Living the past, present or future

Leaders must think about the future, but followers might not. Zimbardo's and Boyd's new book "The Time Paradox" boldly asks us to "Reclaim Yesterday, Enjoy Today and Master Tomorrow".
Photo by toniVC Flickr CC

Six views on time

Human beings are said to be the only animal floating in time. Most dogs have only one question in their head - "food now?", whereas we can be lost dreaming about a better future, or a past love. In an earlier book by Boyd called "A Geography of Time", he tells about the Balinese calling clock time "rubber time" - showing that there surely are cultural aspects to time as well. In the new book Zimbardo and Boyd classify views on time into six main areas:

• You can look at the past with regret or longing.


• The present can be hedonistic or fatalistic.


• The future can be a threat or a promise.

If you want to test yourself - USA Today has published a self-evaluation (even if the results can be a bit contradictory), linked from their article about the "The Time Paradox".

The Leader and the present

To want maximum pleasure right now might be how we start out life, the baby's crying for the mother's breast - or the dog asking for treats - but doesn't mix well with leadership responsibilities.

To be fatalistic and feel like a victim, is not helping the leader either. In the past I have heard that only 3% of the population has written goals and, as a consequence, the rest are doomed to follow those who have. I don't now about the numbers but if seems reasonable to believe that a clear idea about a positive future will make you recognize opportunities - "Chance favors the prepared mind" as Louis Pasteur famously said.

Conflict caused by different ideas on time

A strongly future oriented leader, surrounded by persons living a hedonistic present, might be seen as a slave-driver. And, vice versa, future oriented staff might see a manager more oriented towards the present and past as totally clueless.

I find the concept of time very interesting and challenging. By experience I have found that to be a good leader, you have to find the people around you wherever they are in the continuum of time and then show them a positive future - only then are you leading! Do you agree? Any thoughts?

Comments

[Louis Pasteur]

Thanks for this great information about Louis Pasteur. It's always fun to see others providing great Pasteur quotes and Pasteur images. Thanks again!