“Leadership is a journey, not a destination. It is a marathon, not a sprint. It is a process, not an outcome.” — Bill George
Me and my family love road trips. For probably the last 15 years or so, we have made the long drive down to Southwest Florida. And the last 11(since we had our daughter Isabella), both her and our son Gabe have made the 1.5 day drive. While we definitely appreciate the times when we fly and make it there in just a few hours, there is something awesome about the memories we make when we drive. The bathroom breaks at the truck stops when we let the kiddos pick out a stuffed animal, eating Chik-Fil-A in the vehicle parking lot while we watch the dozen workers smoothly navigate the flow of traffic around the building, to the jogging around rest area stops as we stretch our legs. It makes us appreciate the journey just as much as we are going to enjoy our beloved Florida vacas!
In our lives and leadership, we should learn to appreciate and value the journey just as much as the destination. Whether you are a leader of today or tomorrow – and no matter your field – thinking consciously about leadership is essential, as this will affect your choices, decisions, and performance. “I want to get promoted. I want to make more money. I want to have a powerful job title. I want to have a corner office with windows.” I have heard them all. These words echo throughout the hallways, offices and common spaces at practically every single company!
There is nothing wrong with having lofty goals and ambition. On the other hand, what does it all mean? Will you be a better leader or feel more fulfilled at your core when you get that promotion or that title? Probably not. At least not without a little bit of help and examination of other parts of your work and personal life. Remember, success is gained in inches, not miles. Maybe the first step in getting moving for you is a small change. Trying to make big changes too quickly can paralyze you with fear because it can appear unachievable. Remember I mentioned we appreciate the flight to Florida? I don’t think we would appreciate it as much had we not made the drive some 25+ times now!
Try organizing your day to be more efficient with your time, or reading a book that broadens your perspective on life. Or taking 5 minutes from your morning to read Sam’s blogs. Any small change that can make you better is worth making!
The greatest mistake I see young leaders make is attempting to skip the small steps in the beginning. They want to fly right to the destination. When they do this they end up missing out on the many important lessons that must be learned before big steps can be taken. They spend all of their time looking around at other leaders doing big things and get tricked into thinking they should be there already.
It may sound simple but the only place you can start is exactly where you are. Don’t be fooled: success is a journey, not a destination.