Last week, my hometown Montreal was treated to the celestial spectacular of a total solar eclipse. And the sight was not only awe-inspiring, it brought to mind two timely lessons leaders should be focusing on right now.
The first lesson was inspired by the special eclipse glasses I ordered for my family so we could watch this rare celestial display.
Now I don’t know if you’ve ever tried eclipse glasses, but you can’t see anything when you’re wearing them, but it allows you to look directly at the sun and see its smooth, spherical shape.
As it blocks out everything else, when I wasn’t looking at the sun and watching it slowly transform from a big Cheshire Cat-like smile to this narrow sliver of a crescent, I’d take the glasses off so I could take in the other-worldly lighting this solar eclipse effect was creating around our neighbourhood.
But the glasses had this effect that when you had it on, you couldn’t help but stare at the celestial show overhead and be mesmerized by an event that’s been happening for millions of years.
Suddenly, the notifications on your phone, those emails waiting in your inbox, none of that mattered because they’d still be there.
But this eclipse was something you had to stop and take notice of or you’d miss your one chance to experience something extraordinary, awe-inspiring, and magical.
And this leads to the first leadership lesson from last week’s eclipse.
1. Learn to filter noise and focus on what matters in that moment
There’s no question that leaders today are expected to operate at a faster and more urgent pace than leaders in the past.
Not to mention as we’ll be seeing more and more in the years to come, that many of the people you will be expected to lead and manage won’t even be working in the space office space – or even at the same time as when you’re in the office.
It’s for this reason that leaders need to recognize that sometimes we need to put on our version of eclipse glasses.
More specifically, that we develop the ability to filter out the day-to-day noise so we can be truly present to focus on that what really matters – whether it’s a singular issue or even that employee standing in front of us – so we can give that issue or that person what they really need so we can ensure a successful outcome, and not just a temporary reprieve.
Of course, just like a solar eclipse, this isn’t something we have to experience every hour of every day. But there are nonetheless critical moments that require we take a pause to reflect and ponder what’s going on and the collective impact it has on those around us.
And this brought to mind this second lesson for leaders.
When I found out Montreal would be one of a handful of cities that would be in the path of this total solar eclipse, I was both excited to know I’d finally get to see this incredible astronomical event.
But that excitement was soon replaced by disappointment when I realized that my family would be in different parts of the city – with my two daughters at school and my wife at her office. As such, I expected that I’ll be experiencing this one-in-a-lifetime event by myself.
However, as luck would have it, the night before the big day, my two daughters opted to watch the eclipse from home.
And when my wife found out Monday morning that most of her employees were working from home that day, she figured she do the same and join our daughters and me and watch this event together.
So instead of watching this spectacle of nature by myself, this became a family shared event.
In fact, my daughters rearranged our deck chairs to create a private viewing auditorium where we could sit together on our backyard and watch this magical event together.
And I have to say being able to experience this with my wife and daughters made this solar eclipse event all the more magical.
And watching the local news, I saw my fellow Montrealers felt the same. That being with others for this historical moment made it a communal experience as much as it was a personal one.
And this leads to the second leadership lesson from last week’s eclipse.
2. Never underestimate the importance of belonging to drive organizational excellence
One of the unspoken, but critical roles a leader plays is creating an environment where people feel a sense of belonging. That as with people gathering in parks or in backyards, there’s this feeling of connection to one another.
That we’re experiencing the same things – whether it be moments of elation like when the moon completely obscured the sun and people spontaneously erupted into cheers and applause, something we clearly heard from an obviously large crowd that gathered around the lake at the nearby neighbourhood park.
But that this sense of commonality and belonging is also found in those moments where we suffer a setback that might throw our best-laid plans out the window.
As leaders, the goal is not to create the feeling of being a “family”. Rather, the goal should be to encourage and support the feeling that your employees are part of a caring and supportive team.
That we’re in this together in every sense of the word, including that we have each other’s back and are driven to see each other succeed because our individual success feeds our collective growth and success.
As humans, we’re hard-wired to seek connection and belonging. And as leaders, we can create conditions that not only encourage connection, but also acceptance, inclusion and belonging.
Far from just being the ‘right thing to do’, the business case is obvious for why promoting commonality and belonging is key to your success. It’s only by combining our collective talents and contributions that we can create something magical and enduring.
Something like the feeling so many of us had being surrounded by others, equally enchanted and mesmerized by the celestial dance happening up in the heavens above us.
It’s a feeling I’m sure none of us will forget. And it’s something leaders should strive to create – not just for themselves or for those within their inner circle. But for everyone who they have taken on the responsibility to guide into the future.