Small Steps, Big Moves
A friend - a successful management consultant - shared an outtake from a dinner she had recently with a prominent biologist. They were talking about their surprisingly mutual highs and lows with work, comparing notes. The two come from radically different world’s, yet, they shared a common relationship with the daily rhythms of “productivity.”
He lamented, she explained, that for all his scientific accolades and recognition, his research felt largely like “grunt work.” The day to day isn’t full of awards and breakthroughs, after all. Rather, a lot of time on admin, trial and error, and observation. She could relate.
It prompted me to think about how universal the small steps of “persistence” really are and reminded me of the story below. I share it because in my work with CEO’s and growth-oriented companies, I continue to observe that no two paths to “success” or “greatness” or even a singular, relatively modest goal, are alike. But for those who do win, who are acquired, who do build empowering cultures of engaged team members, there is one common attribute: persistence.
Some of you may know the story that best illustrates this idea:
In 1911 two explorers, Roald Amundsen (Norwegian) and Robert Scott (British), embarked on a race to reach the South Pole. It represented one of the last uncharted areas in the world and a winner could expect worldwide fame.
The journey there and back from their base camps was about 1,400 miles, which is roughly equivalent to a round-trip hike from New York City to Chicago. Both men would be traveling the same exact distance on foot through extremely cold and harsh weather conditions. And both men were equally equipped with experience, supplies, and a supporting team of fellow explorers. But what wasn’t certain is how each of them would approach the inevitable challenges they faced on the road ahead.
As it turned out, Amundsen and Scott took entirely different approaches to the very same challenges.
Scott directed his team to hike as far as possible on the good weather days and then rest on bad weather days to conserve energy. Conversely, Amundsen directed his team to follow a strict regimen of consistent daily progress by hiking exactly 20 miles every day, regardless of weather conditions. Even on the warmest, clear-sky days, when Amundsen’s team was capable of hiking much farther, Amundsen was absolutely adamant that they travel no more than 20 miles to conserve their energy for the following day’s hike.
Which team succeeded in the end? Amundsen’s, the team that took consistent daily action.
It is usually the least sexy, least exciting way to do anything. But I can attest (so can Amundsen!) to it being the most effective. Persistence does work. But it is also…the “work.”
My own take on persistence has two main ingredients: Faith and Consistency.
Faith, because it’s very easy to forget, in our daily busy-ness, that there are powers greater than ourselves at work. So remembering my “faith” in what I can’t see or feel yet, is a small, daily step I take - personally and professionally. And consistency because for me, doing many of the same rituals and practices, no matter where I am, keeps me steady. I could be in New York City, Texas or New Orleans, but the way I wake-up or wind down has similar elements - on purpose. When those two pieces run my engine, I can show up fully for my clients, my family or friends, even on just a few hours sleep.
The takeaway? Being consistent with your actions, little by little, over time, moves needles.
This was proven true for me last month when we celebrated the end of a chapter with Melissa’s House, the non-profit I co-founded in memory of my sister, who lived with severe mental health issues. After 18 years of both faith and consistency (neither of which were easy), and with the help of scores of people who made it possible, we, at last, held a ribbon cutting for a premier residential facility for adults with mental illness. A hard-won victory for our community.
On that victorious note…
I’m still riding high from watching the Olympics and the courage and fight the athletes showed every day.
Share your stories of persistence with me and check out this video illustrating 18 years of a winning battle.
Enjoy this last month of summer...
BG