Green and Red

There are at least three distinct kinds of drivers on the road. I call them Green/Green, Green/Red, and Red/Red. I think these people exist in our organizations as well and are the cause of much frustration for leaders. What separates these drivers is not any skill or competency, but merely expectations and assumptions. Any successful leader will be well served to discover the expectations and assumptions of his or her followers and learn from them accordingly.

Yes, I said learn, not change or manipulate or deal with. That is always my first response when I find someone has a different outlook from my own, to figure out how I can change them so that they see things my way; the right way. I am growing to see the value in alternate viewpoints, especially when they are connected to a single vision.

Green/Green - These are people who see the green light in front of them and take off, assuming that the next light they meet will also be green.

Green/Red - These are the drivers who move slowly off the line. They recognize that the light in front of them is green, but they figure that the next light will likely be red, so there is no real reason to get in a hurry.

Red/Red - These are the drivers who refuse to recognize or realize the light in front of them is green, and they know that any future light is going to be red, so it is probably just as well to sit where they are.

Understand that I am not trying to make a case for which of these is the best or which you should aspire to, I am simply observing that each of these seem to exist. So, let us look at the inherent strengths and weaknesses of each type and how they might work together.

Green/Green - The world is full of possibilities, and only those who are ready to move will be able to realize them all. The reward always outweighs potential risk in their mind. The words "fast" and "good" are almost synonymous when it comes to decision making. They add strength to a team by opening up possibilities that others might miss and generating momentum towards movement. Their weaknesses often come in the area of recognizing "reality". The truth is reward does not always outweigh risk for every decision. Left unchecked these guys will definitely move your organization somewhere; whether it is a place you like or not is another matter.

Green/Red - The world is full of pitfalls, and those who run ahead haphazardly will fall into them. These people love the story of the turtle and the hare and recite it any time a big decision hits the table. They add strength to a team by opening up risks that others may overlook and helping fill in the plans. Their weakness often arises in very time-sensitive situations. The necessity to make quick decisions adds a great deal of stress, and given their assumption of risk in the future they will often say "no" any time they feel pressed. As such they will likely lead an organization into a safe, secure, and stable future that never quite reaches its potential.

If Green/Green people are rocket fuel, then Green/Red people are their engine housing. In general it is not a good idea to put fire to rocket fuel, but if you have it properly housed in a working engine it can propel you faster than you ever imagined. That is exactly what can happen when people with these two outlooks on life work like a team.

Red/Red - There are not any real strengths to mention about this outlook, and their weaknesses are obvious. Negativity drains energy, creativity, and momentum. The danger when dealing with these people is to assume that they have no strengths. The fact is that their outlook on life often masks their strengths. You will rarely find these people in high leadership positions in an organization, but I would speculate that you can find them quite often within the support structures of many organizations. Leaders have to decide if they are going to help move people out of this mindset or move these people out of the organization. There is no middle ground, because red/red people will drag down an entire department or even company given enough time. Think how many cars are affected by a single driver who refuses to move off the line when the light turns green. The same is true in an organization when one person consistently refuses to move to the vision.