Did you ever play that game growing up? If you did, you probably chose the smallest, hardest object in the room. If you were the person trying to guess, your observation skills were kicked up a notch, and you became more aware of your surroundings.

What is it we see when we look? Better yet, what are we looking for and trying to see? How many times do we say someone or something might or might not pass the “eyeball test”? All of these questions deal with how well we observe our surroundings.

So, here is a question we must ask ourselves: Is being a good observer a leadership trait?

As leaders, we constantly have to observe the bigger picture. An analogy I have often used for this idea is a jigsaw puzzle. All the pieces are just dumped out on the table, and we start putting it together. If you are like most people, you start by putting all the side pieces together to form the “frame” and go from there.

Is that it? How do you finish the puzzle? The key to finishing the puzzle is seeing the “bigger picture,” and we start looking at the box top cover. Why? Because the box top shows what the finished “bigger picture” product should look like.

We are either intentionally or unintentionally observing. Either way, we are observing. What we will find is not everything is always as it seems. We must take time to observe our surroundings and see what we can find out about others and ourselves.

When we begin to do that, our leadership observation will begin to see what others do not, and you might win the game.

Remember…  THINK LEADERSHIP