I was playing the old NES version of Super Mario Bros. 3 today (hang with me, there is a really good leadership point coming). I was amazed at how easy that game is for me. I whipped right through many levels and knew all the shortcuts and special hidden items. I was really playing on a Professional level. That's because I have spent countless hours learning and playing the game in my younger days. I am an insider.
Many times in life there are many areas in which I am an insider. I know where to go and how to get things done. I can breeze right through tasks and I am very comfortable in an environment.
However, as a leader I/we must consider how people who are outsiders feel when interacting with these same environments. As a basketball coach I need to consider how HS students I am recruiting see the situation. Just because I am comfortable applying for college and gaining admission doesn't mean they are. Perhaps they are the first in their family to do so. As a church leader, am I considering how new guests view my church. Just because I am comfortable and know my way around doesn't they are or do. Good leaders consider the experience from the viewpoint of the uninitiated.
As a leader who has followers and people I assign tasks too do I/we consider their comfort level with the assignment. Just because I can accomplish something in 20 minutes doesn't mean they can. I am likely more skilled and experienced plus have better access to the needed resources. Good leaders see things from the other persons perspective and work to get them the knowledge, skills, experience and connections we take for granted.
So I wasn't really wasting an hour playing Nintendo. I was coming up with a great blog post on an excellent leadership topic.
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