Big Rocks

“Focus on the big rocks, Dan” was one of the first pieces of advice I received in my new role. I have heard it said before. I have said it countless times to those I serve. Priorities, 80/20 rule, and Quadrant 1 are all great tools to help people focus. Yet, on Friday, when I was having a bad day and took it out on 3-4 people, I couldn’t help but think that maybe I do have to “sweat the small stuff.” If I call myself a Catholic leader, I am saying I am a culture builder. I’m saying that I don’t just stand for an outcome or a set of targets. I’m saying that I stand for a way – THE Way. Whether it is that email I send, that eye roll I give, or that time I say what needs to be said even though it’s hard, I am building or breaking the culture much more than any plan I write or presentation I give. It is the “much simpler ways” that have “great value.” We may need the big rocks to help us reach new heights, but we also need the gravel to fill in the cracks and provide a strong foundation. Thankfully, the foundation that I dented on Friday afternoon is very strong, but I have some patch work to do on Monday!