We’ve probably all heard that it’s lonely at the top, but does it need to be? No, but many leaders do find themselves in a relationship vacuum that they most certainly helped to create. It’s an easy mistake to make and I’ve made it myself. Have you? Are you making it now? If you’re a leader, chances are strong that you’re as focused and driven as a NASCAR driver, probably keeping an insane schedule and interacting almost exclusively with people who either want to impress you, evaluate you, or sell you something. There are good reasons to keep your guard up, but it’s also important to realize that there’s a price to pay for all that focus and speed. Even small miscalculations can throw you off big time and if you happen to crash (as most drivers will do from time to time), it’s going to be ugly.
There’s no one walking the earth today that I respect more than my grandmother. She’s lived a life worthy of admiration and now, well into her 90s, she’s still imparting wisdom and inspiration to many far beyond our family. One of her famous object lessons involves chopsticks (she picked it up during years of fruitful service in Vietnam). First, she’ll give you the easy task of breaking a single chopstick, then she’ll give you a handful and ask you to repeat the process. We’ve learned that just a few chopsticks held together can be extremely difficult to break. The takeaway is straightforward – don’t go it alone. Surround yourself with quality people that can back you up and support you when the hits start coming, because they’ll come, whether you’re ready or not. “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12)
