Why Every High-Performing Leader Needs a Pacer
Matt Harrison Clough/Ikon Images Jakob Ingebrigtsen, one of the best middle-distance runners ever, has won gold medals for Norway in two Olympics, won multiple world championships, and set five world records at distances between 1,500 meters and 2 miles. Watch him and you’ll see that he’s often aided by someone running with him for part […]
Leaders who run too fast or too slowly can encounter significant performance issues for themselves, their teams, and their organizations. Just as middle-distance runners Jakob Ingebrigtsen often benefit from a pacer to regulate their speed, leaders can reap similar advantages from a pacer to better manage their pace. In a survey of 125 employees, it was found that 93% of respondents described leaders whose pace was often inappropriate for the situation, with 75% of those leaders running too fast and 25% running too slowly.
Only 40% of these leaders had a pacer, meaning that the majority (60%) lacked someone to help balance their natural pace. Pacers can assist leaders in making better decisions, sticking to strategic goals, and managing others' energy levels, motivation, and commitment. They enable fast-moving executives to deliberate and avoid chaotic decision-making, while also helping leaders inclined to move slowly overcome analysis paralysis and accept decision deadlines.
Written by urgent.news from MIT Sloan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
