Years ago, I worked with a colleague who was brilliant, creative, and helped me become a better leader. It was not until recently that I learned one of his leadership practices alienated me and others.
In adaptive leadership this leadership practice is called “getting on the balcony”. Getting on the balcony is a reference to a dance floor metaphor. There is a level of detail that can be observed when you’re in the dance that cannot be seen anywhere else. This detail prevents you from seeing the big picture. It prevents you from observing what is happening across the entire dance floor. This practice of getting on the balcony and seeing the whole dance floor or system is something we call “press pause” and “zoom out” at Microsoft.
Effective leaders are very skilled at transitioning between the balcony and the dance floor. My colleague, from time to time, spent too much time on the balcony. On more than one occasion I would share with him something I was working on; myself having zoomed out and zoomed back in several times to ensure the right context before sharing. Nearly every time my colleague would ask a “zoom out” question. When he did that, I felt alone. I did not feel like I was in this mess with him. I did not feel like I was part of the team. I felt I was on a lower playing field and my confidence took a hit.
Practice your skill of pressing pause and zooming out. While you do, pay careful attention to the individuals you are working with. Do not forget to get on the dance floor too. If you don’t you will end up alienating individuals on your team without even knowing it.
