A few years ago, I read a story about a high ranking American soldier in Vietnam. He was a great leader with a large number of troops reporting up to him.
The thing that stands out from his story is not his bravery or how many medals he had. Instead, it was how he dealt with the sound of unexpected smoke, gunfire and explosions – signs that his troops were fighting for their lives – in the distance.
You’d expect that at the first explosion he’d pick up his radio to find out what’s happening and what he could do to help, right?
Instead, he would pause.
At the first sound of machine gunfire he’d look at his watch and make a mental mark for 15 minutes. During that time he’d fight his instinct to rush in. He’d wait with his radio, ready if his troops called for help.
He realised that his men were well trained and that he had confidence in them. If he started radioing them at the first sign of trouble, he would only distract them from their essential task at hand (i.e. not be killed). If he rushed in, he would probably make things worse.
If they needed his help, they would call. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t.
We can use the same analogy in business. Perhaps the gunfire in the distance is a rebooting server that has ground your software to a standstill. Maybe it’s a delivery truck that has broken down or a production line that has stopped.
Your instinct is to rush in and find out what’s happening and how you can help.
If you trust your team rather pause and wait. They will call you if they need your help.
If you rush in, you’ll probably make things worse.