My twins spent the last two years looking for colleges to attend after high school. After one walking visit to a university during COVID my daughter said, “Dad, the campus looks great, the buildings are beautiful”. Her perspective was limited to the outside because of COVID restrictions.
At another school, with restrictions somewhat lifted, she got to go inside some buildings. My daughter was impressed by the labs, the student center and how clean everything was. She saw the school for what it truly was.
Those two experiences are very different. The first is more emotional due to the inability to do a “real look”. It’s based on cosmetic appearances. The second experience is more introspective, with thoughts given to detail and substance.
Like my daughter initially, some bosses purely look at the outside of a person and don’t take the time to explore deeper. They don’t put in the hard work to get to know an individual and what makes them who they are. Decisions made in this manner are based on emotion and most times incorrect.
Leaders take the time to look inside the person and find relevant data that is not readily apparent. They put in the hard work and take time to know the person and assess where they are today and where they can go. Decisions made in this manner are well-reasoned and thoughtful.
So, how can we as leaders look inside?
– Take time to learn about the person or the issue being discussed (look in the windows to see what is inside the building)
– Don’t let outward appearance or first impressions sway your decisions (tour the building and get to know what makes it great)
– Ask insightful questions (don’t assume you know anything about the person or the issue)
The bottom line; my twins found a great college that they are attending together, that looks as good inside as it does on the outside. Be the leader who looks inside.