This is true.
You are only as good as the people who will miss you when you’re gone.
Also, make the memories kind and soft. Make it so that the lack of your presence will not be a burden, but a reminder of chance and possibility. Make them miss you not for who you are but for who they were when you were around. Make it a longing, not a begging.
That’s legacy.
Since early on, they tell us it’s going to be easy.
That most things are natural, that talent is innate, that success is overnight. That relationships are a given. That having kids is just as simple as drinking a cup of coffee. That the way you go into the world, your purpose, your principles, are going to be very clear and eventually magically manifest in front of you. Without any effort.
Instead, it’s tough.
Almost every thing that is worth something requires blood, sweat, and tears.
And that’s probably what makes it worth it.
Journey over destination.
One of the biggest problems of companies that are growing is people turnover. The faster the growth, the bigger the problem.
Hiring and onboarding new people is a huge obstacle to further growth. And since growth is chaotic and managers don’t know how to manage (people), many will increasingly be demotivated, will burn out, or will simply leave. It is a spiral from which it is very difficult to get out.
The only antidote to this problem is start caring about people early on. Shifting the managerial approach from one more deal, one more feature, one more campaign to one more hour spent chatting with colleagues, both within your team and cross-functionally. Over-communicate and leave space to listen. Ensure that the team you already have will be a strong foundation for the growth that is coming.
There’s I did not have time to do it. And there’s I didn’t do it.
There’s You sent the invite too late. And there’s I didn’t come.
There’s The team is not supportive. And there’s I am not delivering.
There’s They don’t care about me. And there’s I am committed.
One is the path to stagnation. The other is the path to continuous growth.
To take the latter, you need ownership.
So many of us do not feel up to the task. It’s a feeling that makes us shy away from achieving more, that makes us hide and retreat, that eventually feeds into a demotivating spiral from which it is difficult to escape.
But what is the task?
When we say we do not feel up to the task, we often refer to something ideal, some perfect outcome that we never really define. We imagine ourselves being in a position where we have everything under control, where we know everything, and where we can answer every question without fault and self-doubt.
The task is not that. Nobody in their sane mind would ask you to be up to that task.
The task is showing up and figuring it out as you go. Living and dealing with that kind of uncertainty and with that level of ignorance, while still being kind to others and willing to bring them along the way with you. Perhaps learning something from them and teaching them something.
It’s not an easy task, but it can be concrete and it is achievable.
So, if you feel like you are not up to the task, start by asking yourself what the task is. You might be relieved from a big stress.
You've got this 