Pilots have this. You should, too.

Several weeks ago, I wrote about the importance of context - the "why" behind the "what".   Providing context to those working with you is incredibly important, but what do you do if no one provides context for you?

The ability to collect disparate pieces of information and form a mental picture of what is going around you, and where you fit in, can be just as important as context.   Moreso, in fact, when you have little or no context to operate under.   This mental picture is called situational awareness and can benefit you and your team when a less-than-perfect amount of contextual information is available.

Consider a pilot flying in instrument conditions.   He or she cannot see anything outside, except for a wall of gray combined with some occasional rain on the windscreen.   Inside, an array of dials and gauges along with a communications radio is all that is required for the pilot to understand his exact position in three dimensional space.     While the specifics of how this is done is beyond the scope of this post, the idea is that by paying attention to seemingly minor details and bits of information, you can assemble a detailed picture of where you are, where you are going, and what is going on around you.

Consider another environment, this time one far removed from the cockpit.    A project manager or team lead has every ability to gauge the progress of a project based without boring status meetings and without daily one-on-one discussions with each of the team members.   How, you might ask?    By paying attention to subtle cues and behaviors among the team.    What is the general mood?   Is the team upbeat, challenged but happy in the progress they are making?    Or are people working madly all the time, skipping lunch and working long hours?    Does everyone on the team exude confidence that they are going in the right direction, or are there constant discussions about the most recent change in business or product direction?

In the cockpit, losing situational awareness never, ever helps to make a flight safer.   Similarily, not
paying attention to the situation in and around your team will not help your project succeed.   Like the high time professional pilot,  you must pay attention to what is happening around you.  Doing so will allow you to maintain good situational awareness, and will allow you address small problems before they turn into large ones.   Knowing your current position in the air is important - if you don't know it, then others will likely read about it in the newspaper tomorrow.     Leading a project isn't all that different.

Ever been on a lost project?   What was it like?   What was the outcome?

This Word Describes Great Leaders - Does It Describe You?

Among the several attributes that many great leaders share, there is one which is not at first obvious. It is described by a word which does not immediately bring to mind visions of strength, power, or prestige but it is responsible for the apparent strength, influence, and respect many great leaders possess.

The ability to mentor, or help others around them become better at what they do, is a wonderful result of this characteristic in a leader.    Each of us learns and develops in different ways at different rates; some people learn "fast and wide" while others learn "slow and deep".   The ideal leader knows this, and helps team members develop without exerting undue pressure while still helping each individual grow at their own pace.   Their teams become highly effective, and they gain the strength to develop amazing things in short amounts of time.

The ability to recognize inopportune moments and delay or pause until the right moment presents itself is another embodiment of the characteristic described by this word.    Some would have you believe that in order to be successful, you must act with lightning speed, striking at opportunities as they present themselves.   Great leaders know and live the adage that "Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast" by executing correctly at the right time.     This allows them to influence those around them, providing the right input or wisdom at just the right time.

The ability to listen well to others, and to consider alternatives thoughtfully, embodies the characteristic described by this word.     Listening well involves silencing that inner voice and its associated biases long enough to not only hear but to understand what others are saying.   It allows the leader  to concentrate on what is being said, instead of thinking about what to say next.    To be heard is perhaps one of the most basic needs of any team member, and a leader that listens well earns great respect from all his team members.

This word describes an attitude which becomes increasingly more valuable as it becomes increasingly rare.  It is a word which is easy to say but so very hard to embody at the times when it is needed most, which is why only the best leaders who consistently practice it are able to do it well.   The word?

Patience.

The best teachers, managers, and co-workers have come across in my career demonstrate patience in a consistent manner.     It is easy to do well occasionally, but hard to do routinely.   Does it describe you?