One of the limitations we create for ourselves are the assumptions we make. Yet to be effective as leaders, we need to challenge those assumptions and thereby improve leadership. (For leaders of a STEM workforce, this is probably a bit easier, since it leverages one of the strengths of your employees.)
Sometimes the assumptions come from general wisdom or from insights that are commonly assumed to be true. One of those is the notion that we all should escape the hamster wheel. The proverbial hamster wheel refers to the monotonous daily grind and the constant seemingly fast motion without actually moving forward. Excellent analogies – but fundamentally flawed.
Let me introduce you to Wolfgang. Wolfgang is our Teddy-Bear hamster. He’s been with us for half a year. Every night he runs in his hamster wheel for several hours. As he grew from being just days old to his current adult size, we had to replace the hamster wheel a couple of times, and he had to be without his wheel for several days. During those days he was not himself (OK, I’m not a hamster psychologist, but I could notice that his behavior was off). When the new wheel came in, he would go right back into it and start his nightly hamstathons.
Wolfgang seems happy to use his hamster wheel. It’s the first place he goes to when he wakes up. It keeps him physically active (guess what distance he runs each night – yes, I worked it out).
The only thing that is important is that the wheel is the right size for him: too small and he needs to bend his back; too large and the wheel’s inertia makes it difficult for him to stop it from full motion.
The key is not to get out of the hamster wheel. The key is to find the right hamster wheel.
This way, whatever gives us satisfaction becomes easy and, yes, routine. Find your hamster wheel and embrace it: it’s your tool to achieve what you want to achieve.
And, just as important, it’s essential to examine the assumptions that we make in our lives. We make more progress when we challenge and replace them with reality – than by hopping from one platitude wisdom to the next.
Take the Next Step – Challenge Assumptions and Improve Leadership
This week, pay attention to your assumptions. What do you believe to be so real and immutable that you don’t question it any longer? This belief could be about our industry, about behavior that we see in our manager, or about a process that runs in our organization.
- Notice that you make an assumption.
- Test the assumption. Make an effort to look for contrary evidence and avoid your confirmation bias (which always tries to confirm our belief system)
- If the assumption is valid: congratulations! You turned a hypothesis into a fact.
If the assumption is wrong: congratulations! You have an opportunity to expand your thinking and your ability to lead from it.