Angela Duckworth’s grit characterization of approaching life as a marathon can be misleading at first glance. Many accomplished executives and entrepreneurs would disagree with this statement because as they reflect on their most meaningful experiences, they would recall the intense efforts that likely led to a creative, product, or business breakthrough.
Many accomplished executives and entrepreneurs would disagree with this statement because as they reflect on their most meaningful experiences, they would recall the intense efforts that likely led to a creative, product, or business breakthrough.
If you asked Guy Kawasaki about the early days of the original Mac at Apple, he would tell you about the fierce arguments over design, positioning, and schedule that made the volatile process unbearable for some team members but resulted in a product that launched the personal computer revolution. It wasn’t the turf battles (or even surviving them) that led to the impact of the Mac, but the longer range vision that Steve Jobs had — that was so thoroughly described by Walter Isaacson’s biography of Jobs — and the passionate loyalty that resulted to sustain that vision over the long haul.
As I created my vision and strategy for GrowBusinessNow, I made very specific criteria foundational to ensure it becomes the legacy project I intend by creating measurable business results for small and mid-sized business teams. Even with that intention in place, the hustle and frenzy of preparing for new lessons, live events, or courses can often feel like a sprint than a marathon.
Elizabeth Moss Kanter’s observed in Confidence that, “everything looks like a mess in the middle.”
It’s because of the messy process of creating that can sometimes distract us from realizing that the big rewards of creating something of lasting value requires the strategic vision, commitment, and persistence to endure the turbulence along the way.
What do you think about these perspectives? What’s an example of a time when you needed to remember that you’re in the midst of a marathon even when it felt more like a steeple chase?