Paying It Forward: Life is hard
The journey matters more. Aim for the stars and you might land on the moon. If not, then life is hard. Enjoy either journey.
Experience can be painful. If you persist in the same manner, life is hard. Creativity offers a different way. Success is encouraging. Wisdom comes from experience.
Worthy goals are set following Michelangelo’s words, ‘The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high, and we miss it, but that it is too low, and we reach it.’
Leaders define the culture for success in attaining goals. Cultures are established with goals that are methodically pursued and achieved. Over time, such repeated successes become second nature as a culture is established.
The goals have to matter, if we don’t aim high enough, all or some may be impacted -- customers, volunteers, funders, our public.
An inspirational Japanese proverb, ‘Fall down seven times, get up eight,’ encourages us to attack our goals anew for the learning yet to come. For we now know another way that doesn’t work.
Leaders remind the team, though we missed our aggressive goals, we did better than the “safe” goal. Leaders know the journey matters more than any one goal with or without pain and consequences. Overall success offers both personal growth and satisfaction with good leaders.
Great leaders enjoying great success develop, grow and mentor others through the right experiences for additional leadership to scale the organization. Leadership is service to others. Help others achieve their goals.
Leadership, at any level in a profit or nonprofit, is the ultimate personal growth challenge in the retention and development of employees, volunteers and funders making it possible for all to succeed.
As the saying goes, aim for the stars and you might land on the moon. If not, then life is hard. Enjoy either journey.
Detour on your journey driving by MSU’s Burns Fantasy of Lights. Displays are lit from 6 pm to 10 pm every day through December 26th! Donate if you can, no MSU funding received. While nearby, also tour neighborhood holiday decorations. Watch for pedestrians!
Consider others these holidays. Serve as you can, when you can, and you will receive. Mail your Christmas cards now, as a written word can mean more on another’s journey than any material gift.
Jack Browne is a community volunteer and former engineer, who became a technology sales and marketing executive over 40 years at Motorola Austin, MIPS Technologies and other silicon valley companies. How are the children doing?