Mind the Gap

Americans refer to the underground trains that run the labyrinths of tunnels beneath our metropolises as subways.  Londoners affectionately call theirs the Tube.  Anyone reading who has spent time in the Tube already hears the voice; "Mind the Gap." 

Though veteran Londoners have long sense become desensitized to it, any visitor to London's Tube is left with the audible imprint of the polite yet authoritative British voice.  The voice speaks to riders just before each stop (or on the platform as one awaits the incoming train).  "Mind the Gap."

I encountered the voice on my first (and only) trip to London about 15 years ago, and I still manage to bring "Mind the Gap" into conversation at least once a week.  That could be due to the fact that I have very little creative conversational ammunition; or it could be, as I believe, that the voice made its impression. 

The voice tells us to mind the gap because when riding the tube - or the American equivalent - there is a gap that must be minded.  The gap is the void that exists between the train door and the platform (or vice versa).  If one were not to mind the gap and step clumsily into this void, he would be horribly killed or disfigured (or at least twist an ankle) due to his lack of attention to the voice.  Therefore the rider is reminded again and again, stop after stop to "Mind the Gap." 

As leaders we are often unaware of our Gaps; or possibly worse, we are unconcerned by them.  This is a problem that cannot simply be chalked up to naiveté.  The Gap exists as the void between who we perceive ourselves to be and who we really are. Trust me, those whom we lead are aware of our Gaps even if we are not. 

I have also at times referred to the Gap as the Hypocrisy Gap.  This speaks more to the distance between what we believe and how we behave.  Character, or the lack thereof, is discovered both in the breadth of the Gap and the proactive and humble awareness of its existence; e.g. “I know it’s there and I am committed to working to close it.”  It is often well said that reputation is a reflection of how we are perceived by others, but character is who we really are - another example of the Gap.  Pride tends to gloss over our Gaps and makes us consciously or subconsciously unaware and unconcerned.  We see this scenario again and again on national and personal levels, often with tragic consequences.  Headlines and homes are filled with stories of those who have failed to Mind the Gap.

Even more subtly, and long before failure - or tumbling into the void, to keep with the metaphor - the leader’s Gap creates tension.  The pressure builds both internally and externally (the former most often leading to the latter).  This tension is the telltale sign that we are putting a foot out into the abyss, where there is no platform or train.  The unspoken tension manifests itself in the teams we lead, eroding the foundations of communication, trust, and common vision.  The leader’s Gap creates dysfunction in multiple arenas when it is not Minded.

There is hope.  It is found in the simple yet profound statement, “Mind the Gap.”  The road to recovery begins through the tollgate of admission.  The leader must be humble and introspective enough to take inventory.  “Where are my Gaps?”  “How big are they?”  And, “What (undesirable) cultural effects are they creating in the teams I lead.”  If we are humble and persistent in asking - and those whom we ask have no fear of consequences - it won’t take long for the Gaps to present themselves.   The bigger the Gaps, and the longer they have been left unminded, the more difficult this process will be.  Trust, as Rome, is not built in a day, but burns easily.  However, authentic humility will eventually win the day.  These qualities – authenticity and humility – are the stuff of great leaders, and serve as the most important pillars in bridging the Gap.

I think all leaders need take a trip to London if for nothing else, to by a Mind the Gap t-shirt - they really are sold in about every souvenir shop.  We should wear them daily, probably in mirror image so that we can read them every time we take a look at ourselves.  After all, that is where true leadership begins – with a  look in the mirror; and a decision to Mind the Gap.