The Dance Floor vs. The Balcony

I'm seeing a trend in the organizations I'm advising...

It's by no means a new phenomenon and it's not exclusive to any particular sized firm or even a certain title... but it's an issue.

Leaders are continuously drawn to focusing on what's urgent vs. what's important.

It's sort of like the classic "working in the business" vs "working on the business", but I like to put a different spin on it.

So why is it an issue?

Well, too much focus on what's happening now (or already happened) and not enough focus on what's around the corner is a dangerous position to be in.

It's the difference between success NOW and sustainable success in the future.

It's the difference between organizations being relevant NOW and being a major player for years to come.

So how do leaders make sure they focus on what's important to not miss the forest through the trees?

They understand the importance of spending time on the balcony and the dance floor—an idea originally coined by Ron Heifetz and Marty Linsky.

Let's dive in.

Defining the Dance Floor & The Balcony.

Dance Floor: Micro, tactics, what's in front of you now, where things get done

Balcony: Macro, strategy, what's ahead of you, how things are working together

I remember when I became Managing Partner for the first time...

On my first day with my new title, I sat at my desk in Southfield, MI, and thought, "Well...what the heck do I do now?"

To get to that point in my career, I'd been a practitioner—I operated on the dance floor by giving advice, designing tax planing structures, completing tax returns, charging hours, etc.

When I got to senior leadership, the game changed.

I didn't have defined tasks to work on each day. I didn't have set projects that needed to be completed each day.

And it was hard... really hard.

I remember thinking, "If I'm not billing hours and completing projects then what's my value? If I'm not getting something done, how do I quantify my worth?"

(by the way, when I became CEO, it became even worse)

That's when I was introduced to the balcony. A new vantage point and therefore new ways of thinking and approaching things.

See, when you're on the dance floor, you're seeing bodies in front of you. It can be chaotic and your vision is limited by what's directly in front of you. You're focused on what's happening at the moment.

When you exit the dance floor and head to the balcony, you see the flow of the entire room. You see how people are interacting and how they are moving together (or separately) and can start to predict what might happen next.

When I reached Managing Partner, my "value" was going to be defined by a new set of skillsets and actions.

So I started doing things like seeking out information, seeking out connections, talking to people about what was going on within our organization...

I quickly found my highest and best came from things like:

• helping people solve problems

• leading people

• thinking strategically

• developing & encouraging people

• considering what's next

The thing is, most people are comfortable on the dance floor. Many of us are natural practitioners used to DOING things.

While there's huge value to that, the true value behind a leader (especially a senior leader) is their ability to be on the balcony.

This Isn't an EITHER/OR...

In my mind, it's necessarily about moving from one to the other.

The most effective leaders are able to keep one foot on the dance floor and one foot on the balcony at all times.

It's a BOTH/AND.

Great leaders run the business AND transform it at the same time.

They honor short-term commitments (things that need to get done now) AND they think strategically about what's around the corner.

All of this is really another way of saying executing strategy.

(I wrote more on what executing strategy is in a previous newsletter)

Getting to the Balcony.

If you spend too much time on the dance floor, that's a problem.

I don't care what title you hold, you need to consistently spend time on the balcony if you want to continue to develop as a leader and make an impact in your organization.

And if you're a senior leader, your highest and best value to the organization is being on the balcony. Period.

So, of course, the question becomes..."Well, how do I get to the balcony?"

Spending time on the balcony starts with intention.

Here are few things to consider to create more time working ON the business:

1) Dedicate time to thinking strategically.

This could mean blocking weekly time on your calendar to think ahead and see how things are fitting together or ensuring your team or department has structured meetings to think about strategy.

2) Lean on leadership colleagues.

Hold one another accountable to dedicating time to strategic thinking. Even better, do it together as a team.

3) Find a solution to improving self-awareness.

A lot of this comes down to being aware when you are operating from a dance floor perspective vs a balcony perspective. The difference can be subtle.

This is where seeking another perspective from someone inside your organization or a resource outside of it can be helpful. It's one of the primary things I work on with my coaching clients.

Take a step.

Look, I'm a big believer that, as Jocko Willink wrote, discipline = freedom.

It's easy to get caught on the dance floor. Like when one great song after another plays and you don't want to leave...

But that's a vulnerable place to be in.

So be disciplined about prioritizing time on the balcony.

Which of the three things I outlined above do you need to embrace to become a more effective leader?

All meaningful change starts with a small step.

If you'd like to discuss how you might apply this dance floor/balcony concept in your career or organization, I welcome the opportunity to chat. Send a reply or book a call below.

With intention,
Alan D Whitman