The man who walks…

There are a million leadership and personal development quotes, axioms, and stupid “hang in there” cat posters.

Most of them are well meaning and thoughtful enough to challenge, inspire, or encourage you…

but I heard one leadership quote recently that kinda ticked me off.

Have you heard this one yet?

“The man who enjoys walking will go further than the man who loves the destination.”

I’m a destination guy, but I cannot say I enjoy the walking… 

For me life has mostly followed this sequence:

1. Let’s decide where we are going..

2. And I’ll help us get there as fast as humanly possible.

I think this quote bothers me because destinations are my gift. In organizations and teams I’ve been a part of, I’ve served as a catalyst for expansion and progress. I almost always see a way we can win and get our team where we need to go–despite roadblocks, resistance, or a lack of resources…

So when I see a quote like this, I have to ask myself, “Have I been doing it wrong this whole time?”

The answer is very possibly yes.

Or, maybe…just maybe…our greatest gifts come with equally frustrating downsides.

I believe our greatest gifts have a shadow side.

Maybe you're an ideator, but you fail in execution.

Maybe you’re a great starter, but you’re not a great finisher.

Maybe you’re a details person, but you miss the bigger picture.

Maybe you’re a visionary, but you lack the specifics to build the plan.

Or 

Maybe you’re a destinations person, but you forget to enjoy the journey.

Every leader has their strengths, and no leader has all the gifts, but that doesn’t mean you can be (self) unaware and ignore the downside of the gifts you do have. 

Awareness of the shadow is step 1.

Step 2 is integrating the shadow. 

For me, I know I’ll always be prone to choose product over process, but that doesn’t mean I won’t bring leaders alongside me that help me build a better process, and appropriately slow me down long enough to get it right. 

Good things really do take time. 

So my hope is that I can slow down and enjoy the time it takes.

Consider this question:

What’s the shadow side of your gift, and how can you start to make it an asset?