Tag: leadership

Execution Matters

In the early days of my career, I had a lot of trouble with the fact that I was a Drama major. Employers tended to think that I was just marking time at a job until I ‘got discovered’. And back then, I didn’t have a good answer for their objections except to say that it wasn’t so.

Now, I know better.

One of the biggest things you learn when doing theater is that when the curtain goes up you have no excuses. Either you know your lines or you don’t. Either the costumes are finished or the actors are onstage in their underwear. Either the lighting people know their cues or the cast is standing there on the dark. There’s no way to hide from the audience when the spotlight is on you.

In short, theater may be a highly creative art, but talent alone is not enough. You need to be able to get the job done.

And that’s a transferable skill.

What I do today is worlds away from the productions of Brigadoon or The Desert Song that used to consume my life, but the focus on execution is exactly the same.

In my leadership classes at USF, we heard a lot about how managers focus on getting things done, but leaders focus on “vision”. There’s a lot to be said for that concept. But more and more, I’ve come to believe that you should never underestimate the power of execution, because without it, you don’t get to lead anybody anywhere.

Open To Growth

A thought-provoking article in the New York Times caught my eye today. There’s a new book out that’s pointing to an insight I’ve felt, but been unable to put words to, for some time now:

“Society is obsessed with the idea of talent and genius and people who are ‘naturals’ with innate ability,” says [Carol] Dweck, who is known for research that crosses the boundaries of personal, social and developmental psychology.

“People who believe in the power of talent tend not to fulfill their potential because they’re so concerned with looking smart and not making mistakes. But people who believe that talent can be developed are the ones who really push, stretch, confront their own mistakes and learn from them.”

In this case, nurture wins out over nature just about every time.

While some managers apply these principles every day, too many others instead believe that hiring the best and the brightest from top-flight schools guarantees corporate success.

The problem is that, having been identified as geniuses, the anointed become fearful of falling from grace. “It’s hard to move forward creatively and especially to foster teamwork if each person is trying to look like the biggest star in the constellation,” Ms. Dweck says.

So many people are afraid to say “I don’t know” or admit to a mistake. Especially people in leadership positions. And yet, the ability to learn from errors and grow from them is probably one of the most critical skills of all in maintaining your edge. So why do we, as a society, value infallibility so much?