Going Far, Together

An old proverb I love: "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."

The quote's provenance is unclear, though it's been attributed to a wide range of people. It's a timeless insight: You can often accomplish something quickly on your own. But by working with others, you can dramatically increase your impact, provided you're willing to wait.

If you've ever led a group of people, you've likely felt the urge to just do something yourself — either because you trust yourself more to do it well, or because you want it done quickly.

The problem with that approach is that it undermines your efficacy as a leader. Your role is to establish the group's direction, assign tasks, and remove obstacles to your team's success.

When we cultivate the patience and trust to delegate and collaborate, we extend how far our efforts can take us.