In Italy on vacation with the
kids. Yesterday afternoon the kids and I rented a little boat and headed down
the Amalfi Coast. We hugged the shoreline, stayed close to land, never strayed
far from home. This got me thinking about Christopher Columbus and about taking
smart risks.
Every explorer before him feared
losing sight of the shore. They clung to the known. They opted for security,
They didn’t dare. Columbus did something different. He was brave. Went straight
out to sea. Went perpendicular to the shore line. And found a new world. Good
on him.
Of course I needed to be safe
with my kids. I am just trying to make a point: Greatness, as a leader and as a
human, sometimes requires that you leave the constraints of safety. Sometimes
you just have to let go of the known. And sail out into the unknown. To try a
new way. To think a new thought. To behave in a new way. And to go
perpendicular when the rest of the world hugs the shoreline and clings to
safety. Yes – I get it’s so human to feel frightened as we experience the Blue
Ocean of Change, transition and growth. But as Lord Chesterfiled said, “ it is
not possible to discover new oceans unless one is willing to lose sight of the
shore”.
“It is not possible to discover new oceans unless one is
willing to lose sight of the shore”
(these are not my thoughts J
and are copied from Robin’s book)
