Leadership 101: Be Diligent with the Small Things

By climbing standards it may not be considered a real mountain but it is still called Mt. Severance. The elevation is a mere 1693’, the vertical ascent 813’ and the entire round trip only 2.4 miles. Climbing it does not count in any contest nor earn you status with any mountaineering club.

However, when I lived in Schroon Lake, NY, this little mountain helped me build my stamina, cardio and leg strength all in anticipation of climbing some of the forty-six Adirondack High Peaks. It was comparatively small but strategic for accomplishing my long-term goals and preparing me for the future. I discovered my diligence making this small hike paid off on the higher elevations and more challenging vertical ascents.

Forty-five plus years of leadership have taught me some of the same lessons.

The more I pay attention to the day to day, sometimes mundane responsibilities; the more they have paid long-term dividends.  My faithfulness to the things that others may have overlooked or disregarded benefited my leadership abilities.

When I think of Leadership 101: Being Diligent with the Small Things, I think of three words:

• Commitment

“Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality. It is the words that speak boldly of your intentions. And the actions which speak louder than the words.”  Abraham Lincoln

• Commitment means putting yourself on the spot (stating your intentions).
• Commitment means acting and allowing for accountability.

• Consistent

“Discipline is remembering what you want.” David Campbell

• Consistent in the little things, day in and day out
• Consistent in those things no one sees or rewards

• Contentment

Great leaders have learned to be content (Philippians 4:11) but never satisfied (Philippians 3:12-14). Dick Vigneulle

• Contentment about God’s plan and pace for your life
• Contentment about God’s plan and pace for another leader’s life

When I am tempted to take a short cut or skip steps in the leadership process, I think of Mt. Severance. I think about how hard it was to breathe the first time I climbed it each year. Just remembering the desperate feeling of climbing that short 1.2 miles reminds me there are no shortcuts in leadership either.

Mt. Severance has served a good reminder when I think I am ready for a leadership role without having first been diligent with the small things. What has been your experience in this area?