Week 2: Chapter 1 "Vision and Quick Victories"

"Never lose sight of the ultimate goal, and focus energy on short-term objectives."

There are people who are good at talking about great big vision (such as politicians). On the other hand, there are people who are good at effectively managing the urgent situation. Shackleton tells us in his story that in order to serve as a good leader, we need to have both skills. 

In chapter 1, he first tells us that the leaders have to face the situation immediately with the flexible decision and should set a "New Mark" which is appropriate to that current situation. 

What I thought first when I read this was that "Well...I think I've always been doing this in my personal life."
I mean, I didn't feel that this tactic is something new or unique. 

Putting this more in detail, let me deal with a concrete example.
Whenever I make "big" decision in my lifetime, such as which university to go or which future job to go, simultaneously I set sets of small goals to design the way to go. I do this just because I myself feel anxiety if there is no concrete and easily achievable short-term goal in front of me. Just letting the big dream keep sounds "impossible" to me.

So, what I found here is that the skill works well to individual can also works well to manage team. 

Actually, thinking twice, it might be quite obvious since teams are composed of individuals. May be therefore, leaders are the people who are required to be most aware of these effective tactics for individuals and to particularly encourage the use of it within their group. 

Ah! So that make sense to me. We never use the word "Boss" in our class nor we see that word in our book. That's because, we are talking about the people who "lead" that group, who "move first to encourage others". We are not talking about the people who just sit in the chair and act like a commander. 

But the one more thing I thought here is that, even though we know it's important to make decisive decision, it's...kind of scary thing to do.

If it's the case of your own, thing is not so complicated. 

In fact, I haven't felt so anxious when I make my decision over my life. 
I'm now in ICU and definitely feeling that there is no other university that fits better to me other than ICU, but the decision to come to ICU was not made straight forward.
I changed my destination during my study for the entrance exam. That was actually not due to the failure of my exam at my first try but because I lost my sight. I suddenly noticed that I couldn't find the "reason" why I'm studying for that uni. (May be reflecting back that days, I think I was just drifted in the flow...for almost all friends around me, the only way to go is the way to that uni.) 
So, alongside my study, I read books, explored various webpages to find what I really want to do. And finally, I find my future way into ICU. (I'll cut off here, since I think I can't stop talking about this "shift" if I step into more details...there were so many things I thought then, and without that invaluable time, I probably was not the one who I am today.) 
Whole throughout that "shift", I didn't really feel so much anxiety. I mean, yes there was a "moment" of anxiety, but in whole, rather I was feeling the sort of certitude that I'm on the right way.

And this is not the case when we're in the group, I think. That's probably because, your decisive decision as a leader will affect all other members. You are responsible for others' future. To be responsible for others future itself is such a huge burden and also, may be you or at least I, am afraid of being accused when the thing went bad.

Serving as a convenor at my comm, I gradually came to feel that burden. In early, I was just excited and full of passion. But as facing several...not several, "tremendous" problems, I found the rise of the longing for the end of my job as a convenor in my mind. Still now, today, I continuously have that feeling.

It is,

a little more than a little,

...stressful, to be honest.