately, nothing happens if nothing happens. The paradox of performance is often at how small, boring, repetitive tasks lead to big dramatic outcomes. Daniel Chambliss’ often cited paper On the Mundanity of Excellence is a timely reminder that big visions become reality by surprisingly mundane behavior championed by the doer in our two pronged approach.
The shadow side of the doer is that he/she cannot see the horizon while looking down at the work done in the moment. Without direction or stretch-goal-type-vision, the doer is busy but never accomplishes anything remarkable.
The Case for the Dreamers
As we know from the Intuitive Fence, we can only create that which we can first perceive. Said differently, if you can’t imagine it.. you can’t accomplish it. This is where the dreamers shine.
A case can be made that it’s much easier to imagine a desired state first and then take action to make it a reality. That being said, the obvious shadow for the dreamers if that the immediate next step after a vision is that someone is going to need to do something. There is nothing about possessing an idea that will deliver it.
Once I know my strength, what do I do next?
The first step (per usual) is self-awareness. So, inquire! Does your gravitational pull bring you towards a visionary state of ideas? Or, do you tend to have your head down in the work itself?
Look to your life for evidence.
Once you know your tendency, it’s time to seek growth in the opposite realm. Sure, there’s a case that a wonderful visionary could hire and inspire doers. Nonetheless, you as an individual leader will be more capable if you address your shadow skill in this context.
Developing the opposite skill will take a willingness to take the next tolerable step in developing your weaker side.
TAKE ACTION:
AUDIT. Reflect on your bias. Which skill do you express more of: visionary or doer?
PRACTICE. For the visionaries out there, name the smallest daily and weekly actions that you can commit to 100% compliance to. Mastering these is contagious as you build this muscle, so don’t design more optimal. Design for compliance. Once you’ve strung 100 days in a row of process compliance, you’ll much more easily add others.
For the doers, you’ll need dedicated time away from your work space and time. Put a block of time in your calendar and day dream about the future. Use time lengths to support your willingness to image the future. The further away you imagine, the more courageous you’ll be in your visioning. Describe a day in the life of yourself a decade from now.