On my recent long-haul flight, before the flight attendants began their safety announcement, the pilot spoke over the intercom:
“Folks, please pay attention to the safety instructions. It’s better to know it and not need it … than to not know it and need it.”
But then later, as with most flights, came a stream of information:
“We’re cruising at 35,000 feet.” “The outside temperature is minus 42°C.”And I found myself thinking… What exactly am I supposed to *do* with that?
It made me reflect on something bigger:
We don’t suffer from a lack of information.
We suffer from too much of it.
As leaders, we’re constantly bombarded – data, updates, opinions, dashboards…
Some of it matters. Much of it doesn’t.The real skill today isn’t access to information. It’s discernment around what to focus on – and what to ignore.
Because when everything feels important, nothing is.
And that’s where leaders get into trouble: they get distracted, slowed down, or focused on the wrong things.
The strongest leaders I work with aren’t the ones who know the most.
They’re the ones who are clear on what matters most.
In a world of endless input, your advantage isn’t information. It’s *focus.*
I’m curious: How do you personally separate “need to know” from “nice to know”?