“We do not make decisions, decisions make themselves, but only if we’ve allowed ourselves to pave the ground by passionately exploring all of the options.”
— Peter Brook, theater director
Lately, I’ve been thinking about space.
That thinking eventually led me back to my own professional life and a question I’ve been considering: Where would I like it to go from here?
Rather than rushing toward an answer, I decided to give myself some space.
And space, in this case, meant time.
I’m taking time to “passionately explore all of the options,” as Peter Brook put it. That has meant revisiting some roads less traveled. Inviting incisive criticism. Listening to other points of view. Considering possibilities I might otherwise have dismissed too quickly.
The journey has been sobering at times. It has also been exciting.
Brook once wrote about the possibility of creating great theater in a black box — an empty space without elaborate scenery or production.
Years ago, I saw one of those productions. A minimal set. Two actors.
I loved it.
It reminded me how easily the arts can become smothered in accessories until the main theme gets lost.
Organizations can do the same thing.
I’ve been part of projects and programs that became extravaganzas. More moving parts. More activity. More things we believed we needed.
Sometimes what we really needed was space.
Perhaps decision making in leadership works the same way.
We don’t always need to push harder for the answer. Sometimes we need to clear away enough noise to see the possibilities that were there all along.
That’s what I’m trying to do now.
I’m giving myself space to explore the options.
And I love where it’s taking me.
If this sparks something in you, I’d enjoy hearing where it takes you. Leave a comment on my LinkedIn post and join the conversation.
About the Author, Rick Maurer
