A prisoner of the moment
"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." Buddha
“Maybe I’m being a little prisoner of the moment…” said Skip Bayless, a sports commentator and columnist for ESPN following the 25-point come-from-behind overtime win by the New England Patriots over the Atlanta Falcons in Superbowl LI in 2017. Whether it is a celebration of a big accomplishment or sitting among the wreckage of a disaster, these moments seem to swallow us up. It is a leader’s job to recognize when they are a prisoner of the moment. Notice I did not say overcome being a prisoner. Indeed, it is hard not to let the things which happen to us, and our teams impact us in significant ways. The operative word here is recognize. I believe leaders must constantly operate at a higher elevation than their organization and its people – meaning they must be able to ‘see’ bigger and further, pick up on emotions, grievances, and even celebrations or shock which lacks true merit.
A sales team which celebrates a big sale which had little to do with their sales effort, or a person who is devastated over a blunder which has occurred before and which is totally repairable are examples of being a prisoner of the moment. A leader who makes a decision about annual bonuses in the second quarter – a gangbuster financial quarter, could be another example. Skip Bayless recognized he could be caught up in a celebratory moment where he was making bold statements about the greatest games in sports and the greatest players ever.
Leaders must indeed, be cautious about being the buzz-kill in moments which should be celebrated or overreacting when things go wrong. Leaders must recognize when this happens to them and their teams and, perhaps, temper their words and actions. I recall when my team and its people experienced ‘wins,’ I would be thinking (privately), “how can we exploit this success?” “How did we wind up in this spot – good or bad?” “Is there merit to our celebration or grief?” I felt it my duty as the leader to contemplate these things privately then act appropriately. My people would never know my inner thoughts. I might allow them their moment to be prisoners, applauding their success or I might share in their grief or horror, but I would always analyze and ‘recognize’ if I was a prisoner.
If you find yourself in a prisoner moment, make decisions guided by this recognition. Be guided not by emotions and false positives or negatives but by reason, experience, and your moral and ethical code when you speak and act. Guard your emotions. Rise above moments for the benefit of your team. Celebrate wins and mourn losses with your people. Be with them but keep your ‘prisoner’ radar on.
Make it Personal!
Rob
Rob Campbell