Iterations

We sometimes think of growth as linear, and that’s true in some cases. When we think about  a growth curve, we think, “Up and to the right.” You know, the direction we’d all like to see our 401Ks moving. But when it comes to personal and professional growth, I’m not so sure the curve is that smooth or predictable.

The most meaningful personal and professional growth in my life has come through the process of iterating, of doing and redoing. Most every meaningful thing I’ve ever tried, I haven’t found success right away. Sure, there are some areas where I have natural talents and giftings, and I was able to get pretty good pretty quickly in those areas. But there are relatively few of those areas and a whole lot more where I am not naturally gifted. And in those areas, I did not start off “good.”

The same is probably true for most of us. Usually, the first time we attempt a new thing, we don’t find overwhelming success. Michael Jordan famously got cut from his high school basketball team. Lincoln lost numerous elections before finally winning the presidency. Einstein and Edison were slow in their development when they were children. Seinfeld froze and got booed off stage at his first standup gig. And I was today years old when I learned this, but Van Gogh sold a grand total of one–that’s numeral 1–painting during his lifetime. His success didn’t come until after his death.

But there is one thing that all of these people have in common. They kept at it. Instead of giving up and accepting failure and that they were “just not good enough,” they persisted. John Maxwell says we’re never good at anything the first time. The way we get good is by iterating. We try and we fail. But the next step is not quitting. It’s learning and then trying again. And we may fail again. And again. But gradually we get better. And if we persist long enough, we eventually succeed.

I’ve been through lots of iterations as a leader. The first time I remember having any sort of leadership role was my senior year of high school when I was elected band president. I hadn’t even known I was running! My term in office was not memorable. In fact, I don’t remember accomplishing a single thing. I suppose we could be generous and say I led by example. I was a good citizen and never got into any trouble. But that’s about the extent of my contributions in the role.

My next leadership role was as a young employee at Sara Lee Bakery. I had taken a summer job there after my second year of college and I moved up from general production to supervisor. It was a disaster. I started off okay, I suppose. I remember connecting pretty well with my team but I didn’t adapt well to the pressures and hours (evening shift). And I didn’t last long before I resigned in frustration and despair.

Then I went to work in construction, something I knew absolutely nothing about. My father-in-law had done stucco work for years and kindly gave me a job. My title was Stucco Helper. Impressive, I know. Nepotism at its finest. In time, I worked my way up from Stucco Helper to Stucco Man, which was a real ego boost as well as a vote of confidence from Pop, whom I respected immensely. Eventually, I developed more expertise in the trade and was able to supervise jobs and work crews. I was getting a little better at this leadership thing! Finally!

Now, here we are, many years and many iterations later. In time I went from construction to working in government (maybe I’ll tell you that story later). And, again, I failed and succeeded my way through numerous roles, eventually landing in a position I never imagined I could reach and working with people I never imagined I would be so privileged to rub shoulders with.

And even that wasn’t the end. Now, I’m starting a whole new adventure (dare I say iteration?) as an entrepreneur. As with all my other experiences, I expect I’ll have some new failures… excuse me, new “learning opportunities.” And ultimately, with persistence and a little bit of good fortune, some successes too.