“Dash or Dither”…. A leadership tempo dilemma

  

As a history fan, I read a lot of non-fiction history books and love to listen to podcasts that review key moments/events across the centuries and across geographies.  Listening to a recent WW2 podcast, the concept of “Dash or Dither” was explored it caught my attention.  The podcast was reviewing key events early in the war when both the British and German armies invaded Norway… and without realizing it they invaded at the exact same time.  I won’t take any time today to discuss the military or historic elements specific to these events, but the podcast hosts were discussing that one set of Generals/senior officers were incredibly slow/ planful/ deliberate as they approached the operation, while the opposing Generals/senior officers acted swiftly/impulsively/rashly against the same objectives.  The hosts used the “Dash vs Dither” language in their description, and it got me thinking about the application of this idea in the business leadership context.

To begin with, let’s start with a few definitions:

“Dash”: verb, “To run or move quickly or hastily

“Dither”: verb, “to act nervously or indecisively”

 

In our cultural context today, it is easy and potentially natural to praise the “dash” in a leader’s approach, and to critique those leaders who “dither.”  In my experience leading large organizations, it can be at minimum distracting, often actually dangerous for teams to actually see a senior leader “dither” (to be uncertain, having a hard time making a tough decision, vacillate between competing strategic alternatives, etc.) Equally it is troublesome and also dangerous to “see” senior leaders unthinkingly “dash” toward solutions that are ill considered or even ill-advised. 

 It’s in this context that I came to realize that neither “Dash” nor “Dither” SINGULARLY are the right or appropriate leadership tempos… instead a nuanced blend between the two seems to be the better, more balanced approach.  Back in 2012, I wrote an essay titled “Over the hood and over the horizon” ( https://fylegacy.blogspot.com/2012/04/over-hood-over-horizon.html)  sharing the story of a lesson that I was taught about how leaders ALWAYS have to toggle their viewpoints between short term tactical/executional dynamics and longer-term strategic considerations.  Literally earlier this week I shared this story in a coaching conversation I was having with a young leader who works together with me on a non-profit board.  It dawned on me that in the same fashion of “over the hood and over the horizon,” successful leaders need to become agile and comfortable at a wide variety of leadership tempos… dependent on the circumstances.  There will be moments where a market-based opportunity presents itself and a leader MUST accelerate an organization to capture the moment.  Equally, a leader MUST remember the lessons from another old essay of mine titled “P/B/R” ( https://fylegacy.blogspot.com/2009/07/pbr-maybe-not-what-you-think.html) where I shared an important lesson of leaders needing to learn how to “Pause, Breathe, and Reconnect.”  

The art of great leaders is neither to “dash” nor “dither” unilaterally …. but to be able to navigate the landscape and lead organizations at a wide range of tempos, best oriented to capture the opportunities that are present, or avoid the dangerous pitfalls that abound.

 

250 years of families working on the "Promise"

 

I share below a "small note" that I wrote and sent to my family this past weekend.  Our family, like so many other American families have connections to the "promise" laid out in the Declaration of Independence from a wide range of eras, backgrounds and circumstances.  That "promise" continues to need all of our focus, energy and strength for the years, decades and centuries ahead, and I encourage you and your families to reflect on your own histories and find your connection points to the noble cause ahead.

July 4, 2026: Highlands NC

 

On this historic day, I wanted to reflect on the “promise” of the concept of our country, and how family has connected with that “promise” over the decades/centuries.  The promise I speak about was captured in the declaration 250 years ago today and includes the fundamental principles that “all men (all humans!!) are created equal” and that the fundamental rights that are self-evident are of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”   In today’s political climate it is easy to find oneself negative, angry, hopeless and pessimistic about the state of our republic and the quality of our democratic discourse.  It is not only understandable broadly, but I often personally share those same discouraging feelings.  My message in this little note today is to share that our family broadly and historically has been part of the “promise” of this nation and while that truth has be realized over the years looking backward over time, it is equally important that it is still being realized today and will need to be realized looking to the future.  

Thinking back across the family, I wanted to highlight four individuals to bring this story to life:

Marie Heidersheid: My maternal great grandmother came to America in the late 1880’s from Pratz Germany (now Luxembourg), looking for a better life.  She was 20 and came to New York alone to be a servant/maid.  She learned English in New York, worked hard her whole life and built a family legacy that included my mother Arlene “Marie”, my sister Alice “Marie” and our sweet daughter “Marie” Jane Levisay!

Peregrine White:  Jane Firmin Saliers, my dear departed mother-in-law came from a long historic family line that literally goes back to the founding ships arriving as early colonists.  A distant relative of hers, Peregrine White, was literally born on the Mayflower in a Massachusetts Harbor in early 1620.  A baby of a pilgrim family looking for a land that might offer religious freedom and a new start.

Adolphus Saliers: The great-great grandfather of Don Saliers, Adolphus was part of the Saliers clan who had left France in the mid 1600’s and were early settlers in Quebec.  The Saliers family lived in Quebec for a number of generations and Adolphus was the one in the mid 1800’s who came to America and found his way to Huron County Ohio to seek a better life.

Michael Livesey:  We will leave the last name spelling for another day, but the Levisays  (Livesays/Liveseys/Livezeys/etc.) came to Virginia in the late 1600’s fleeing the restoration of the crown in England in 1660.  Michael Livesey had been one of the individuals who had signed the death sentence for Charles 1^st… and known as a “regicide.”  When Charles the 2^nd came back to England and was made King, the regicides were “hunted” and Michael Livesey fled England to Holland, and many members of the Levisay family fled England and came to Virginia in the late 1600’s/early 1700’s to try to build a new life.

 

These four little stories illuminate from very different angles, dates, origin stories and circumstances that the “promise” made 250 years ago was not abstract or theoretical.  Its real and alive in our family story historically and is alive as we move into our story in the years ahead.

 

Happy 4^th of July and happy 250^th !!

postscript: The photo above is from the fireworks show in Highlands the night I wrote the "little note" to my family... a great way to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our country and to mark the important work that lies ahead!