Never forget the pick!

She heard her father calling from the garden asking her to bring a pencil and a small pick from the shed. Being his little daddy's girl, she gladly did that to later be surprised by what she was asked to do next:" Daughter, can you hold the pencil in your left hand and the pick in your right? Now, raise both of them to your chest level with your arms fully extended and try to keep them there for as long as you can. Wait until I tell you what to do next."

After few seconds of her doing that, she realized that not only the pick became unbearable to be held in place but so was the case with the pencil. Every time her hands gave up on her, her dad would encourage her to bring them back up. Soon she completely gave up and asked what was the point of all this.

Her dad asked her now to hold the pencil and the pick together in both hands and raise them to the same level again. "Is it easier now?" the father asked. "Absolutely!" the daughter replied.

What was the lesson?

The father at this point said:" My little girl, in life we can either work hard, work smart, work smart very hard, or do nothing other than watching others do it. Working SMART very HARD is usually a great way to reach the highest levels of effectiveness as long as other important aspects of our lives are not sacrificed in the process."

He continued:" When you grow up and start your professional journey leading organizations, always remember how difficult it was to hold the pick. Jump in more often, roll up your sleeves, and get into the trenches with your team to feel and remember again how hot it could get there. Don't celebrate being at the top of the organization chart unless you are at the bottom of their hearts!".

How are you going to be remembered?