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Vannoy & Ross

You can learn some dandy lessons at a tractor pull contest.

The objective is to see which super-powered tractor can pull the trainer the farthest. Of course, it’s not just any trailer – it’s a trailer with a large weight that slowly moves from the back to the front as the tractor progresses. This means that progress = increased difficulty. Eventually the weight is too much: The tractor succumbs to the friction and stops.

A conundrum with irony: The faster and father I go, the more difficult it becomes.

How might this be similar for people around you? It’s apparent: As some projects and careers progress, the more stresses and strains intensify.

Invite these people to consider the wild possiblity that their work and career are supposed to get easier as they move forward.

Easier?! Are you crazy? As I get older the responsibilities mount and the burden increases!” they claim.

And therein is the evidence they have not tuned their inner leadership engine.

Work is a rigorous proposition. Success requires massive  effort. And so does the leadership of self. The work in you is just as important as the work you do.

Chances are there are people around you succumbing to the increasing friction. “My boss…the economy…this darn project…is stressing me out.” This is the sound of the increasing weight designed to…stop the participant.

It seems so illogical, yet it remains true: Stress is a choice . (And for some, it’s become a habit.)

Remind your team they are not in a tractor pull contest, and ask questions like these:

  • Who decides how much we get to enjoy this project?
  • How do we want to experience our work?
  • What difference will it make if we’re more “on a roll”?

Tractor pulls are for entertainment. Our lives and careers are a serious endeavor…which means they must be enjoyed.

What difference will it make if we’re more ‘on a roll’? Please share your thoughts and comments below.

BUILD THRIVING, SEAMLESS ORGANIZATIONS

BUILD THRIVING, SEAMLESS ORGANIZATIONS

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