Balancing Leadership and Success

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In the nineteenth century the greatest tightrope walker in the world was a man named Charles Blondin. On June 30, 1859, he became the first man in history to walk on a tightrope across Niagara Falls. Over twenty-five thousand people gathered to watch him walk 1,100 feet suspended on a tiny rope 160 feet above the raging waters. He worked without a net or safety harness of any kind. The slightest slip would prove fatal. When he safely reached the Canadian side, the crowd burst into thunderous applause and cheers.

In the days that followed, he would walk across the Falls many times. Once he walked across on stilts; another time he took a chair and a stove with him and sat down midway across, cooked an omelet, and ate it. Once he carried his manager across riding piggyback. And once he pushed a wheelbarrow across loaded with 350 pounds of cement. On another occasion he asked the cheering spectators if they thought he could push a man across sitting in a wheelbarrow. A mighty roar of approval rose from the crowd. Seeing a man cheering loudly, he asked, “Sir, do you think I could safely carry you across in this wheelbarrow?” “Yes, of course, said the man in the crowd.” “Well then, get in,” the Great Blondin replied with a smile.

The man wasn’t willing to climb into the wheelbarrow.

This story helps us to understand several life and leadership lessons.

Leaders Know the Road to Success Can Sometimes Feel More Like a Tightrope Than a Four Lane Highway

The road to success isn’t always along freshly paved highways and byways in life. Sometimes it’s a very narrow, bumpy path one travels to reach their goals. At other times, it can feel like pushing a wheelbarrow over a tightrope, one slip or mistake and the results can be catastrophic. Those who choose to pursue their dreams understand this and venture out toward success in spite of potential pitfalls.

As the English conductor, Colin R. Davis once said, “The road to success and the road to failure are almost exactly the same.” Some will choose to continue down the road no matter the challenge, obstacle, disruption, frustration, or failure. Some, on the other hand, will end their journey toward success after only a few roadblocks appear. The difference is, how many challenges and obstacles are you willing to work through and overcome to get where you want to be? It’s one thing to fail while pursuing one’s goals, it’s quite another to give up in order to avoid failure. For some, failure is the fuel in the engine of motivation to achieve success.

Leaders Know Followers Have Limits As to How Far Outside Their Comfort Zones They’re Willing to Go

While you may have followers cheering you on along the way, not all followers are willing to go too far outside their comfort zones. Nonetheless, it’s the job of a leader to encourage people to step outside their comfort zones. With that said, a leader cannot expect someone who believes you can push a person in a wheelbarrow along a tightrope over Niagra Falls, to be that person who climbs into the wheelbarrow.

A leader needs to know to what extent his or her team is willing to follow and what they are willing to risk. Studies show that people’s performance levels improve with, “increased anxiety,” (working outside their comfort zones), however, there is a difference between, “increased anxiety” and “extreme anxiety.” Extreme anxiety can reduce one’s performance. Just because someone doesn’t want to go for a joy ride in a wheelbarrow on a tightrope across Niagra Falls, doesn’t mean they cannot contribute to the team’s success. 

Leaders Know They Have to Lead by Example

Everyone knows, a good leader would never ask a team member to do anything they, as a leader, would be unwilling to do themselves. As Albert Einstein said, “Setting an example is not the main means of influencing others, it is the only means.”

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3 Lessons Learned From Frogs About Making Procrastination Croak

Having recently watched The 10 Commandments, starring Charlton Heston, I was reminded of the Biblical account of the plagues that came upon Egypt, most notably the plague of frogs and how we can sometimes feel overrun by all the things we need to get done. There was no escaping frogs as they were everywhere. Frogs where in their houses, bedrooms, beds, ovens, even in their jars of flour. Sometimes it can feel that same way when our to-do list grows as we go from one meeting to another taking on more action items to complete. Everywhere we turn there is something that needs to be done. No matter where we are, whether at home, in bed trying to sleep, making dinner, or with our friends, we think about all the tasks that need our attention.

When Pharaoh had seen enough frogs he summoned Moses to finally put an end to the problem. When Moses asked Pharaoh when he wanted Moses to take action, Pharaoh replied, “Do it tomorrow.” With millions of frogs in the land of Egypt and the opportunity to rid the land of the problem, Pharaoh did what so many of us do when overwhelmed by a growing list of demands, he delegated it to tomorrow. Pharaoh, the King of Egypt, in one act, became Pharaoh, the King of Procrastination.

Overcoming procrastination is never easy but there are some steps that can be taken to help move toward a more aggressive approach to completing tasks, satisfying commitments, and fulfilling responsibilities.

Summarize the Problem (Tasks)

Creating a to-do list is one of the most important components of completing and fulfilling one’s obligations. Too often people attempt to keep a running list of all their tasks, promises and commitments in their heads only to forget what was promised to who and by when. Don’t forget, there’s an app for that. Task management software and apps by the dozen are available to assist in one’s effort to compile and track all your to dos. “Ta-da List,” “Evernote,” and “Remember the Milk,” are just a few of the more popular apps that can be downloaded. If writing out a list of tasks is simpler, then grab a piece of paper and do so. Use a journal to track your daily list, a wire bound note book or a Franklin Planner, but whatever you do, write it or log it somewhere.

Prioritize the List

Since thoughts of what to do come at us randomly, it’s good to list the items as they come. Take the time to list all that you need to do and then assign a priority rating to each item. Develop a priority rating schedule that works best for you but you may want to consider 3 priority categories to choose from, 1) the tasks that must be done promptly or immediately, 2) the tasks that should be done soon, and 3) the tasks that can be delayed without any problem.

Capitalize on the Opportunity to Do It Now

Once your list is summarized and prioritized it’s time to capitalize on the opportunity to do it now. Get to work on completing the items on your list, check them off as you go and move unfinished tasks to the next day. Keeping a prioritized list will minimize your thoughts to procrastinate and help you to get more things done allowing you to sleep better at night.

Remember, when there are frogs in your flour, act now!

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