Patience isn’t really my strong suit.
I had a boss tell me once that I only know how to operate in 5th gear, but if I could learn to downshift into 3rd every once in awhile, I—and everyone else around me—would be better for it.
So, yeah … there’s that. 🤷🏼♀️
When I can see a path forward, I want to charge ahead. Why wait?
I don’t absolutely need to get to the destination immediately (so maybe I do have some level of patience?), but I do want to see and feel like I’m making forward progress.
I shared this with a colleague recently and their response struck me: patience—or lack thereof—can be a blessing or a curse, a weakness or a strength. It all depends on how you apply it. 🤯
Isn’t that true for so many things?
Moving fast, making decisions quickly, even being passionate about your work—all are good, until they’re not.
As leaders, we must understand what’s appropriate for each situation and modulate our behavior accordingly.
We need to know when to downshift and when to hit the gas. When to push for more information and when to move forward with what we have. When patience serves us and when it doesn’t.
Because sometimes, impatience is exactly what’s needed. The key is knowing which moment you’re in.
Bonus read: In times like these, perhaps we all could benefit from a little more patience—with ourselves and with each other.
