The 108 Skills of Natural Born Leaders

36. Go into the GAP: Gain Another Perspective

Providing direction does not start with knowing what to do. It starts with knowing what is going on. The ability to clearly understand a situation is a prerequisite to recognizing the best course of action. Exceptional leaders go into the GAP—that is, they "gain another perspective"—to figure out what is going on. By gaining another perspective, they recognize cues and patterns and pick up the telltale signs that enable them to say, "This is the way to go."

Jenny J. Ming, president of Old Navy, makes going into the GAP part of her regular routine. She frequently travels to trendsetting cities to figure out which fashions will appeal to fickle teens. On a trip to London she observed how teens were ...