Who Has Gist?

We’re all aware of people who seem to have a special knack for getting to the heart of the matter and making the smart choice. We admire their ability to cut to the chase, separate the wheat from the chaff, connect the dots, and make the important decisions. Their insights come in a flash, their assessments are spot-on, and their decisions prove to be right more often than not. Consider the CEO who weighs the disparate views of a divided executive team, assesses dozens of possible courses of action, and makes the decision that ultimately saves the company. Or the major league baseball manager who sizes up a situation in the bottom of the ninth, considers dozens of possible moves, and flashes the sign that sets up the game-winning play. Or the emergency medical technician who arrives at an accident scene, examines a severely injured person, and applies the treatment that keeps the patient breathing all the way to the emergency room. 

At age 60 Ray Anderson had a gist moment of epic proportion. At the time Anderson was the founder and chair of Interface, the world’s largest manufacturer of modular carpet. A staffer had asked him about the company’s environmental policy, and he realized it didn’t exist. Pouring his passion into the task of creating one, he had a remarkable series of insights and decisions that reduced carbon emissions by 60 percent, slashed energy and water use, and scaled back the amount of waste products sent to landfills. At the same time, profits rose.