On Power

"Power comes and goes. It can vanish in the twinkling of an eye, like smoke dissolving in the air."
--Archie Fire Lame Deer, LAKOTA

A colleague of mine in the US used to say that the only thing you can count on with people is that they will eventually let you down. He would follow up that statement with his assurance that he didn't think that was a negative attitude, and how he knew that he, too, had and will let someone down, whether intentional or not. His basic attitude was that if you see humans as flawed, you are able to deal with the minor upsets along the way.

At the time I shrugged his attitude off, attributing it to a general malaise he was facing after a divorce and a poor business environment.

Now I see the freedom in his thinking, only I would add that there are TWO things you can count on, that people will let you down AND that people will surprise you with generosity. There has to be room for both.

When I read today's quote, I am reminded that nothing in our career or business is static. Trying to hang on to things with clutched fists is counterproductive. Understanding that your power is transient is the only way to successfully navigate business and life.