Aerodynamicist Dan Fallows has served as the technical director of both the Aston Martin and Red Bull Formula 1 racing teams. To say he knows a thing or two about what makes cars go faster would be an extreme understatement.
He is considered a master of “downforce,” the turbulence created by high cornering speeds. Conquer the downforce through advanced engineering, and you will win races.
But Fallows knows the speed of the car depends as much on the driver’s ability as it does on the advanced electronics his team invents. And not just the ability to drive the car. In fact, when it comes to winning, he believes the all-time greatest drivers share a common ability to describe the car.
They are so attuned to their vehicles that the best drivers can precisely describe to the technical team how the car is behaving. In other words, what the car is doing or not doing. They listen attentively to what their car tells them from its movements or lack of them. It is this insight that allows the technical team to make modifications to change the so-called behavior of the car.
Great leaders share the same quality. They are so attuned to the teams they lead that they can accurately describe what is happening — or not happening — with them at any moment in time, especially if there is a problem. They don’t need anyone to underline what is at issue. Instead, they have learned to listen for what isn’t getting said or discussed.
When it comes to team dynamics, it’s what doesn’t get said or discussed that indicates a critical problem. Because they know how the team normally behaves, the best leaders can instantly tell when team members are acting out of the ordinary by ducking or avoiding an issue. When team members are silent or refrain from debate or choose to skirt past an important issue, leaders know something important is up. And they quickly explore why. They know team silence can truly be deadly.
Sometimes, the lack of discussion or advocacy simply means everyone is busy and distracted. But the downforce in teams is reflected most by an absence of what normally occurs. In other words, what doesn’t get said or engaged that typically does indicates a problem.
Highly aware leaders can spot this danger sign almost instantly. Addressing the matter quickly serves to recenter the team and get it back on track. Leaders who miss it often wind up confronting a growing dissent without warning. That’s because turbulence in teams can often be felt but not seen.
Listening for the unspoken is not something that gets taught in business school, nor is it a common practice by even experienced leaders. Yet, the best leaders all watch and listen for it. They set a baseline and then acutely observe what doesn’t happen or doesn’t get said that normally does.
The speed in which those highly skilled at this can discern an issue rivals the fastest Formula 1 car. Great leaders listen for the absence of discussion. And then they race toward the problem.
A Daily Dispatch from the Front Lines of Leadership.
