As a leader, you are going to make judgement calls based on your perception of events. But before you act, you need to realize that not everyone perceives things the same way.
I’m reminded of a cross country trip that quickly became fashion challenged. At the time I was flying from Florida to Las Vegas for a speaking engagement. It was winter but in Las Vegas and Florida, winter is mild. Shorts and a casual shirt were more than enough to keep me comfortable during my flight.
The tricky part was that my flight had a connection, in Dallas. I figured that I’d just breeze from one gate to the next, limiting my time in much colder Lone Star State.
Fate had other ideas. While the flight was smooth sailing early on, turbulence soon added an extra fizz to my diet soda. It turned out that this was not an isolated problem but rather a massive and dangerous wind storm that stretched across the Gulf of Mexico.
Suddenly, thousands of flights were grounded for safety reasons. I spend the next five hours in Houston, where we were forced to land. By the time, I get into Dallas, I’ve long missed my connection, I’m 300th on a waiting list for flights to Las Vegas and the last flight of the day is about to pull away from the gate.
This is not the story about the time I was able to get onto that plane though some kind of James Bond escapade. My home for night was the floor of the Dallas Fort Worth Airport. All surrounding hotels were booked by other stranded passengers.
There’s an monorail that connects the various parts of the airport. It’s fun to ride on but it does let in a lot of outside air, into the terminals, as it travels on its neverending route. This is no fun when it’s winter in Dallas, which is much colder than Florida or Las Vegas. I’m reminded of this as there is a steady blast of sub-freezing air hitting me.
I have an immediate problem, which is staying warm, as I’m dressed for cocktails at the beach. I don’t have my luggage. If I get sick, I may not be able to get through my speaking engagement.
There’s only one gift store nearby and it’s closing in a matter of minutes. The choices inside are extremely limited.
I end up attired as you see in the picture. I am wearing an oversized pair of Texas Longhorns pants, giving me a strong MC Hammer vibe. My shirt celebrates a random chili competition.
I asked the clerk what he thought of my ensemble, realizing that nothing matches, fits, or demonstrates any kind of style.
“I don’t know, man,” he says, shaking his head. Keep in mind that this is someone who works on commission.
I decided that looking silly is better than being sick.
The following day, I spend hours in the terminal, around many other stranded people as we sit in standby purgatory.
It turns out they find me memorable but not for the reason I thought.
While waiting, I decide to run through some sections of my speech. I’m quietly going through it as I read it off my notes. I don’t think that anyone notices.
Later some people come over and surprise me with a question.
“What TV show are you on?” they ask. “We saw you rehearsing your lines.”
Slowly I realize what they’re asking me. They saw my clothes as not being ridiculous. Instead, they thought I was Hollywood chic. They thought only a celebrity would be dressed in such an unusual outfit. You know, the kind who doesn’t care about fashion.
I mumbled about just being a professional speaker, who was stranded, and had no luggage. But I did sit up straighter in my chair. I was unshaven, sleep deprived, and wearing ridiculous clothes. But several people thought I was a star.
My perception of myself may have been correct but not everyone shared my view. Remember this the next time you’re faced with a decision that could have other perspectives. What you first think may not be a view shared by all.
