There is a rule of thumb known as the 1 in 60 rule in aviation. It states that for every 1 degree a plane veers off its intended course, it will miss its target destination by one mile for every sixty miles flown. After one hundred yards, you would be off by only five feet. Not huge, but noticeable. After a mile, you would be more than ninety-two feet off course. Imagine the result after traveling 600 miles; you would be 10+ miles from your intended destination. On land, if you were to walk for ten miles while being off 1 degree from your target, you will be close to 1,000 (nearly ¼ of a mile) meters off course. (itstactical.com)

This same principle applies to both leadership and business. As a leader, you may be operating on all cylinders. You could be very self-aware, emotionally intelligent, business savvy, well networked, and with a great leadership opportunity. However, maybe your 1-degree course deviation is not operating with integrity 100% of the time, it is perhaps in undermining a peer who you perceive as a threat, maybe it is in keeping that critical information or best practice to yourself or your team versus sharing it with the entire company, the possibilities are endless as we are all imperfect beings. If you want to try your best to ensure that you end up where you want as a leader, it is essential to:

• Plot the right course – be thoughtful, deliberate, and guided by enduring values and principles in setting the direction for your life and your leadership journey.

• Do not just go with the auto-pilot – even though things may seem that they are 100% “on course”, it is always wise to do a course check. This could be in the form of checking in with your “point person” – someone in your life that will be open and honest with you about your life and leadership and the direction you are headed (or not).

• Course correct as needed – if you detect that you are not on your intended path, do not just keep flying or walking, make a change. It is possible to get back on track and end up exactly where you intended, but the changes required to get back on course may be painful, costly, and hard to do, depending on how long you have been off course.

 ~ Being one degree off course can significantly impact your journey. ~

Matt Emmons is an American Olympic athlete who competed in the 2004 London Summer Olympics. Emmons competed in the three-position rifle event, in which participants shoot from their stomachs (prone), knees (kneeling), and feet (offhand) at a target fifty meters away. Going into his final shot, Emmons was in first place, ahead by three points, and needed only a mediocre score on the last shot to secure the gold medal. He focused on the target, exhaled, and fired what he thought was the winning shot. Instead, he fired at the wrong target, one lane over, and earned a zero instead. Matt’s aim was right on target, and he would have scored enough points to win the gold medal; unfortunately, he focused on the wrong target and finished in eighth place instead.2

I can identify with the crushing disappointment when Matt realized his tragic error. Unfortunately, I have made the same mistake (a few times) in life and leadership. I have let my singular, myopic focus on the next shot and winning keep me from doing what I needed to do to succeed. Nevertheless, a few good lessons can be learned from this story and example:

• Make sure you are focusing on the right target(s) – are you just working for self-gain, and does your agenda matter over all else? Are you only focused on profits above purpose and people? Are you easily distracted by all the “noise” in your business? Do you spend most of your time as a leader dealing with the urgent versus the profoundly important and impactful things in your life and business?

• Stop. Orient. Focus. Execute. – Before taking a critical “shot” at whatever the target - a new job, a big customer, a new relationship, etc. take a moment to zoom out from your scope and ensure you are oriented on the right target. Once you ensure that you are focused on the right target (they can be remarkably close together and easily confused), you can focus on perfecting your aim and approach and executing the perfect shot.

• If you miss the target, do not stop shooting – even though you may miss the mark entirely once in a while, even with the gold on the line, don’t stop taking your shot. Instead, acknowledge all your other successful attempts, learn from your mistake, and just keep shooting.

 ~ Focusing only on winning can cost you the victory. ~

Authored By: Bryan Stewart, Director