Great leaders Go the Extra Mile

Lately, I've been thinking back to when I started practicing Aikido, over 15 years ago. I was fortunate enough to begin my training under Akira Tohei sensei (now, sadly, deceased), 8th degree black belt and chief instructor of the Midwest Aikido Center in Chicago.

I remember Tohei sensei comparing Aikido training to stacking up a pile of paper one page at a time -- in the moment, it doesn't seem like you're getting much work done, but over time, you can really accumulate a great deal of experience.

Great leadership is like that -- your day-to-day doings by themselves don't add up to much. But, done mindfully and in a spirit of practice, those day-to-day events can add up to a huge amount of leadership experience.

Bottom Line: Go the Extra Mile - mindfully treat every moment at work as an opportunity for practice and new learning as a leader.