Colin Powell’s rule #4: It can be done!
This past weekend, one of the producers would ask me if we could change something technically. Each time they asked, I hesitated. I then gave a very lukewarm, middle-of-the-road, “maybe” kind of answer.
At one point in the day, this producer remarked that I kept saying “no” to their requests. Afterward, we had a conversation about how I didn’t feel like I was saying “no”, but that I was processing out loud while I was trying to get the answer out. The producer understood my point and said we were all good.
Later on, the production team was debriefing the service and I had a change to give to the stage manager. I could tell he was slightly hesitant with how to answer, but what came out of his mouth was like music to my ears: “Yep. Got it. No problem.”
As a leader, his get-it-done attitude was exactly what I needed from him. I realized that he had some figuring out to do, but he had a great first response.
This was so eye-opening to me. This is the kind of response my producer needed from me. This doesn’t mean that I say “yes” to everything, or “no” to everything with a quick answer. It means that I respond with confidence and with something immediate. The vague answers I was providing didn’t instill confidence in me or my team and weren’t a great way to get to a solution.
Colin Powell’s rule: “It can be done!” slapped me in the face this week.
How are you responding to requests? How can you look at life through an “It can be done!” lens?
Next rule: # 5 – Be careful what you choose. You may get it.
