If that’s got you thinking, great! Because it’s one of those rare questions we’ve ever considered asking ourselves. Or perhaps, we’re plainly scared to face the reality and end up actually doing the work. You know what I’m referring to. The grandiose goals that you have for yourself or your company or your team. You’re committed to them, I know. But you’re also working hard every day to follow a set of processes to ensure that you achieve that goal. And that’s just fantastic! Isn’t that what people call success? Surely, it is!
But what happens once you succeed? Would you stop caring for your people? Would you stop setting goals or yourself or your company? Just stop and reflect on this thought? Do you actually go through every day wondering “how long will take” to accomplish your goal? Only to achieve it and then rinse and repeat? And then you wonder when will you actually “arrive”! Right? That’s fair enough.
But what a drudgery it is to go through this mechanical process of getting from Point A to B for each and every aspect of your life! There’s more to life than just that. No? At the most important priorities don’t have to go through the same treatment. Is there even an option?
Those were my questions when I began my journey to excel in developing leaders and people through coaching and training a few years ago. I’d make a list of the top 20 or 50 books in each and every aspect of leadership, coaching, psychology, business, and whatnot. Each month I would take out time to update that list while checking off the books that I read from that list. On one instance I stopped and asked myself, “when would all this end? When would I actually arrive?” I didn’t get a convincing answer until I read the first edition of John Maxwell’s book “Developing the Leader Within You.”
And then I simply changed my question from “how long will it take” to “how far can I go”? The answer was pretty simple: as far as I can go.
I realized I was single-mindedly focusing on the reaching a destination for something that’s essentially a lifelong pursuit. My hope was to “arrive” there and then start coaching and training people. I sought “credibility” because I was insecure about my own abilities. And I wanted it quick.
Boy, was I wrong? I realized I don’t have to be an expert to coach anyone to reach excellence. I don’t have to be the know-it-all to facilitate training programs that change the way people would think and act. I don’t have to address a 1,000 person audience. Just 10 would do. Or just one. In fact, if a dog is willing to listen I would even train and coach them to lead a pack of dogs! That was how far I was (and am) willing to go.
Have you arrived yet? Or are willing to go as far as you can?