Swim upstream. Go the other way. Ignore the conventional wisdom. – Sam Walton
In his book, How Successful People Think, John Maxwell shares the story of Benno Muller-Hill, a professor at the University of Cologne genetics department and how one morning in high school he stood last in a line of forty students in the schoolyard.
His physics professor had set up a telescope so that his students could view a planet and its moons. The first student stepped up to the telescope. He looked though it, but when the teacher asked if he could see anything, the boy said no; his nearsightedness hampered his view. The teacher showed him how to adjust the focus, and the boy finally said he could see the planet and moons.
One by one, the students stepped up to the telescope and saw what they were supposed to see. Finally, the second to last student looked into the telescope and announced that he could not see anything.
“You idiot,” shouted the teacher, “you have to adjust the lenses.”
The student tried, but finally said, “I still can’t see anything. It’s all black.”
The teacher, disgusted, looked through the telescope himself, and then looked up with a strange expression. The lens cap still covered the telescope. None of the students had been able to see anything.
This story is both humorous and tragic in that in many ways it is emblematic of the way people walk through life. Simply put – they see what they want to see and rather tell you what they think you want to hear in place of speaking the truth.
As a leader, you have a duty and an obligation to be clear, precise, honest, and trustworthy in all that you see, in all that you say, and in all that you do. This begins with the way that you think. Much of today’s “popular thinking” is the by-product of culture and social trends that to a large extent is driven by social media. Independent thinking becomes the casualty of what is “popular” in the moment.
What does this look like in your day-to-day leadership and why does it matter? Here are a few thoughts for your consideration.
Popular thinking seeks to blend in; it does not stand out
The easiest thing you will ever do in leadership is to blend in with the culture around you. It’s also the most dangerous. As a leader, you are not meant to be a conformist, but rather be a catalyst for change and to add value to those around you. Your voice ought to be one of hopeful optimism, reality-driven, and pointing to a higher standard.
Popular thinking conforms to culture; it does not transform it
The leader’s duty is not to conform to culture, but to be a reformer of culture and light the path to a better way. What’s popular today will look different in a year and constantly change over time. Being knowledgeable is good for your understanding. Having the wisdom to discern culture is essential to your skillset as a leader. This is what will set you apart from the rest.
Popular thinking marginalizes others; it does not bring people together
The unintended consequence of adapting oneself to the conventional wisdom and “popular” thinking of culture is found in the way people are marginalized and left on the fringes. People lose their voices due to fear of reprisals and for not being a part of the group-think mentality. As a leader, you must learn to use your voice for the voiceless and do so in a way that brings people together, not in a way that divides.
How popular is your thinking?
©2024 Doug Dickerson
