How Three Time Filters Impact Leadership
Your view of time impacts relationships and decisions.
Time is a way of seeing.
Some leaders make decisions with the past in mind, others focus on the present. Still others, perhaps the most dangerous, make decisions with the future in mind.
Three time filters:
#1 Past thinking leaders:
Some leaders lean toward history when making decisions. They think about how things were. They ask,
- What happened?
- What went wrong?
- How can we protect gains?
These leaders need certainty to try new things. They admire people who don’t make waves.
Stability and systems are the benefits past thinking leaders bring to organizations.
#2. Present thinking leaders:
Some leaders focus on the present when making decisions. They’re practical thinkers. I’m not thinking of people who live for the moment. Present thinking leaders live in the moment. They ask,
- What’s happening now?
- What needs to be done?
- What resources do we currently have?
These leaders neglect the future because of present responsibility. They admire discipline in others and judge people by how well they complete tasks.
Consistency and reliability are the benefits present thinking leaders bring to organizations.
#3. Future thinking leaders:
Some leaders look into the future when choosing what to do. They love new ideas and creative thinking. They ask:
- What could be?
- Who might people become?
- Who cares about resources? Let’s get going..
These leaders are ping-pong balls bouncing from one thing to the next. They despise repetition.
Disruption is a future thinking leader’s contribution to organizational life.
Applications:
There was a time when I judged leaders who had different time orientations from mine. Now I seek and respect their perspectives.
Tensions between leaders are often rooted in differences in their time orientation. Effective decisions answer key concerns of past, present, and future orientations.
You’re better when your view of time is broader.
How do time filters impact your leadership?
How do time filters impact relationships in organizations?
Dan,
Thank you for another great post.
This has opened my eyes to why I often run into issues when suggesting changes to a process in my organization. I find I am often in “Future thinking” mode and my colleagues are in “Present thinking” mode. They seem to be seeking the consistency and reliability that comes with this way of thinking over the problems that come with new ideas as they tend to be a bit more disruptive.
I will try to keep all three perspectives in mind.
Thanks again,
Brian
Thanks Brian. Your experience reflects mine. I’ve found that people with another way of thinking need to feel heard. Sometimes I ask questions like:
What issues are most concerning to you?
How might we address those issues?
What advantages do you see in my way of thinking?
How might we satisfy each other’s perspective and move forward at the same time?
Best for the journey.
I’m not sure why you say “most dangerous”. Leaders need to have at least part of their attention towards the future, otherwise foreseeable threats go unanswered. If all they think about is today and yesterday, they could (should) easily be replaced by a middle manager. Yet they still have to keep an eye on today, so that their future vision is grounded in what is achievable.
Thanks Douglas. I hear your concern. The language is intended to reflect the disruptive nature of future thinking leaders. A leader who doesn’t think about the future isn’t really leading.
Thanks for sharing your insights. You expand the conversation.
Dan my old MBA Professor, Suresh Srivastva, from Case Western wrote a book about the challenge that Leaders need to balance or blend to make their organizations thrive:
Continuity to maintain a stable and secure culture
Transition to manage change in a shared fashion
Novelty to create innovation and capture collective spirit
Your three concepts of time focused Leaders seems to tie right in and perhaps great Leaders need all three!
The other key factor and what I call in my book, the flip side of Leadership is the state or stage of the company’s Culture which can mold or restrict any Leader’s best intentions.
Another thought provoking post,
Brad
Brad James, author The Business Zoo
Thanks Brad. I appreciate your insights and the addition of culture to the conversation. Here’s an example. Higher Education enjoys an historical focus. Start Ups need the future time filter.
Thanks again for adding to the conversation.
I have difficulty with the substance of today’s proclamation and the subsets within each.
A real Leader looks at the “past”, for the historical consistencies that drove them to the status of today- good, bad and status quo,
A real leader looks at the “present” day evaluation, for it is needed to assess the past, as the past is an indicator of today and the future, to assess current needs, objectives and attainment of goals.
My real concern is how you state the “future” is the most dangerous. To paraphrase Thomas Edison, Franklin, Picasso, even Newton,~If you dream, have vision, that can become reality~
A real Leader takes the composite of Past, Present “and” Future, integrates them into the ambition of projections/forecasts of Consumer (generic) needs and marketing trends of substance. Without those envisioning the future in how it could be, we’d still be looking at how fire can cook meat
Looking at this subject, I feel there was a haste to get something out, versus the future introspection on the merits
Thanks Don. I’m glad you shared your insights. They’re helpful to me and I’m sure to other readers. If nothing else, I got you thinking.
The term dangerous may be misleading. I’m glad you pointed it out.
It looks like we agree that leaders need all three perspectives. My contention is we all lean heavily toward one of the three and do well to include the others.
I’m thankful you joined in.
Morning Dan and thanks
This post didn’t get me thinking its the way I think.
Suggestion: pursuant to your various subjects, you’ve id rethinking a process when flaws are discovered. I’d rethink this subject for the ambiguities squash substance
Thanks Don.
Future thinkers play the great risk-great reward game. Jeff Bezos of Amazon saw the future in technology and led his team accordingly. Instead of forcing the technological capabilities to fit his business model (as most companies do), he adapted his business model to the inevitability of the technology. He won, but many others have tried and failed.
Thanks Jeff. Entrepreneurs fit into the future thinking leader mold. As you indicate, many fail. But, where would we be without them.
I’m pretty sure that Jeff B. has a good handle on all three filters. 🙂
You turned on the light for me on this one. As a Practitioner of the Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator and the FIRO-B Interpersonal Needs Indicator, I am very familiar with differences in outlook, or viewpoint. Your three Time Filters really makes sense, and helps explain a LOT of issues I’ve seen (and experienced) regarding leadership, team building and decision making. Your explanation that while all three filters are important to leadership, we all have a preference, where we operate most comfortably, helped tremendously. Awesome!
Thanks Joel. I’m glad you added your perspective and insights. I’ve seen time filters at work in several colleagues, teammates, and in myself, as well.
It’s been a great benefit for me to welcome, rather than resist, a broader approach. Best for the journey.
I like the way that you have framed the three sets of questions. However, we do need to wear different hats at different times – past, present and future
I would contend that a good leader can make the most of all three. Each one serves a purpose in leadership. Knowing and understanding the past provides insight based on experience. Comprehending the present yields versatility and understanding of what is required in the here and now. Whereas, envisioning the future furnishes the onset of goals and possibilities. Being able to apply what is needed and when is an element of leadership that creates opportunity for development and growth.
Time is a great equalizer insofar as none of us has more or less to work with. Leaders can distinguish themselves by how they steward time. Past thinking leaders are great stewards of the learning that can be extracted from our experiences. Present thinking leaders steward the moments that count the most as we invest ourselves now to gain maximum return. Future thinking leaders steward the vision clarity that’s needed to energize and focus the troops. Great post, Dan!
I too found this really eye opening. The question for any leader then is “How do you know which time filter to bring to bear on the individual challenges you’re facing?” And further, what triggers and habits can you cultivate so you stop and consider employing a different time filter instead of leaning on your natural tendency?
Thanks Jessica. Great questions. My first suggestion is be sure to surround yourself with people who have different time filters from you. Listen to their language. Watch for their frustrations. Don’t try to be too scientific. Go with your gut.
Celebrate the differences and listen to their voice. If you can craft a path forward that answers all three time filters, you probably have a good one.
This post is based on my observations. Once the time filters of my teammates have been answered, they have energy and decisions are better.