Leaders: How to Fight for Clarity

Much of success in life is about getting everyone on the same page—whether it’s personal or professional relationships.

And inevitably someone has to choose to lead the charge in getting clarity. 

Getting On the Same Page

As fighter pilots, we reviewed comm procedures during pre-flight briefing to ensure that everyone would be on the “same frequency”. In this case gaining clarity could mean the difference between life and death.

In team sports like football and baseball we see players and coaches using all sorts of signals and methods to achieve communications clarity—waving a hand, brushing an arm, touching a nose.

In these games it’s immediately obvious that clarity is the starting point for precise execution.

Without clarity things fall apart right in front of our eyes as the play unfolds; the feedback loop is immediate and obvious—from both the players and the fans.

The Challenge

Unfortunately it’s usually not so…