Not everyone sees the light at the end of the tunnel, not everyone is a visionary.
Some people, often negative ones, need a very clear path because adapting to change is hard and frankly unknowns scare some people. We optimistic visionary leader types thrive in the unknown, the places between success and failure are our playground because we really don’t see failure as an option anyway. We look to the path we want, we see the next peak to climb. The pessimist, well they only see the failure, and they see it as a cliff that we are running alongside.
In a lot of sports like skiing, biking, etc, you are taught to look where you want to be, 10 – 20 seconds in front of you. The pessimist sees the tree 2 seconds in front and can’t look away.
The hard thing for you and I, is convincing the pessimist who is staring at the tree, to see the moves we are making, the fine-tuning adjustments, and convincing them to trust us. To trust us to have a vision and to trust us to be the scrappy hustlers we are, always working, always moving, always growing.
I hear you over there, reading this, shaking your fist in frustration, but what now you ask. Honestly, I don’t know. I think the right people will follow you no matter what. And this is my personal approach. Take it or leave it.
Me: Hey John, I sense some frustration and fear in the direction we are heading. I want you to know I get that, sometimes building the plane after we jumped is not for everyone. I’m happy to hear your concerns and work with you on clearing a path forward. But you will need to trust me. I totally get that you may want more of a plan, and that’s okay, this plane ride isn’t for everyone. I trust you to make the right decision for your mindest, and if you need to look into a better fit elsewhere, let’s work together to make that happen.
Sure, this is me telling an employee to suck it up and deal or take a hike. But here is the thing, you and I, we need the staff that either sees the path and the next goal with us or trusts us. The person looking out the side of the plane at the ground, counting the minutes to impact is simply dead weight. The cost of that weight could be better suited to be helping to build this plane as we go instead of telling us how fast the ground is getting closer. We know, that’s why we are building and on the gas! Now help fix it or jump now!
Here is what I want you to walk away with. You are amazing, you are a visionary. Not everyone gets it, and that’s okay. We can stick together, support each other, and crush our goals together. A favorite saying I have is “Greatness requires discomfort”. I’m very okay with this discomfort.
Hugs, Matt.
