Last week I wrote about one particular type of challenge – the most daunting ones. The challenges that scare leaders. I called this type of challenge “the shark”. This metaphor is taken from the famous movie Jaws. In Jaws, a giant man-eating great white shark attacks beachgoers in a fictional summer resort town.
Someone must hunt down the shark
The local police chief played by Roy Scheider is chosen as the leader to keep the town safe. Roy Scheider’s character recruits two team members to help with the hunt. They are going to be in the battle of their lives. A battle that will test their abilities and require great sacrifice. As a leader, you may find yourself in a similar situation.
How big is the shark you face?
Jaws is a thrilling movie full of suspense. The theme music is haunting. The director, Steven Spielberg, builds the drama scene by scene. One brilliant decision Spielberg made was to not show the shark until later in the movie. In a well-known scene, the three-man team of shark hunters finally gets a glimpse of the shark. They learn that the shark is a lot larger than expected, and is going to be much more difficult to kill than any of them anticipated. If you have not seen the movie before a clip of this scene is below. Caution – the scene includes foul language. Pretty sure I would cuss if I was ever that close to a large shark.
Make sure you get a glimpse of “the shark”
What about you. Are you dealing with a shark? If so, have you actually seen “the shark”? Do you know the magnitude of what you are dealing with? Not sure, then I suggest that you ask questions until you gain an adequate understanding of the challenge. I am not saying that you need to know everything before moving forward. Rather I am recommending that you spend enough time assessing the situation before shifting into problem-solving mode. Get a good glimpse of “the shark” before deciding how you are going to deal with it. Otherwise, your fight with “the shark” may take a long time, and be a more painful experience than necessary.
Tell others to describe “the shark” accurately
I have dealt with a fair amount of sharks in my career. On several occasions, I did not get a glimpse of “the shark” until late in the problem-solving process. I have learned that it is critically important to ask your team questions until you know enough to address the challenge and solve the problem. The bigger “the shark” the more important it is that you get a good glimpse of it. If you get false reports, then you are likely to come up with a solution that will not work.
The art of communication is the language of leadership.
James Humes
Clear and frank communication is critical
I let the leaders on my team know that I want to hear about the good, the bad, and the ugly. As leaders, we are paid to deal with all three scenarios, especially the ugly. Don’t fall into the trap of letting your team members only bring you good news. Let’s admit it, the larger your responsibility as a leader, the more sharks you have to deal with. Some of them may be big, really big, like the great white in Jaws.
Are you ready to face “the shark”?
Are you prepared to deal with “the shark” and keep your town safe? Yes – go get after “the shark”! If not, and you need a bigger boat then we are here to help. If you are the kind of leader who is looking to increase your effectiveness, then you are in the right place. We will help you increase your leadership abilities so that you have a bigger boat and are ready for “the shark”.
We are here to help you hunt “the shark”
All the Way Leadership! is here to help. This year we will continue releasing relevant content for leaders who are looking to increase their effectiveness, to get better at hunting “the shark”. We will start publishing a weekly leadership journal later this year. It will contain curated content from a diverse set of leading experts. This summer we plan to launch our first online leadership course. We will do all that we can to help leaders everywhere get better at hunting sharks. The good news for all of us leaders is that the more times you hunt sharks, the better you get. Your confidence will grow along with your leadership abilities.
The more sharks you hunt, the better you become
Remember – as your career grows you will be asked to handle larger sharks. If you cannot handle the one in front of you now, you are in trouble. You don’t want to end up like the hero in the movie Jaws. Does he deal with the shark? Yes. But, he loses a lot in the process. Don’t be like that. Become an effective leader who is good at hunting sharks. The leader who others turn to when they are dealing with their own sharks.
We should be afraid of sharks half as much as sharks should be afraid of us.
Peter Benchley, author of Jaws
ATW! is designed to make you a better leader
I hope you join me on this journey to raise up the next generation of leaders. The world is in desperate need of more great leaders. Women and men who lead with confidence, clarity, and creativity. It’s time to become the leader that your world needs. Let’s go All The Way!
