The dinosaur’s tail

In Team of Teams, General McCrystal talks about the “dinosaur’s tail.”

When a large dinosaur turns around, you better believe that tail is going to knock some unintended things over.

The idea is, the more senior a leader gets, the bigger the impact your decisions will make and the more consequences there will be for changed plans.

That one-line change you made as an engineer? As a VP, your one-line change cuts someone’s job.

That bad hire you made as a manager? As a director, your bad hire caused 15 people to be mis-managed for six months.

That change of direction as a director? As a CEO, that direction change cost the morale of the company for a year.

This isn’t to say that you should be afraid to make decisions.

Or that you shouldn’t change your mind.

But what matters is knowing that your words and your actions affect more people than you realize.

Carry that burden with every choice you make. And make the best choices you can.

Your tail is going to knock something over.

Be aware of it.

And do better.