The Concepts of Understanding and Ownership

Crunch Time
by Ken Lindner

(Page 5 of 5)

Years ago, a story was told to me about a reporter who was assigned by his TV station to cover a serious accident. The story allegedly unfolded this way:

Upon arriving at the scene of the accident, the reporter quickly and without great care scanned the area. He then went on to do some other things - such as watch a baseball playoff game on TV - until it was time to deliver his report. As the reporter began his presentation, he did his trademark "walk and talk" routine, walking around the accident scene and directing the camera to various points of interest while he flawlessly delivered the facts that he had memorized earlier.

When the reporter finished, the studio anchor advised both the reporter and the viewers that an unexpected development had just occurred. The anchor shared the development with the reporter and the viewers, and then asked the reporter to "analyze how the information might affect the situation." Upon hearing the question, the reporter immediately panicked. His brain apparently locked, and he couldn't speak for what seemed like an excruciatingly endless amount of time. As the reporter had only surveyed the surface facts about the story, he didn't understand its essentials, and therefore, he had no clue as to how to intelligently respond to the ever-changing situation. A moment or so later, the anchor nervously asked the question again. The reporter continued to stand there, speechless, staring blankly into the camera. Finally, the reporter began to speak. However, to everyone's embarrassment, he began to simply regurgitate the memorized facts, word for word, that he had given moments earlier - while never attempting to answer the anchor's question. As he did this, a near-hysterical producer implored the anchor to segue, as soon as possible, out of the report and back to the studio.

The reporter was fired soon thereafter.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are reporters who pride themselves on attaining a thorough understanding of their material. They can deliver their stories during torrential downpours, amidst gunfire, in the face of gale-force winds, and with curve after unexpected curve being thrown at them. And through it all, they don't lose their presence of mind or their ability to creatively and effectively deal with and thrive when major changes or delicate nuances are presented. By familiarizing themselves with and understanding the elements of their story, they can see everything in the insightful context of the "Big Picture." These individuals are said to have taken ownership of their work. They've mastered the material and made it their own.

Having been in the representation business for twenty years and a Student of Life for even longer, I see examples of both ends of the spectrum every day. Some individuals take responsibility for, and master their actions and decisions in a healthy and proactive manner. Others, passively and/or destructively, do not.

We are all performers in life in that day in and day out we perform hundreds of functions. The reporter who froze was a performer who didn't understand the why and the how of the story that he was reporting on. He only knew the superficial facts, and he didn't care enough to have a deeper understanding of the situation. Therefore, during a crisis period, when others with a more thorough knowledge and understanding might well have insightfully and adeptly processed and then appropriately responded to the anchor's question, this reporter was unprepared. He froze. He didn't know what to do or say, and he eventually ran for cover to his old (behavioral) script - literally!

In life, many of us act as this reporter did, by taking the path of least resistance. We perform the familiar scripts of our lives, without any thoughtful preparation, exploration, evaluation, understanding, or ownership. And in crises, we reflexively revert back to, run under the seemingly protective umbrella of, and act out our old behavioral patterns and strategies, even if they are crippling and diminishing and are truly hurting us and preventing our constructive growth.

The day that my life changed immeasurably for the better was the day that I began to take ownership of my decisions and my actions. This ownership required, first and foremost, that I seek to attain a truer and more comprehensive view and understanding of myself and of my behavior, as well as a fuller understanding of others and of the events around me.

Similarly, if you are to make constructive and enhancing decisions that will lead to the attainment of your most cherished goals and your truest inner happiness, you, too, must begin to take ownership of your decisions, of your actions, and of your life.

Strategy and its Execution

As soon as I took up paddle tennis, I learned how important it is to have various effective strategies available to me. A strategy to make time to practice and play. A strategy to keep improving. A strategy for playing a particular opponent. A strategy to get better players to want to include me in their games. A strategy as to how to lose weight, become more agile, gain speed, etc.

Athletics have taught me to anticipate and to make plans, in advance, that will help me effectively pursue and attain my goals. When strategies worked for me, I learned to integrate them into my decision-making and behavioral repertoires. When they didn't work, I learned to modify or discard them. As I became more mature, I learned that some strategies work in some circumstances but not in others, which means their effectiveness is context-related. As I continued to grow, I discovered that you can transfer a strategy from one facet of your life and apply it to another. For example, I used all of my Strategies regarding discipline, delayed gratification, mastering each step, Big-Picture thinking, etc., that I had successfully employed in my athletic endeavors, to doing my college course-work, starting my businesses, and writing my books.

Athletics have taught me that you must have short-term strategies and long-term strategies, and that you must keep creating, acquiring and adjusting your strategies with each new experience.

Being constructively strategy-minded has enabled me and many of my clients to achieve our most cherished dreams.

However, it is crucial to keep in mind that you can be the best strategist, but if you can't effectively execute and implement your strategies at the appropriate time, or in the appropriate place, it can all be for nothing.

The key is to be both a constructive and wise strategist, and to prepare thoroughly, so that you will have the ability to correctly and effectively execute your strategies at Crunch Time.

The Concept of Carpe Diem!

Carpe Diem (car-pay dee-um) is Latin for "seize the day" - that is, to make the very most of the moment at hand. The concept of carpe diem is infused with positive and constructive spirit and emotion. Throughout our journey, carpe diem will represent your great potential for proactively taking constructive and enhancing ownership of your decisions and your life. The high value we place on this passionate spirit and your precious potential is the foundation upon which every step of our journey is based.

All right! We've just laid the basis of our decision-making foundation. On to the fun stuff ....

Copyright © 2005 Ken Lindner

About the Author

Ken Lindner has represented hundreds of the country's most prominent anchors and reporters, including Matt Lauer, Elizabeth Vargas, Lester Holt, and Paula Zahn. A magna cum laude graduate of Harvard, he worked as an attorney for the William Morris Agency before founding Ken Lindner & Associates.