Consistency and Follow Through - The Salt and Pepper of Leadership

"I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened."

- Mark Twain

Years ago a good friend and I went to a slideshow lecture given by legendary big wall climber Todd Skinner. He and his climbing partners had just returned from parts of Asia where they were the first to climb some of the local rock faces. When asked why they were doing what they were doing by some of the locals Skinner and friends tried to explain that they did it for fun. The locals didn't buy it. "Why not just hike around rather than scale the rock face?" they would ask. "We enjoy it. It's kind of our job as well." None of the responses given through the interpretor made sense to to locals. They just weren't buying it. Suddenly the interpretor turned to the group and spoke. "Ahhhhh...." Nodded the locals approvingly. They finally understood. "What did you tell them?" Skinner asked. "I told them that you do what you do because you choose the harder way. Choosing the harder way in our culture is deeply respected because it is the way that gives us the greatest strength and the deepest wisdom."

Author Mark Twain wrote "I am an old man and have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened." How often in life have you and I known trouble, challenge and frustration...all for nothing? Think back to the last worry you let run wild in your mind. Instead of you controlling it, it ended up dictating your emotions, your actions.

Choosing the harder way in life means that we close a noble path of disciplined learning and determined growth. Choosing the harder way tests our self perceived limits, our closely held self deceptions, and our careful cutting thoughts that dam our progress. The harder way ensures that falling and failing on the path to success will happen. Our weaknesses will be manifest and our opportunities for growth magnified. In the end however, the harder way hardens us and our resolve to succeed.

Having the courage to take the first steps into the unknown requires bridling our fears and mastering our thoughts. A positive, forward looking attitude helps us take the steps forward in our pursuit of excellence. As Twain wrote so well many of our great troubles, many of our great fears never measure up to the elaborate detail our imagination can conjure.

The harder way in life and leadership requires two keys to success - consistency and follow through. Think about it for a moment. Why did your last resolution fail? You lacked consistency and follow through. Why did that business plan not produce the desired results? You and your team failed to be consistent and persistently follow through. The steep rock face of consistency and follow through are not easy. Doing the same things repeatedly can be boring. Following through requires initial planning. Neither of which are easy. 

The greatest troubles in life and leadership can come from lack of consistency and a lack of follow through. Self deception sneaks in and excuses ooze out when we fail to execute consistently and lack sufficient follow through. 

Do you want to be a great leader? Do you want to stand head and shoulders above the rest? Cultivate a habit of consistency and follow through. Greater piece of mind, greater success and an overall sense of happiness await the top of the climb. Chose the harder way. Chose the way that brings the greatest strength and the deepest wisdom. These two ingredients are commonly found in the recipie of success. Sprinkle them copiously and you will yield great result. Lead on!

***Thanks for reading my blog. Please leave me your thoughts below in the comments section and share the blog with your family, friends and co-workers.***