Behind The X's & O's of Business — behind the x's and o's

Every organization needs someone willing to notice the risk everyone else is ignoring. The Protector sees what could go wrong and wants to guard the people, business, or mission from unnecessary harm. That's a strength—until protection becomes resistance to anything unfamiliar. Because sometimes the greatest risk isn't moving too quickly. Sometimes it's becoming so committed to keeping what we have safe that we never allow it to become what it could be.

Some people have an unusual ability to see what something could become long before everyone else can see it. That vision can create businesses, movements, products, and opportunities that wouldn't exist otherwise. But seeing the destination isn't the same as knowing how to get there—and sometimes the people around the Visionary aren't resisting the idea. They simply can't see what the Visionary hasn't learned how to explain.

Some of the most valuable people on a team are the ones willing to say, “I don't think that's going to work.” That can be uncomfortable—especially when they're challenging our idea. But before we label someone difficult, maybe there's a better question: What does their strength require from me?

Some of the most valuable people in our organizations are also some of the most challenging to lead. Their confidence, independence, passion, attention to detail, or willingness to challenge us may occasionally create friction—but those same qualities may be exactly why we need them in the room. The question isn't how to avoid difficult strengths. It's whether we're willing to become better leaders because of them.

We see what people do, but we don't always know why they're doing it. The same behavior can come from fear, wisdom, insecurity, experience, loyalty, or something we haven't considered yet. If we're going to understand people better, maybe we need to become a little slower at assigning motives to behavior we can only see from the outside.