1. Big-Picture Thinking Allows You to Lead
You can find many big-picture thinkers who aren’t leaders, but you will find
few leaders who are not big-picture thinkers. Leaders must be able to do many
important things for their people:
See the vision before their people do.
They also see more of it. This allows
them to…
Size up situations, taking into account many variables.
Leaders who see
the big picture discern possibilities as
well as problems to form a
foundation to build the vision. Once leaders have done that, they can…
Sketch a picture of where the team is going,
including
any potential
challenges or obstacles. The goal of leaders shouldn’t
be merely to make
their people feel good, but to help them be good and accomplish the dream.
The vision, shown accurately, will allow leaders to…
Show how the future connects with the past to make the journey more
meaningful.
When leaders recognize this need for connection and bridge it,
then they can…
Seize the moment when the timing is right.
In leadership, when to move
is as important as what you do. As Winston Churchill said, “There comes a
special moment in everyone’s life, a moment
for which that person was
born.… When he seizes it… it is his finest hour.”
Whether building roads, planning a trip, or moving in leadership, big-picture
thinking allows you to enjoy more success. People who are constantly looking at
the whole picture have the best chance of succeeding in any endeavor.
