Here in the executive suite, we have several doors with long vertical handles. Some doors open by pushing. Some doors open by pulling. And one will go either way. (Which is my favorite door.)
One day last week I wanted to pop in and say hello to some folks in the conference room. I pushed for all I was worth before I realized I needed to pull.
And yes, they were behind the glass door watching me finally figure out I should be pulling. And yes, they were amused. And yes, I was amused at myself.
As I walked away from that push/pull moment, I started thinking about the metaphor. Effective leadership requires us to know when to push and when to pull. One of the things I’ve learned in my many years of leadership at ACC is that the push/pull ratio varies by role (mine and someone else’s) and by the individual whom you’re supporting. Some folks respond better to pushing, while others want to be pulled along.
Here’s a quote from David Borden, ACC’s brilliant Managing Director of Instructional Operations & Initiatives (and yes, that title is quite a mouthful!).
I’m always tempted to push for quick results. Why? Because I want quick results. I’ve been thinking about what Michael Gutierrez [a guest speaker at the Chancellor’s Leadership Institute] said last week, “change happens in its own time.” That doesn’t mean we should be passive. It’s a reminder to allow change to occur with the rhythm of our colleagues. We may have wanted something fixed yesterday, but ACC has taught me to be persistent and patient. We have to sense when to push, when to pull, and when to remain still and listen.
David’s best insight is the last statement – we have to learn when to remain still and listen. I lean towards action. I lean towards pulling people along (and occasionally being pushy), but it really matters that I also listen. I’ve gotten better at that through the years, but I still sometimes default to pushing or pulling people toward action. That door that stubbornly wouldn’t respond to my pushing (when I should have been pulling) was also a message to me to stop, think, and listen.
So it isn’t necessarily a binary question of when to push and when to pull. It’s really a question of how to listen before doing anything else. Thanks, David – and thanks, glass door, for the reminder!