Mark C. Winters explains why integrators seem pessimistic to visionary leaders: they're wired to see constraints, not gloom. He suggests integrators say "yes if" instead of "no," and visionaries learn to hear "no" as "what needs to be true first."
Hi everybody, it's Mark C. Winters and I got a little picture for you today. So this is a glass, it's got some water in it and I'm wondering if you see this glass as being half full or do you see it as being half empty. This is what's behind a question that we've received in the online forum that I'd like to talk to you a little bit about today. So this is from Justin, and Justin says pessimist integrators are integrators. Pessimists. I'm trying to prepare interview questions for my integrator search. As I look at the attributes of an integrator, it appears that they are pessimists. It seems really odd to me, an optimist, that I should actually be searching for a pessimist to add to my organization. Can someone help me with this? Should I really be searching for a pessimist? I guess I can see where it could make sense to balance my optimism. It just seems odd for me. Gut check from Justin in our online forum. So here's a key point. Just because you see someone, just because a visionary sees someone as pessimistic does not mean that they are pessimistic. Little bit of a difference there, right? So when a visionary with their unbridled optimism is running free on the range and all of a sudden they hit a wall that says no, it hurts a little bit. But visionaries, I want you to recognize that it's important that every once in a while someone does stop you and sometimes it takes a no to stop you and they need to ask you some really hard questions. Okay? So it's a wiring difference. It's a difference in how the visionary is simply genetically encoded and how that integrator is genetically encoded. So I want you to remember, even though we're all wired differently, it's not incumbent entirely on one or the other to change and adapt completely, right? So we want to find that effective middle where we understand where the other one's coming from and we can come partway to them and they can sort of come partway to us and we can find that effective middle ground where we can communicate and talk about the things that we need to talk about. Alright? So here's a pro tip for you integrators. When you're talking to your visionaries and you feel like you need to tell them no, I want you to consider saying yes if and lay out the hard questions, the hard reality that they have to face and consider before we would actually go along with whatever it is that's been thrown out there. And visionaries on the other hand, remember it's not 100% incumbent on them to come all the way to your spot. So when they sometimes say no in your brain, I want you to hear yes if and then ask them what needs to be true, what needs to happen for us to be able to do that, so that you can consider the trade offs that may need to be made there. Okay? So to come back to Justin's question and answer it. Justin, a visionary is not looking for a pessimist to add to their organization. They're looking for someone to ask the necessary no and ask those hard questions that we need to confront. And it's also important for you integrators out there, we put that in there. We want you to realize that often being perceived, being seen as a pessimist, it just comes with the territory. It's the nature of the role. So. So you've got to be okay with that. Alright, so three key questions to wrap this one up. Just because we see someone as a pessimist doesn't mean they are a pessimist. We see them as pessimistic. It doesn't mean that they are a pessimist. Second, yes, visionary, someone does need to tell you no from time to time and ask those hard questions. And third thing, visionaries, when that integrator tells you no, I want you to hear it as yes if and ask them what are the hard questions that we need to answer in order to make it possible. Thanks for watching. Today at Rocket Fuel Ventures, we're all about creating the most powerful visionary integrator duos on the planet. And we do that by helping you crystallize what it means to be a visionary and an integrator so you can understand if that concept can help you and if you decide it can, to get connected with your complementary counterpart and then finally maximize that relationship to make it everything it can be to help you take your company to the next level. So if you want more rocket fuel, please check out our website@rocketfuelnow.com and that's where you can sign up for the weekly videos like this. Be sure you're getting these on a regular basis. You can also take the assessments so you can understand as a visionary or as an integrator, where your strengths lie and what the shape is of your two piece puzzles that can help you find that complementary counterpart. And finally, of course, read the book Rocket Fuel and keep those great reviews coming. So until next time, go rocket.
