Puzzle Pieces

I love puzzles, even though I rarely have time in my busy schedule to indulge my passion. Whether it is a colorful landscape or a complex jumble of similarly shaped objects, puzzles challenge me to pay attention to detail, find common elements, and design a strategy for solving the pictorial riddle. Puzzles also offer an interesting perspective about leadership.

Every leader I know is unique. Yes, they may share some common characteristics but each approaches their leadership role in a specific way. Like a puzzle, leaders are complex. Some leaders seem mostly interested in presenting one aspect of their personality, not unlike the nuanced colors that make a puzzle more challenging to solve. Other leaders are adept at modifying their behaviors to relate best to the persons they are with, just like the disparate colors that make it easier to distinguish certain puzzle pieces.

The best leaders understand that they are only one piece in their complex workplace. Regardless of position or skills, leaders quickly lose credibility when they assume a role of power and control that disregards the contributions of others. I have been disappointed on more than one occasion when I discovered a puzzle piece is missing. The picture remains incomplete when any element is absent, regardless of size or stature.

In my leadership development work I point out how leaders are often perceived by others in a less than favorable light. Sometimes this isn’t news to the leader, at other times they seem oblivious to this reality. Regardless of how effective we are as leaders, it is natural for those who see things differently to misunderstand us or misinterpret our intentions. When I put a puzzle together I always add extra light because without it the muted features of the image aren’t as obvious. Leaders must welcome the perspectives of others, regardless of how uncomfortable it may feel to have blind spots revealed.

I doubt if most leaders view their workplace as a complex puzzle. Many of our public personalities seem interested only in preserving their image and maintaining power and control. If only they realized the collective beauty of an engaged workforce or energized community; a place where each person’s opinions and talents matter. Like a completed puzzle, the culmination of any project or the success of any enterprise rests in the contribution of each piece, regardless of size, shape, or color.