A few weeks ago I spoke on a panel for new MBA’s joining a leadership development program at my company. Early in the discussion, the moderator made this statement:
As you go through this program, you’ll be successful to the extent that you can balance three contradictory concepts:
- Trust the process
- Aggressively get your needs met
- Let the game come to you
Said another way, we all need to exercise humility, initiative, and patience to succeed. But the timing and sequence that we use to apply those concepts is an art, not a science. It’s unique to the situation, sometimes unpredictable, and deeply personal.
But, if I find myself frustrated in pursuit of one of ideas, perhaps I can experiment with another.
Balancing is rarely even and smooth, after all.
Stay encouraged!