I recently watched one of the best graduation speeches that I have ever seen. The speech was given by Texas A&M head Basketball Coach Buzz Williams to the graduates of his son’s high school.  During the speech, Coach Williams presented each of the graduating students with a protractor. I was as confused as many of them were as I pondered why he would gift a tool that very few people are aware of and that even fewer people use.

Coach Williams anticipated our confusion, and went on to explain the difference between a protractor and a ruler. He reminded the audience that a ruler is the more common instrument. Most of us are familiar with rulers. It’s a strip of wood or metal marked with lines that measure centimeters and inches, and is typically used to draw straight lines. I actually carry a ruler in my work bag, and use it for a variety of tasks including underlining phrases and ideas, and drawing boxes in my notebooks to highlight tasks. A protractor is less familiar. It is a ruler with a curved arc. I hadn’t seen one or used one in decades. But whereas rulers measure straight lines, protractors measure angles. HIs point was that success in life is less about straight lines, and more about angles. We must perfect the art of studying the angles that are available in any given situation.

I was blown away by the simplicity of his demonstration and the profundity of his insight. Geometrically speaking, an angle is “the amount of rotation needed to bring one line or plane into coincidence with another, generally measured by degrees.” An angle is basically the point at which two lines meet, and the distance between them. However, like most ideas or concepts, what it is and how it is understood or applied can vary considerably. When we ask someone “what’s your angle?,” we usually are asking what their perspective is about a situation or a person. When we say that a person has “an angle,” it usually isn’t a compliment. It usually means that they are approaching a situation with an ulterior motive that is usually (but not necessarily) dishonest. But if we keep in mind the geometric meaning of the idea, it becomes an incredible helpful way of navigating the world. Although the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, approaching life as a series of straight lines is a recipe for disaster. Rarely do our lives move in straight lines. We zig and zag. And zigging and zagging are angular phenomena.

As I reflected on my experience, I was amazed at the relevance of this insight. I grew up playing sports. And I remember my high school basketball coach telling us that whenever we played defense, to study which hand the opposing player used to dribble the ball, and to force him to move in the opposite direction. If my opponent dribbled with his right hand, Coach would yell “force him left.” If my opponent dribbled with his left hand, Coach would yell “force him right..” Defense was about studying the angles. The idea was to push my opponent to a position that would increase his ineffectiveness. And that’s basically what angles are about: positioning, optimization, and precision.

Here’s today’s takeaway: Instead of approaching life as a series of straight lines, start studying the angles.

One of the best examples of the “angular approach” to success is the message that the prophet Nathan delivered to King David in one of the most notorious episodes in scripture. Although David is one of the heroes of scripture, he made a series of less than heroic decisions in the later seasons of his life. One of those decisions was particularly heinous. He had an affair with the wife of one of his soldiers, arranged to have him killed, married the widow, and tried to cover it all up.  The scripture plainly states in 2 Samuel 11:27 that “the thing that David did displeased the Lord.”

To express his displeasure, God sent the prophet Nathan to rebuke David. But how Nathan shared the divine displeasure is a case study in studying the angles. Instead of coming right out and telling David that he was a horrible person, Nathan told David a story about a rich man who stole the sheep of a poor man to serve a meal at his home for some guests. Then, he asked David what he thought should happen to the rich man. According to 2 Samuel 12:5-6, this was David’s response:

David exploded in anger. “As surely as God lives,” he said to Nathan, “the man who did this ought to be lynched! He must repay for the lamb four times over for his crime and his stinginess!”

“You’re the man!” said Nathan.

When David realized that the story was about him, he accepted responsibility for his actions, repented, and eventually his relationship with God was restored. Moreover, Nathan’s life was preserved and his influence was protected. If Nathan had taken a more direct approach, it is highly probable neither of those outcomes may have obtained. The Bible is filled with stories of kings that killed prophets who questioned their behavior, challenged their ideas, and resisted their policies. It is clear that Nathan had studied the angles.

To study the angles is to spend less time thinking about your destination, and more time thinking about the best route to get there. Start asking yourself the following questions: How can I improve my position? What is the best approach? Is there a better way to do this? Sometimes it’s better to go around an obstacle than to go through it.