70000 ft Up: Obsess over the Right Details

Photo by ActionVance on Unsplash

I watched the actor Gary Sinise in a documentary recently. He flew to the edge of space in a US Spy Plane - the U2 ‘Dragon Lady’ - at 70000 ft high. That’s twice the height of commercial airliners. It’s 2.4x the summit of Mt Everest!

It is so high, that they wear space suits to fly. Next stop - eternity.

As I watched the documentary, right up there on the edge of the atmosphere, I learned something.

Great leaders obsess over the right details.

The pilot of the U2 spy plane - 70000 ft up there - kept dialoguing with Gary Sinise around two things:

First, The detail of the horizon. The immensity of it. The curvature of the earth. The blackness of space. And the sheer enormity of it all.

Second, Are you hydrating enough? That was a question and concern for Gary. Hydration!

There, on the edge of space - pushing the envelope of technology and human achievement - the pilot (leader) focused on what mattered most in that context. The grandeur of the moment AND staying alive.

70000 ft up - take in the horizon line and keep drinking. It was an obsession with the right details.

What is your 70000 ft view? What is the high-up for you? The get-on-the-edge so I can see it all space?

Think about it: You’re a leader. Maybe you’re leading a company right now. Maybe you’re leading a team. Maybe you’re trying to lead your family.

Once you’re there, what details do you need to focus on? What is most important that needs your attention?

Where do you need to obsess?

Over consecutive summers, I volunteered with a youth camp in the USA. It was hosted on a former Air Force station in the Rocky Mountains. Part of the volunteer work was upkeep, maintenance and remodeling of outdated buildings, so they continue to be useful long into the future.

As each new group of eager volunteers arrived, I watched the facilities director hold a 70000 ft view: What are we trying to do all summer long, and what do we need to do today? Looking from high-up, it was an obsession with the right details.

Nails and hammers and painting and siding and roofing and planting and scraping and moving - all of these will happen - because there was an obsession with the right details.

So where are you looking? What details are capturing your attention and focus? Are they the right details for your context?