INsight/ Stop Thinking Small

Photo by Chang Duong on Unsplash.

Manila, 29 May 2024 — Leaders think big—here’s a reminder of how to think and act like a leader. 

Story

It happened yesterday. As I was discussing with a senior leader about the need to find additional resources for an organization to fulfill its regional role in Asia, his response made me sit up. The message was, without mentioning those exact words, about the difference between thinking big and thinking small.

Managers and experts tend to think small. They are trained that the devil is in the details. And rightly so: without getting the details right, a project might fail and infrastructure might collapse. Most of the time, small incremental improvements will help them to optimize resources for better results.

Leaders, on the other hand, need to think big. Their job is to drive change and bring people on board for the challenge of achieving a shared vision and getting started right away. Leaders will think big because details would divert them from the challenge they have taken on. Thinking big helps leaders focus on facilitating and accelerating change.

Challenge

When changes are needed in a team, project, or organization, and a shared vision is at stake, we leaders can remind ourselves to stop thinking small. That’s what I learned from the discussion yesterday. And I took it to heart, as I realized that I had allowed myself to get diverted into thinking small about the details of the situation.

Instead of thinking about detailed issues, leaders will call for attention to the vision, determine what change is needed, and then bring people on board to collaborate. Once these big pieces are in place, they know that mobilizing the necessary resources (the details) will be much easier.

When people raise concerns about a shortage of time, budget, and human resources, that’s often a sign of thinking small. It’s time to remove the manager or expert hat and put on the leader’s hat. Stepping into our leader role and stretching our leadership muscles is best done by taking on a fresh leadership challenge.

Question

This week you have a chance to practice this. When you join The Workplace Challenge you will learn how to drive a positive change in your workplace in just six weeks, together with three colleagues you invite to join you and form a Collab. It’s a leadership challenge, so remove your manager and expert hat. It’s time to grow your leadership.

As you read this, you may hear a voice in your head telling you that you don’t have enough time and resources for this. That will be your manager and expert mind telling you to think small. I challenge you to think big instead, step into your leader’s shoes, and take The Workplace Challenge.

Isn’t that unreasonable, the voice in your head might say? Yes, that’s right. I learned years ago that leaders are unreasonable. A leader’s actions are not governed by reasons and excuses but by purpose, passion, and perseverance. Do you want to see transformative change? Then allow yourself to stop thinking small and apply for The Workplace Challenge today. You won’t regret your decision.

P.S. The challenge you take and the change you drive together will be an integral part of your work. Every minute you invest will make you a better leader in your workplace right away. We start with introducing your Collab on Monday 3 June. Our June theme is Multiply: Leaders Influence People for Change to Happen. You will also get immediate access to eleven other leadership behaviors you can use in your challenge.