t all started with a Yogi Berra quote, of all things. After another long day on the job, Larry Leader is watching a little TV. His small construction business is beginning to pick up again but finding new jobs feels like a never-ending scramble. He’s bone-tired.
Now, Larry’s relaxing at home with some sports on television. The color commentator shows a replay with a funny observation: “Like Yogi Berra said, you can observe an awful lot just by watching.” That comment immediately takes Larry on a mental memory tour.
Observing while watching—at work
At work, Larry tries to observe what’s going on every time he bids on a new construction project. While working with prospective clients, he carefully watches their actions and reads their reactions. He looks for the answers to key questions. What do the homeowners want in their renovation? What are they willing to pay? Who makes the final decision? With these and other answers, Larry can tailor his company’s services to each client.
I’m a good observer at work almost every day, he congratulates himself. That brings an inner smile.
Observing while watching—at church
Then Larry’s memory switches to the building committee’s meeting last week at All Alike Baptist Church. That meeting could have exploded, he remembers.
In a social gathering, I.B. Hammer, the long-time chair of the building committee, had angrily accused the pastor of meddling in a painting project at church. I.B’s reaction was no surprise. I.B. acts like he owns the church building personally. And tact has never been I.B.’s spiritual gift. At heart he’s a good guy, but almost everyone at All Alike has felt the wrath of I.B. Hammer at some time or other. He lives up to his name and hammers folks way too much.
Since the church is one big grapevine, I.B.’s comments spread like a prairie fire. The buzz is almost audible. Dee Parsons, the pastor, hears I.B.’s complaints on the grapevine too, of course. Folks immediately wonder how Dee will deal with I.B. They know they won’t have to wait long. The next building committee meeting is on Tuesday night.
Larry gets to the meeting early and takes a chair at the end of the table. From his prime observer position, Larry waits and watches. I.B. arrives next and sits in his usual chair at the mid-point of the table. I.B. likes to reign over meetings.
Then Larry watches Dee enter the room and is a bit surprised to see him ease into the chair next to I.B. Dee chats quietly with I.B., but Larry can’t hear what’s said. He can feel the tension in the room, though.
The meeting surprises everyone. I.B. begins with a one-sentence report, “Dee called me, we talked to the painting contractor yesterday, and nobody interfered in the contract process.” It isn’t exactly an apology, but it’s about as contrite as I.B gets. The room relaxes. The rest of the meeting moves smoothly.
Lessons from instant replay
Driving home, Larry reviews what’s happened. That Yogi Berra quote from the other night’s game reminds Larry to observe carefully. What exactly did he see?
I learned five lessons about leadership tonight, Larry finally decides. First, Dee hadn’t taken I.B’s comments personally, but he didn’t ignore them either. It takes a mature leader to tune out the static and get the real picture. Thank goodness, Larry thinks, Dee’s comfortable in his own skin and doesn’t turn every challenge into a new Civil War.
Second, Dee had taken the first step to resolve the matter. He talked to I.B., and they invited the only person who knew the whole story, the painting contractor, to flesh out what had happened.
Third, Dee had cut down the distance between himself and his detractor. He never treated I.B. like a foe, even sitting beside I.B.
Fourth, in the meeting, an early, well-timed information update had defused a tense situation. Accurate information squelches silly rumors almost every time, Larry notices.
Last, Larry watched Dee drive from the back seat. Larry remembers a front-loader his work crew uses to build foundations. Those jobs are done right—with the operator driving from the back. Dee leads well in front of the church, but he always moves quietly behind the scenes to defuse situations.
Praying for eyes that observe and watch
Larry turns into his driveway at home. He switches off his pickup’s engine, takes a deep breath and clears his mind. That night, he knows he’s watched a mature leader treat people right and keep his church moving forward. Larry bows his head and prays for his church. He thanks God for his pastor’s people skills and quiet heart.
Larry ends his prayer and resolves, like Yogi Berra, to keep on “observing by watching.” After all, next time somebody may be watching me lead, thinks Larry.
Bob Dale ([email protected]) is a leader coach and retired denominational worker and seminary professor living in Richmond, Va.