PATIENCE.

Leaders are wired to get things done. But the greatest leadership gains are often strategic - achieved over a period of time. As the saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” So sometimes perceived temporary wins can be a distraction, achieved at the expense of putting processes, procedures and structures in place for more important long term objectives. Effective leaders must strike a balance between urgency and patience. Recently, my sister shared an anecdote with me from heavy weight boxing champion George Foreman illustrating the importance of leadership patience. Foreman explained:

"I was twenty-two when I was preparing to fight Joe Frazier for the heavyweight title in Jamaica.

I was so focused that during roadwork, I didn't even notice that the water next to me was clear and blue.

I fought with that same intensity-and in two rounds, snatched that title away.

Two years later, when I fought Muhammad Ali in Zaire, I used up all my energy early. And by the eighth round, l'd lost my title. Took me twenty years to win it again.

Twenty years! By then, patience had turned me into a different man. When I trained for that fight against Michael Moorer in Las Vegas, I ran in the mountains.

This time, I could see the sheep.

That's because when you're patient, you observe.

This time, I didn't try to do it all in the first round. I conserved myself. I observed. I waited for just the right moment in the tenth round to land my shot.

Patience influences every area of your life. When you're young, you see the Cadillac in the dealership window and you've got to have it now.

But patience teaches you that twenty years from now, a Cadillac will still be in the window. You can get what you want eventually. And if you're patient, you won't miss anything along the way!”

#LeadWithPatience

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