A post from 2008 that I got to thinking about this week. To this day, I'm struck by the silence on the input side of things.
It's easy to get excited by the output of one's work. In many ways, a leader can feel a sense of justification for what's flowing from their perspective tributary.
If you connect with glowing about your output, then you could be missing something vital. You could be missing the input.
Here's why you might not think, or like to think about, you input:
- The input part is the hard work of your endeavor.
- The input part is the pain of your endeavor.
- The input part is the fears you've dealt with in the journey.
- The input part is the hope within your heart.
- The input part is the sense of destiny you feel deep inside.
There are times I still have to look away from my own "inputs." But we must look and examine what has gone into what has been produced.
There are some valuable benefits to embracing the input:
- It will keep you from thinking your management style is a 10.
- It will humble you and bring a sense of thankfulness.
- It will redefine how you define success. You'll discover that the journey is where the gold is. Think about a marvelous road trip and what you see along the way. The destination can never compare.
- It will help you know who really digs you. People who are for you are the ones that have time for you when no one can see the tangible (fame, wealth, influence, etc.) benefits of the output.
- The world will smile at the thought of you because embracing input implies an inside-out approach.
The input is the gold found in our lives. Ironic how our age worships output instead. Some longing for meaning I suppose.