As a leader how many of your actions and decisions are coloured by what you want to believe? It’s a tough question and it’s one which even the greatest of leaders may have a hard time in answering.
The thought came to mind when I heard that a Norwegian expedition to Loch Ness had found Nessie. Reading on, I discovered that the Nessie which had been found was a model built 50 years ago for a Sherlock Holmes film. So the Norwegian team search on, hoping for answers to a mystery which has enthralled for hundreds of years.
Of course they may not be in luck as photos have emerged recently which purport to show a Nessie-like creature swimming in the Thames! But the fact is that the team are interested enough in the myth to try and seek out the truth. And this leads on to an interesting question, how many of us over the years have heard stories such as the Nessie one and chosen to believe or to dismiss based solely on our own background and prejudices?
You see, whether we are talking about Nessie or a work matter it’s all too easy to put our own interpretation on what is being said rather than taking the time to question and to seek out the truth. And as leaders is all too easy to forget that communication is a two way street. The information we received from others should help us to make decisions about the future direction of the organisation; but we can only make relevant decisions if we work on building understanding and seeking out the truth rather than hearing what we want to hear.
