As leaders it’s easy for us to become obsessed with the big picture. Don’t get me wrong, the big picture is certainly important. We must be able to see the end goal in order to find our way to it, but reaching the finish line is determined by the small strides we take along the way. Let’s take a look at why the “small things” matters.
Small Things Determine Your Play
Sometimes looking at the big picture alone can cause you to fall in line with what everyone else is doing. This doesn’t ultimately give you an edge over the competition. Take a look at Apple. There vision isn’t necessarily to do things better, but simply to do things differently. They set out to understand their customers and provide a simple experience that was different than what everyone else was doing. This led them to great success. Though they have a huge vision, they are very focused on the small details that makeup the experience of their product. Hone in on the small things that matter and play a different game than your competitors.
Small Things Assist Your Leadership
If there is one thing a leader must do, it is to set the example. The leader must not just say what needs to be done, they must also be caught doing it. If you want your team to pay attention to the small things you must also pay attention to them and lead accordingly. The people will follow what the leader does. If you are giving attention to the small, important elements, they will eventually follow your lead. Also, if you’re setting that example, you then have leverage to call it out of the people on your team. You can’t establish an expectation that you’re not willing to live up to.
Small Things Create Wins
In professional sports, you don’t normally see landslide wins. It does happen but it’s not common. Everyone at that level is capable of winning over everyone else. What makes the difference is the small details of a precise strategy. In order to win, you need to hone in on the precise elements that might give you an edge. Your competitors are good and they won’t be far behind you. You don’t have to win by a landslide, you just need to win. In order to do that, you have to pay attention to the small things that make a difference. Even the smallest difference can be what determines winning or losing.