Channeling Miss Scarlett for Perspective

I bet you’ve been there too.  A new initiative is not moving along as fast as you’d hoped.  Self-doubt creeps in.  Are we on the right path?  Were we too ambitious?  What if we fail? Thankfully, when I had a day like this recently, I was blessed with colleagues to set me straight and help me put things into perspective.

First on this list was a great board member.  The kind we all dream of having – a good listener, one you can vent to without worry that sharing what’s keeping you awake at night will cause them to doubt your abilities as a capable leader.  KNN is blessed to have these and luckily I had lunch scheduled with one of the best in the midst of my turmoil.

Next were two peers.  Again, the best kind of professional colleagues who think differently than I do and as a result, nearly always cause me thoughtful reflection.  One of these colleagues has a great sense of humor and the other shares my love of sarcasm.  Both are extremely helpful.

Finally was my staff.  Two wise and talented young ladies round out our KNN team and on this day, when I was worried about letting them down, they lifted me up and reminded me that one slow-moving initiative won’t define KNN.  Lynda (our membership and events coordinator of nearly five years) said it best, “Sometimes we don’t celebrate the successes enough – we move so quickly to the next big thing.”  She’s right and as a result, it’s easy to get caught up in unrealistic expectations.

So many lessons learned (or re-learned).  Take time to pat yourself, your team, your organization on the back – celebrate your successes. To quote Miss Scarlett: “Tomorrow is another day.”  (And thank goodness, the next week was fantastic and the initiative gained new momentum!)  Also, surround yourself with a support network of colleagues who will provide you with a listening ear, an honest assessment and, most importantly for me anyway, a good laugh.

Danielle Clore

Executive Director