Remember the good old days, back in 2013 before selfie sticks? Remember what it was like if we wanted a picture of ourselves with a beautiful backdrop? Remember when we had to ask for someone else’s help?
Sure, selfie sticks are convenient. They encourage self-reliance, individuality, the relinquishing of pride (because clearly if you’re using one – you’re secure and open to ridicule). But what if leaders adopt a selfie stick mentality? Or worse, what if the selfie stick is actually encouraging the death of collaboration?
We know, to be a successful leader and achieve big results, we must collaborate and work well with our team. But this can be a challenge. It can be a messy process to ask for input, listen, and consider other’s points of view. The alternative can be an attractive path — less muss, less fuss.
Leaders taking the selfie stick route tend to follow these five rules.
Don’t wait: get it done now
In the pre-selfie stick world we had to wait patiently for someone to come along to take the picture. We had to stop, take a breath and wait a moment.
Sometimes that moment was very beneficial. Sometimes the cooling off period made for a better shot. Maybe it forced us to consider if the picture was worth it. Maybe it made us consider the best angle for the shot.
Now, we live in a world of snap and go. That speed is a luxury. But does it deliver the best outcome?
Don’t ask for help: go it alone
Pre-selfie stick we had to put ourselves out there, speak to strangers and ask for help. It was a little nerve-wracking even for the extroverts among us. We had to be vulnerable in public. We had to admit we couldn’t do it all alone.
Now, we’re able to handle it all by ourselves. We aren’t required to rely on anyone else. But, even with a selfie stick, how perfectly can anyone frame a shot alone?
Don’t trust: protect what’s yours
Once we found someone to help pre-selfie stick, we had to hand the camera over to a complete stranger. We had to either trust that this person wasn’t going to run off with our equipment or know that we could catch them if they did. We had to delegate and then trust that if things went “off the rails” we had the skills to right the wrongs.
Now, we can keep everyone else’s grimy mitts off our stuff. We don’t have to trust; we don’t have to regroup if things don’t work out. We get to protect what’s ours.
Don’t mentor: just do it yourself
Pre-selfie stick we often had to help the volunteer photographer understand how to operate the camera. It was necessary to take a bit of time to show him or her how to properly use the equipment.
Not anymore though. Now it’s much faster when we just do it alone – there’s no need to take a moment to show someone else something new. There’s no need to lead forward.
Don’t surrender control: get the perfect shot
Sometimes pre-selfie stick the picture that we got wasn’t exactly how we might have taken it. We were forced to see the moment from someone else’s perspective. We were forced to see ourselves from someone else’s perspective.
But now we can take as many pictures as we want to ensure we capture our vision perfectly, and the world sees our best side. We get to keep control and maintain our image. We aren’t required to consider any other point of view.
While leading with a selfie stick seems like a quicker way to accomplish tasks, certainly the quality of the resulting product is called into question. There’s little doubt that a photo taken by a trusted, trained, and empowered photographer is much better than anything you could hope to capture with a $20 plastic stick.
Perhaps a better strategy is to provide a vision and invite others to participate in the process of making it happen.
Molly, my friend, you hit it out of the park with this one. I missed it when it first came out, but wow! All of the above, 100% accurate, and what a great visual way to think about it. Well done… I’m sharing it everywhere! 🙂
Thanks, Carrie!
It was a fun post to write.
I’m thankful that I don’t have too many selfie stick leaders in my life. 🙂
Well said, Molly! When watching people recently walk with their selfie stick, they also seemed to be in their own little world. Comfortable yet self-centered. The better way is to open yourself up to the experience and engage others as they explore and discover too. Great post! Jon
I love this angle (pun semi intended), Molly.
We always want those clever metaphors we think up in the shower to work to prove the real point, and yours nails it.
The mentorship angle is what really gets me… as we isolate ourselves we limit our teaching skills and reduce the effectiveness of the community.
Hey! How did you know I came up with this in the shower? 😉
You’re right though, the degradation of community is what unsettles me most too!
I remember when I was the CEO of a Fortune 500 company in Santa Clara, CA back in the 80’s/90’s (yeah…for realz) – we didn’t lead with selfie-sticks; we lead with clipboards. Our “vision” was printed on scrolls and our mission statement was relayed to our troops by messengers in togas.
Yes, a little slower, but just as effective. lol
Wow – you just uncovered so much in your comparison. It is a selfie stick culture and maybe we are doing away with trust and collaboration. I will share far and wide!
Thanks, Sue! I’m so glad you enjoyed the article. We are living in a selfie stick culture – which certainly isn’t ALL bad. I just hope we don’t lose collaboration and cooperation along the way.