The wise and all-knowing guru, “Anonymous,” once said, “The best are often prisoners of their excellence. Great doctors, scientists, lawyers, writers, musicians, artists are always in personal demand, under unceasing pressure for their presence and creativity. It must be a terrible burden to be essential. In this sense, freedom lies in being dispensable.”
This little quote has always made me think. While I’m not “the best” and far from being “great,” I’m not quite “free,” as the demands for my time keep pressing on me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very thankful for my many loyal clients, who year-after-year send people to my leadership workshops and for the continuous stream of new clients who contract us for training and facilitation services. As a result, I’ve been blessed with a packed calendar. Fortunately, I love what I do and always leave “gigs” with a sense of happiness and fulfillment.
Yet, time moves on and age continues to creep up on me. Though I work hard to stay, “forever young,” I’ve now committed myself, with the help of my team, to begin the process of becoming dispensable. As we continue to create more products and services, I hope to be “free” within the next decade. God be willing, I’ll keep doing "The Leadership Works Experience" eight-day class, but eventually will pass my work on to the “grasshoppers.”
LEADERSHIP LESSON
Are you in the same situation? Are you currently indispensable? Join me in WORKING ON better systems and empowering people, so one day we can all be “free!”
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I appreciate what you have done for me.
Shawn Chang — Fri, 2012-11-02 19:07Hi Glen,
I had the opportunity to attend a leadership seminar of yours while completing the Teacher Leadership Academy for the Department of Education in Hawaii. I just want to thank you because it was the skills you taught me that really changed my life for the better. I really want to share what profound revelation I have about my life and what direction my life is going to now. I too, started as a special education teacher in the DOE but always felt that I had a higher calling and will pursue a leadership role in one form or other. Just don't know what area that leadership role is going to be at this time. Currently I am a Special Education Resource Teacher at the District Level and I help schools with all things related to Special Education. Although this job is fulfilling, I do feel that I can be of better use doing something else. My passion is helping people, helping them get better. Before your seminar, I didn't know how to build relationships, I didn't have the skills to communicate. I am a Amiable person at heart and I like to make people happy. I would like to tell you more because your skills and principals that I learned, really help me not only in my work place, but also in my personal life. I am a new person, and you have made a great impact in my life. I applaud you and thank you for all that you do. And I hope that I can look toward you as a mentor in the future as I go into a new phase in my life. Thank you.