A SPACESHIP TO THE MOON!
Toddlers have an amazing imagination. They do not limit themselves by the concepts of feasibility and viability… they only think in terms of desirability. It’s one of the main reasons most little kids have an obsession with superheroes.
In 2013, my little guy discovered Spiderman. It wasn’t the story line that captivated him or the great drawings in the comic books but rather the idea of being able to sling webs out of your wrists and swing from building to building. In my toddler’s mind, he could actually BE Spiderman. All he had to do was put on a Spiderman-like outfit and he was ready to go. His mind did the rest.
This ability to envision a more desirable reality is remarkable and something we lose over time as we experience all too well the truths of what is possible and impossible. The Toddler’s lack of consideration of what is feasible and viable is essentially a condition of just not being fully aware of what actually IS feasible and viable.
The Executive on the other hand has certainly had enough experience in life to understand the limitations of space and time. Yet, I have lost count of how many stories I have heard recounted of demands and expectations imposed by their beloved Executive that are just unrealistic or even impossible… I may have even experienced this a few times myself ; ) The Executive in these cases is either (1) choosing to ignore or suspend all knowledge of typical limitations until those who are responsible for defying the limitations either achieve breakthrough or identify acceptable alternatives to the initial demand or (2) truly not aware of the difficulty involved with what they are asking.
So what does this Toddler/Executive commonality of disregarding barriers mean?
For the Executive: While it is an absolute imperative to push the boundaries of what seems possible in order to innovate and stay ahead of their competitors, Executives must be careful to not over stress their teams and organizations by constantly ignoring the limitations of viability and feasibility. The fine balance for the Executive is to pick and choose which topics and tasks are just too important to settle for excellent rather than audacious. The Executive must have a North Star which allows them to prioritize topics of reach.
John F. Kennedy’s desire to put an American on the moon is a good example here. The North Star for him was to reestablish the United States as the most advanced nation in the world thereby demonstrating that a free society governed by the people, for the people was in fact that best form of governance. Putting an American on the moon would take years of work and a massive investment but it would serve to inspire the country and the world. It’s important to note that JFK also consulted many experts in his administration to determine the feasibility and viability of the project prior to announcing the target.
For those working with Executives: When working with executives, it is important to understand the vision and think through what assignments and tasks we believe will further the vision most significantly. It is those items that we must dig deeper and push harder to work through what we consider to be unreasonable or even impossible.
Someone who has never run a 5K may view a marathon as impossible. However, with enough dedication and training, most humans can eventually complete a marathon… and once they complete a marathon, many people learn that an ultra marathon is possible.
We can always push ourselves to find new frontiers and it is the same thing in our work. However, it takes lots of time and effort to push through boundaries and we have to make sure we commit ourselves to the tasks which truly are the most crucial to our success. For those which are not, we must learn how to identify alternatives and pitch those alternatives effectively to the Executive. This is particularly important in cases where the Executive is not fully aware of the difficulty involved with the ask.
For those looking to develop as an Executive: Many of us have developed narratives over the years based on our failures or the failures of others close to us. These narratives can lead us to be overly cautious and deem things which are possible as impossible. If you find that your cautiousness or unwillingness to take risks is hindering your progress in life, it may be helpful to challenge your own preconceptions of what is possible and think deeply about what false narratives may be playing in your mind and informing your decisions.
For parents of Toddlers: work to achieve a balance of educating your kids on feasibility and viability while cultivating their creativity. As your kids get older consider listening intently to their “pie in the sky” ideas and asking them to really work through them and develop a proposal for you. You might find you will actually learn something along the way.