Don’t Beat Yourself Up Over Close

There’s an old saying you’ve probably heard. This idiom has to do with horseshoes and hand grenades:

Close only counts in horseshoes (and hand grenades)

You’ve heard of that expression, right?

Well, I believe we can include leadership, or at least portions of it, in this famous phrase.

Close Is Often Good Enough

Hearing that close enough is good enough from another leader may shock you. Yet, I know it’s true.

As leaders, we want to push for excellence. We want to see people doing the best job they can.

Or do we?

What if the best job someone can do is close enough? Would that be acceptable?

Depending on the project or task, close is good enough.

How can this be? Think about the following situations:

You have a fundraising goal of $2,500. You reach $2,400.

It’s Time To Jump

Your leadership journey will bring you to places you’ve never imagined. Choices will be placed in front of you. And you’ll have to make decisions.

The time will come when you’ll have to decide whether or not you’ll jump.

Last summer I was able to experience my first trip whitewater rafting. It was an amazing time in West Virginia. Good friends, a great guide, and a crazy storm made the trip memorable.

And there’s one more event during the trip that made it memorable. During a stop, we were offered the chance to climb to a ledge jutting over the river. From there, we could jump.

At river level, the ledge didn’t look high. Maybe 20 feet. As I ascended the rockface the ledge seemed to grow further and further away. Once I got to the ledge, it seemed I was over 100 feet in the air.