The Power of Distinctions

How we can achieve better results in the long term by making small changes in our thinking

Have you ever been mountain climbing? Suppose you booked a mountain tour in the Himalayas. Then you would have the opportunity to hire an experienced Sherpa as your guide. Thanks to years of practice, he is able to distinguish not only between two types of snow (powder/slush), like me. He can recognize many more types. Adapting to his unique environment has led to his perception becoming increasingly sophisticated—with the result that he can assess different situations better than the average Central European.

By perceiving more, his scope for decision-making expands – and with it his ability to act. This increases his effectiveness as a mountain guide and leads to better results in the form of successful tours. The principle behind this can be expressed using the graphic above.

Thinking, acting, results

Our thoughts influence our emotions and thus our actions. This process is visible in its effects and results. Distinctions are made on a mental level. The triad is: thinking, acting, results.

In the example above, it looks like this: The Sherpa learns to recognize the type of snow that makes for a safe ascent. This information gives him confidence. He decides to lead his group over the pass before the weather deteriorates, and is successful.

So let's remember: the results we achieve in our lives are the consequence of a chain of thoughts, emotions, and behavior. Our thinking is the first thing we can influence. The quality of our distinctions is crucial here. These distinctions are differentiations in thinking that broaden our perception. After all, differences always contain information. This helps us gain orientation and make better decisions. As a result, we achieve better results. Examples of distinctions are:

• I can understand something without agreeing with it.
• One thing works—instead of not working at all—perhaps not in this way or simply not yet.
• I can know many things, but at the same time only a few can.

Leadership-related competence

For most people, effective distinctions in the context of leadership remain a lifelong mystery. Many students choose a subject that interests them. In this way, they acquire professional competence in the form of specific distinctions. At the latest when they start their careers, it becomes clear that they also need to be able to lead themselves and others. Instead of pursuing their professional competence alone, they are confronted with the challenge that their leadership skills are increasingly in demand. But where have they learned and trained the relevant distinctions up to that point?

In most cases, not at university. Leadership skills are rarely taught there. Many people receive their first promotion to team leader completely unprepared, after having delivered good results in their area of expertise. Leadership responsibility as a reward. Most of them are not even aware that they are now entering new territory! A high level of expertise does not necessarily translate into a high level of leadership skills.

At the Grundl Leadership Academy ^, we consistently work with specific distinctions. They form a solid foundation for the Leading^Simple® leadership system^. I warmly invite you to try out the following distinctions for yourself. Mental awareness alone will not help you. As a human being, you always need practical experience as well!

Understanding without agreeing

Hedda Lauer has already described one of the most important distinctions in detail with regard to managing change processes: "Understanding without having to agree."

How many people do you know who, in arguments, throw a definitive "I just don't understand you!" at the other person, when what they really mean is"I disagree"? Most people pretend to listen, but are actually only concerned with themselves. They are already thinking about how to respond or deciding whether they agree. It's a battle of worldviews. This has little to do with true communication, let alone professional leadership! leader , and those being led want to be understood. As a strong personality, you can increase your impact by gaining access to the other person's world through "understanding without agreeing."

Your inner attitude is crucial here: Do I want to understand what the other person has to say? Do I not understand them, or do I simply disagree? If you have enough space within yourself, you don't have to evaluate things immediately, but can leave them as they are for the time being. You give less hasty advice and perceive your counterpart.

By continually practicing the distinction between"understanding/agreeing,"you cultivate the underlying attitude of understanding, openness, and interest. Of course, you don't always have to behave this way. It is enough to notice when it is helpful and then change your perspective as if you were changing your glasses. In this way, you will achieve consistently better results through a lasting change in thinking and corresponding action – and this is guaranteed in every context in which you deal with people.

What would happen if every single person in your organization, team, or partnership applied just this one distinction every day? A single distinction with immense impact—if applied consistently.

Not just knowing, but being able to do it!

Boris Grundl explains another distinction in his article "Less knowledge, more skill!."
At a time when we are inundated with information and knowledge, we must consciously invest our available resources in topics that have substance and achieve a strong impact, regardless of the latest trends. Instead of constantly starting new things, we achieve more impact by focusing on a few things and pursuing them in depth with consistency.

My personal story on "knowing/being able to"

I speak from personal experience here: the more knowledge I accumulated in the past, whether through my studies or from books on success psychology, the more frustrated I became. Because the desired results failed to materialize. I knew a lot, but I couldn't do enough. When I first read the section on "knowing less, doing more"in the book"Make Me Happy,"it struck a chord. Busted! My enthusiasm is my greatest strength. Unfortunately, back then, it often led me to constantly start new projects and give up before I had achieved conscious or even unconscious competence.

The result: frustration.
The solution for me: the principle of "know less, do more." I gave up trying to absorb everything at once. For two years now, I have been working on understanding/agreeing every day.
The result today: my mental flexibility has increased significantly. I no longer need to have the last word all the time. I am more accepting of others as they are. The quality of my relationships and my questions has improved immensely.

Final conclusion

The essence of the distinctions is that they can be explained quickly and intellectually. However, they only take effect when they are applied consistently! Your brain is constantly striving to save energy. New connections in the brain cost energy. Imagine a large square with a mulled wine stand covered by 40 centimeters of fresh snow. Let's assume there is only one well-trodden path leading there. The snow here is firm and no longer slippery. If you practice "understanding without agreeing"for the very first time in your next conversation, it will be like trudging through the snow from the other side of the square to the stand. Exhausting? Unfamiliar? Yes!
The more often you take this path, the more you pave it. Analogous to the brain: the neural connection develops. Under certain conditions, people can also use a kind of snowplow to build new connections.

If you've stuck with us this far, you now know a thing or two about the difference between the two. But in the long run, only one thing matters: can you do it too? The next time someone tells you they don't understand you, take a deep breath. Just ask, "Do you not understand, or do you disagree?"