This weekend was about college visits. My daughter is a junior in high school, and because of the extremely long list of schools she might be interested in and her intense extracurricular schedule we decided to get a jump on visits and knocked three schools off in one weekend. And I had the greatest leadership epiphany, that some might actually call heresy.
As I watched my daughter slightly agonize over which school was a better fit, and where she might be happier and learn more, and where she should go, I realized (and shared) a very important concept. “It doesn’t really matter,” I offered her. “Pretty much any of them will be great – and you’ll love it and learn once you’re there.” From my outside perspective it made great sense. While some of the schools might be better for her than others, at least at this point it seems that none of her potential schools would be a “bad” choice, and any would be fine, depending on what she does with it and makes out of it.
As I shared this epiphany with my daughter I thought of the number of times my clients are stuck between a few possibilities, agonizing over which is the best choice for their career, or their team or business. And while it may seem like heresy to be coming from the mouth (or blog) of a leadership consultant and executive coach, I think there may be many times when they (and I) obsess over making the absolutely best choice, when any choice will suffice as long as a choice is made. When it’s our desire and determination to think things through carefully and choose what is best that slows us down and gets in our way. When it doesn’t really matter, actually, which of the options you choose, as long as you make the choice and make the best of it. My daughter could go to the best school and get nothing out of it, or she could go somewhere that might not have been as good for her and actively make it a worthwhile experience. Perhaps there are leadership (and life) decisions that are the same for us – where it doesn’t really matter what we decide, as long as we decide to give it our all and make it work.
What do you think?
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For support with leadership (and life) decisions, contact Lisa at lkohn@chatsworthconsulting.com.
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