By Peter Jeff
The Leadership Mints Guy

Here’s an idea to take more control over your assumptions. Reading time 2:07.

         The famed researcher on sexual human behavior, Dr. Alfred Kinsey posed an attention-commanding question to a young woman during one of his lectures: “Name a body part that can enlarge 100 times?” The young woman was offended:

       “You have no right to ask me such a question in mixed company.” The doctor demurred: “I was referring to the pupil of the eye and you my dear are going to be very disappointed.”

        Have you ever focused on the wrong part of your business whenever you were sizing up a situation? Did you jump to a plausible — but not possible –conclusion and miss an opportunity to lead more effectively? Of course, you have. So have I. No one is perfect.

        But all leaders become more effective leaders by consistently refining their focus, seizing strategically instead of sizing situationally.

        When you size situationally, you already have a frame of reference. You bring preconceived notions into your decision-making process. You assume too much (especially when a sex expert asks you to consider a body part that expands.) And your faulty judgment, results in making an “ass” of “u” and “me” in the parsed spelling of the word “assume” that has become a clichéd paen to our predictable – if flawed- behavior.

       Have you ever focused on the wrong part of your business whenever you were sizing up a situation? Did you jump to a plausible — but not possible –conclusion and miss an opportunity to lead more effectively. Of course, you have. No one is perfect. All leaders become more effective leaders by consistently refining their focus, seizing strategically instead of sizing situationally.

       When you size situationally, you already have a frame of reference. You bring preconceived notions into your decision-making process. You assume too much (especially when a sex expert asks you to consider a body part that expands.) And your faulty judgment, results in making an “ass” of “u” and “me” in the parsed spelling of the word “assume” that has become a clichéd paen to our predictable – if flawed- behavior.

       To stimulate your thinking on sizing up situations more strategically think of a red traffic light. That brightest color in the spectrum — RED — has the shortest light wave length. Size matters. Only situationally. Not strategicially.

Today’s ImproveMINT

Control your assumptions to keep your leadership thinking in mint condition.

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