While Coolers wait passively for someone else to form a plan, and Closers think and strategize about a possible plan, Cleaners see beyond one ideal plan and create new options for themselves. This way, when emergencies and unexpected events occur, they are ready to think on their feet and solve problems in the moment. Cleaners always have ideas and are confident in their ability to be flexible.

Like most tasks that Cleaners embrace, being decisive in emergencies involves being open to critique and scrutiny since others may have strong opinions on the course of action they choose. Yet Cleaners are accepting of this since they are impervious to risk.

Grover downplays the need to plan carefully and instead advises people to trust their instincts. Experience helps people face their fears since it teaches them that they can adapt and think under pressure. He points to his own father as an example of a “Total Cleaner.” He arrived in America with very little and worked his way to success. Grover witnessed his fearlessness and work ethic as a child when he accompanied him to his job dismembering cadavers at the hospital.

Like everyone, Cleaners make mistakes, but they immediately own up to them and go back to work, never blaming anyone else or making excuses. Grover believes that admitting to making mistakes is part of taking control and moving forward instead of deluding oneself that one has no control in the situation. He coaches the reader to accept the pressure of being responsible for what they say and do. Grover distinguishes between acting instinctively, which is being decisive and listening to your gut instinct, and impulsively, which is simply making a fast decision for the sake of it. Cleaners will understand the original plan they want to execute but not completely count on it; this keeps them open to flexibility and improvisation.

Grover’s analysis of the ideal response to emergencies emphasizes the importance of taking decisive action when things go wrong. While he argues that he is not talking about “the myth of ‘positive thinking,’ in arguing that self-belief is paramount in handling emergencies competently, he gestures toward some elements of the positive psychology movement of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. His argument especially echoes research like that of psychologist Carol S. Dweck on the way “fixed” versus “growth” mindsets impact performance, as discussed in her 2006 work Mindset. 

Chapter Lessons

• Make plans, but be prepared to be flexible.
• Be instinctive, not impulsive.
• Respond decisively in emergencies.

Reflection Questions

• Are you a planner, or are you more spontaneous? Which is more beneficial, in your opinion?
• Think of a situation in your life where you need to be more decisive. What does your instinct tell you to do?