The Octopus vs. the Whale

Recently, I heard a person describe 2 types of leaders:

1. The Octopus is a leader who has his or her hands in everything. They don’t move very fast because they are always involved in some kind of detail. Every time they pass something that looks interesting or important, they reach out with one of their tentacles to grab it.

2. The Whale is a leader who is built to swim fast. This person is designed to cut through the water with determined focus as he or she gets to their goal. They may miss many interesting things and even pass by details too quickly, but ultimately they don’t have a problem getting where they need to go.

Think about your day and your work-focus. Do you act more like a whale or an octopus? What are the upsides and drawbacks of each?