The Person in The Skybox: A Vantage Point for Business Success

In both football and business, perspective is everything. The ability to view situations from multiple angles can significantly impact decision-making and outcomes. This concept is epitomized by the “person in the skybox”—an essential figure in football who oversees the game from a high vantage point, providing insights and advice that those on the field cannot perceive. This blog explores how this role can be transposed into the business world, offering high-end professionals a strategic advantage.

The Skybox Perspective: Seeing the Bigger Picture

In a football game, the head coach and players on the field are intensely focused on their immediate responsibilities. The physical and situational constraints of the game often limit their vision. Conversely, the person in the skybox has an unobstructed view of the entire field, enabling them to see all twenty-two players and the game’s overall flow. This broader perspective allows for more strategic decision-making.

Kristin Armstrong, a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist, captures this idea perfectly: “It’s not only moving that creates new starting points. Sometimes all it takes is a subtle shift in perspective, an opening of the mind, an intentional pause and reset, or a new route to see new options and possibilities.”

Similarly, in business, leaders often find themselves deeply entrenched in daily operations, which can blur their vision. A trusted advisor, akin to the person in the skybox, can provide the necessary perspective to identify opportunities and threats that might be overlooked.

The Importance of Trusted Advisors

Much like the head coach relies on the person in the skybox, business leaders benefit from having trusted advisors who can offer an objective view of the organization. These advisors can be board members, consultants, mentors, or even key employees who, from a different vantage point, see broader and alternative scenarios that can enhance a business’s performance.

Kathryn Minshew, CEO and Co-Founder of The Muse, emphasizes the value of understanding different perspectives: “Understanding your employee’s perspective can go a long way towards increasing productivity and happiness.” This understanding extends to the strategic level, where insights from a trusted advisor can lead to significant improvements in business performance.

Why You Need a Skybox Person

1. Broader Perspective: An advisor with a skybox view can identify issues and opportunities that might be invisible to those immersed in day-to-day operations.
2. Emotional Detachment: Business owners often have an emotional attachment to their businesses, which can cloud judgment. An external advisor provides an objective viewpoint.
3. Expertise and Experience: Advisors often bring a wealth of knowledge and experience that can complement the business owner’s skill set.
4. Strategic Insights: By analyzing the entire business landscape, an advisor can help make strategic adjustments that enhance overall performance.

Attributes of an Effective Skybox Person

Selecting the right advisor is crucial. The following attributes are essential:

1. Trust: The advisor must be someone you trust implicitly, as they will have access to sensitive information, and their recommendations will significantly impact your decisions.
2. Complementary Skills: The advisor should possess skills and perspectives that the business owner may lack, providing a well-rounded view.
3. Objective Feedback: An effective advisor is not a “yes-man.” They should challenge your ideas and provide constructive criticism.
4. Communication – The advisor will require excellent communication skills in order to effectively share the challenges within an organization and the strategies required to resolve them for everyone to understand.  

Implementing the Skybox Strategy

Regular Communication

As in football, where the head coach constantly communicates with the skybox advisor, business leaders should establish regular communication channels with their advisors. This could be through weekly meetings, monthly reviews, or as-needed consultations.

Periodic Reviews

Schedule periodic business performance reviews, much like halftime in a football game. These reviews allow for reflection, assessment of progress, and necessary adjustments. They provide an opportunity to step back and view the business from the skybox perspective.

Diverse Perspectives

Encourage and value diverse perspectives within your advisory team. As Steve Jobs famously said, “A lot of people in our industry haven’t had very diverse experiences. So, they don’t have enough dots to connect, and they end up with very linear solutions without a broad perspective on the problem. The broader one’s understanding of the human experience, the better design we will have.”

Building Trust

Building a trusting relationship with your advisor takes time. Engage with them early and often so that trust is well established before critical decisions need to be made.

The Personal Skybox: Applying the Concept to Life

The skybox concept isn’t limited to business; it also applies to personal life. Everyone should engage a mentor or advisor who can provide guidance from a broader perspective. This could be a mentor, a coach, or even a close friend or family member whose opinions you respect and trust. We only know what we know, a mentor will expedite the learning curve in life.

Five Parts of Adult Life

Consider the five parts of adult life: home, significant other, children, career, and a fulfilling personal hobby or passion—referred to as “part five.” Each of these areas can benefit from the insights of a skybox person. For example, a mentor can provide career advice, while a coach can help you achieve personal fitness goals.

Listening and Learning

Being open to feedback and different perspectives is crucial. As Larry King, the legendary broadcaster, once said, “I remind myself every morning: Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So if I’m going to learn, I must do it by listening.” This mindset is essential for growth and improvement in both business and personal life.

Seeking Out Advisors

Finding the right advisor takes time and effort. Engage with professional networks, attend industry events, and be proactive in seeking out those who can provide valuable insights.

Conclusion: Elevating Your Game with the Skybox Perspective

We only know what we know. Incorporating the skybox perspective into your business strategy can provide the clarity and strategic insight needed to drive and expedite achieving the success you have established for yourself. Trusted advisors, with their broader view and objective feedback, can help you navigate complex challenges and seize opportunities that might otherwise go unnoticed.

The concept of the person in the skybox can dramatically increase sales, enhance management, and alter manufacturing processes, to name a few. When the perspective changes, so will the outcomes.

As a business leader, it’s essential to recognize the limitations of your perspective and actively seek out those who can offer a higher vantage point. By doing so, you position yourself and your business to achieve greater heights, much like a football team that relies on the critical insights from the skybox to win the game.

In both business and life, remember the value of stepping back, gaining a broader perspective, and listening to trusted advisors. This approach will enhance your decision-making and propel you toward sustained success and fulfillment.

This blog post draws on the insights from the eighth chapter, “The Person in the Skybox”, of my book “First and Ten on the Twenty…is it Football, Business or Life?”, where twenty-four aspects of the business and game of football are explored in depth on how they can be applied to business and life.  For more on strategic planning and achieving business excellence, delve into the full text and discover how to apply these principles.  https://toddsmithconsulting.com/author/

If you would like a more in depth discussion on how this concept could benefit you career or business, feel welcome to contact me at tsmith@toddsmithconsulting.com, or PM me.