In The Stands

It’s officially football season again. On Saturday, we got to watch our first game in the newly renovated south section of Boone Pickens Stadium (Go Pokes!). Our seats are perfect—on the 50 yd line and far enough up so we are in the shade for midday games. I’ve had seats in the first few rows, and I didn’t like them, because I couldn’t see the plays unfold. I’ve also been in suites and the club level and felt disconnected from the game.

There is a reason offensive coaches usually sit in the press box. From there, they have an “all 22” view of both the offensive and defensive players. The field of vision, lack of distractions, and access to information create an environment that is more conducive to making critical decisions in real time. They like their vantage point for the same reason I like mine—you can see the big picture from there.

Leaders must be able to concentrate on the big picture. Like the offensive coordinator up in the press box, a leader must have an elevated vantage point, or overview, of the organization to see potential opportunities or mismatches more easily than if they were down in the weeds of the business.

The ability to spend some amount of time out of the fray is also essential to success. Leaders need some distance from the chaos and noise that is a reality in any organization. It is from this more controlled environment that a leader is able to clearly communicate the leader’s intent to their key team members.

Finally, when you are “on the field,” you tend to listen to the person right in front of you and get caught up in the urgency of that moment. Distance helps the leader process more data from additional sources before relaying the play back to the field. This distance is a critical component to balanced and objective decisions.

There are some downsides to being up in the press box, though. Any coach who stays in the press box and never spends time on the field will certainly fail. The same distance that can be helpful can also cause a lack of meaningful interaction, a disconnect from the flow and energy of the community, and a limited understanding of individual team members.

To offset the negatives, leaders must be “in the stands” with regular trips to both the press box and to the field. There is no substitute for your presence as a leader. Videos, emails, zoom calls, and notes are great tools effective leaders can use, but being face-to-face with your team is critical for both communication and relationship. You cannot trust someone you do not know, and you cannot know someone you never spend time with.

It is impossible to feel the energy of an organization from a distance. This is why I prefer being in the stands over being in a suite or club level seats (I haven’t been invited to the press box yet). I want to be part of the energy that flows through the crowd when we complete a great play. That means I also experience the pain when we don’t. Leaders must know what it feels like to be a part of the team they are leading.

Finally, there is a real danger of viewing people as just pieces of a puzzle instead of the individuals they are if you never come down onto the field. You cannot understand why people do what they do (good or not so good) from a distance. People bring everything about themselves to work. Great leaders understand this and call the plays accordingly.

I find that time alone, offsite meetings with my senior leaders, team building and fun events with all executive leadership, and regular visits with my mentors all help me have a view from the press box. Being available, having lunch with anyone in the company who wants to, and simply walking around on campus without anywhere to be (so I have time to stop and chat) all give me a greater sense of what it’s like on the field. The rest of the time I find that being “in the stands” is a flexible place where I can be agile and lead the Bison Way.