Welcome to 2017! Welcome to a new quarter, to new metrics to hit, new obstacles to surmount, new opportunities to capture! Seems like the perfect time for some more bracing Stoic wisdom from Ryan Holiday, author of The Obstacle is the Way and Ego is the Enemy.
This is what I read whenever I feel daunted by a new challenge because I’m still tired from the last one: “Behind mountains there are more mountains. Elysium is a myth. One does not overcome an obstacle to enter the land of no obstacles. On the contrary, the more you accomplish, the more things will stand in your way. There are always more obstacles, bigger challenges. You’re always fighting uphill. Get used to it and train accordingly.”
Oh how nice it would be if there were a land of no communication obstacles. A land where you always know what to say, where everyone understands and agrees with you the first time you say it, and where everything you say creates the desired result. If you do live in this magical land, please do tell us all where it is! For the rest of us, though, I think the most important part of this quote is the last sentence – “Get used to it and train accordingly.”
I used to work with a large multi-national software company headquartered outside the U.S. The CEO had a fantastic discipline – he sat down with an external media trainer every time he had something major to communicate. He saw the mountain he had to climb, and he trained himself accordingly. He did not wing it. Ever.
This CEO knew and understood another essential Holiday-ism: “Focusing exclusively on what is in our power magnifies and enhances our power.” He knew he couldn’t control what he might get asked, or how stories might be reported, but he could sure control what he said and how he said it. He was a very credible spokesperson through some real challenges at his organization.
In fact, the size and volume of the mountain(s) in your path may be the most reliable measure of your accomplishments. “The more you accomplish, the more things will stand in your way.” Take those new obstacles as a compliment! You’re only facing them because you have already accomplished so much.
Congratulations on being a great mountain climber in 2016! Here’s to a great training regime and lots of exhilarating summits in 2017!
Communication is the essential last mile in finding and motivating the right teams, acquiring strong allies, powerfully bonding with customers, and capturing mindshare with compelling stories. Nothing will serve you and your vision better than developing exceptional communication skills.
