I’m a runner. Not a good one, not a fast one nor a particularly fit one, but please don’t tell my daughter. You see, she measures me by her standards, so I’m “super fast” to her and I’d hate to break the myth just yet… Daddy likes that she looks up to him 🙂

I, however, know even my best race saw me beaten by literally thousands of people. I have the curse of a broader perspective than my daughter. Perspective can be a gift though, too. After all, I beat thousands of runners too. So, am I fast or slow?

At the end of the day, my personal attitude means it doesn’t matter. If I focus on being the best ‘me’ I can be, then I can go to bed content. I want to improve myself for me (and my family and those I lead), so my measuring stick is the ‘me’ of yesterday… not the person next to me. In most aspects of life, I’m not racing the other person, my ‘win’, my happiness comes from being the best me I can be. Therefore, as long as I’m improving in some way, I’m happy celebrating the success of those around me, even if they finish ahead of me in some way. (Lookup “growth mindset” for more detail)

As leaders we need to keep this in our minds. Leaders don’t have all the answers, they need information, ideas and other ‘perspectives’ to shed light on what they are blind to. Ask for help, ask for other perspectives, ask what other may see or think that you don’t. When you understand this, your ability to make good decisions improves exponentially. Not to mention those around you will appreciate being listened too and your humility will make you a better leader.

Thank you for reading.