— To follow is a bullet of wisdom on leadership. It comes from Tom’s rifle, named Shot, who has seen it all. You’ll get the drift by clicking Blog in the menu at www.tomnewhouse.com. —
“SIGHTING IN” a rifle is a critical task. I remember Rudy taking out my buddy a .30-06 rifle (read, thirty-aught-six) before a deer hunt. It’d been awhile since he was last used. (My buddy was a “he.”) First thing Rudy did was sight him in. He carefully fired a round at a target. After noting the placement of the shot, he adjusted the sights and fired another round. The process continued until the sights truly indicated where a bullet would hit.
“Sighting in” is critical for leaders too. What team enjoys a miss? That happens when the leader’s sights are off. It’s a case of lots of work and nothing to show for it. Now, let’s get real: As a leader you don’t always know what will work. When that’s the case, have your team help determine an objective. Let them know that they are part of “sighting in.” Let them help calibrate successful outcomes. Teams love to be part of critical tasks.