I was 12 when I read “To See a Mockingbird”; the next year I saw the movie. And when I was 17, I played the lawyer Clarence Darrow in a stage production of this for my high school’s senior play. I love this story, and the Finch character greatly influenced me to always want to see things from other people’s point of view. So, when I became an HR guy, I always tried to put myself in the shoes of the people I was dealing with and see and understand things from their perspective. As a manager or supervisor, you should do this too – there are often multiple sides to everything you deal with and taking the time to consider all of them will greatly improve your decision-making ability. You might do exactly what your first instinct was, but sometimes you might not; it depends on whether there are other circumstances that you couldn’t or wouldn’t see from only your perspective. And when you act in this manner, more than likely you will (1) make better and more informed decisions and, (2) act more fairly. This takes more time, but it’s worth it because, as a leader, you should do what it takes to be right. Consider things from all perspectives today.
Atticus Finch, protagonist in Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird"
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