It's a fascinating trend for me, and one I've seen, then battled, and then seen some more.
When you enter an organization, you're fresh meat with raw, hopefully pure potential. To get to a position of influence and notoriety (and performance), the organization and the individuals in the organization must invest in you.
You take a lot, because you don't have much to give... yet. "Taking" is in your job description; "giving" isn't there just yet.
They give the time, they share "that conversation" one more god damn time, they listen to the same concerns they heard last week/semester/year from some other carbon copy hopeful.
But they do it, because you aren't "there" yet, and all that is required for you to get "there." You don't yet have the capability to venture into the wild on your own, much less lead a band out there. They need to give you that ability, and you need to take it.
But then, you "get there." (note: not everyone does)
It usually happens after your first real journey out there, your first attempt to Live the values and act out the dreams you've been chasing and probably contributing to.
So you're There. Now what?
It's a plateau of sorts, because where do you go from There? The path is considerably less defined, because so few people go beyond it. And due to that foggy, undefined future, most lay down here and fumble around.
You have a decision to make.
There's little left to take - you hold most of the weapons now, and can venture out into the wild on your own. Most do this. Some survive, a few lead others, but most just exist. You give little of what you've taken. The buck stops there.
You're a sunk cost.
What's the other option? You can't yet venture out, so what CAN you do?
You can give back. You can lead others, and get them to that plateau. You can give more than you've taken. You can lead others past the plateau, past the vague, foggy existence of neither giving nor taking.
But you already know that.
It's crystal clear, now that you're "There." It's all part of the same journey we all took. The difference is the decision we made at that plateau, as we looked to the road less traveled.
The question is not what TO do. The question is:
WILL YOU DO IT?
Labels: musing