F. Scott Fitzgerald once said, “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.”
I’ve always loved this quote. Frequently, I’m confronted with questions from clients that require responses in various shades of gray, which at times, has led me to feel uncomfortable with my love of the word “and.” What do I mean by this? For example, “It’s important to incentivize individual performance AND create a culture of teamwork.” Or, “You need to offer accountability and consistency with meetings to ensure an effective use of time AND be flexible enough to adapt to changing needs or priorities.” (To learn more about how to establish the right balance in your meetings, see Are We Meeting Just to Meet?)
A recent HBR article entitled “Proof That Good Managers Really Do Make a Difference” connects the dots between a company’s people and results. The findings of the article are, “Better workers and better managers explain between a quarter and a half of the link between good management and productivity.” On the qualities that define the best managers, the article reminded me of Fitzgerald’s insight, particularly when Walter Frick, the author, writes, “It appears that the most successful companies are managed well in part because they hire the best managers and in part because they find ways to let the less talented ones move on. And attracting top managers means making sure they are well compensated for their efforts, but perhaps not so much that other workers get left behind.”
Why is it so hard for managers to navigate seemingly contradictory forces? It’s because managers are people and are challenged by the very real limitations of being human. Consider the fight or flight responses to stress. If a lion is charging at you and your tendency is to pause and evaluate the complexities of your situation, you will likely not live long. We are wired to make quick decisions that serve us well in true emergencies. Yet, how often as leaders are we making decisions when stressed that do not actually require us to respond with fight, flight, or freeze? Not very often.
Scientific studies have shown stress impacts decision-making in significant ways, including the adoption of, “A simpler mode of information processing in which alternatives are not fully explored … the experts conclude that stress narrows the focus of attention.” (See Judgment and Decision-Making Under Stress: An Overview for Emergency Managers). The benefit of this evolutionary tendency is to eliminate distractions in order to focus on what is most important for survival.
In some contexts, stress can enhance performance, particularly through the focus of attention. Yet, there are serious downsides. A narrow scope could lead to a critical error or “taking your eye off the ball” from another area of importance. Additionally, too much stress will lead to performance and decision-making degradation as fatigue sets in. If a leader wants to make sure he or she (or the overall organization) is functioning at optimal levels, start by checking-in on stress levels and making operational and mindset adjustments before stress gets the better of you.
Here is a quick checklist for leaders to sense if they are in the right frame of mind to make complex decisions with a high degree of ambiguity:
Pause – notice you are about to make an important decision and embark with the intention to be as mindful and present as possible.
Breathe – just a few seconds of deep belly breathing can calm your system and take you out of a stress response, enabling big-picture thinking.
Ask – check in with yourself or others on the urgency and time requirements for this decision. Where appropriate (which happens more often than not) negotiate for enough time to give yourself space to make a thoughtful decision.
Apply the three elements of this checklist into your daily routine and notice how your critical thinking and decision-making skills improve. And when it comes down to it, these principles are instrumental when it comes to being an effective, first-rate leader. The path to being a better leader and a better manager begins with you.