I recently watched a business change leadership. The former leader had enjoyed a long tenure and was a very relational, well respected leader. However, he lacked some simple organizational skills. Over time, the board of directors of the business forgot or took for granted the skills that had brought the company great success for decades. They voted for change and hired someone who possessed organizational skills, but lacked in some of the relational qualities of the former CEO. As a result, they quickly saw their success wane. You can inherit almost anything. Money, possessions, etc., can all be passed down without effort, but you cannot inherit relationships. Shortcuts are nice but you are not always rewarded for taking shortcuts. Maturity and relationships are examples of things shortcuts cannot help. Friends and relationships, like a good marriage, take time, attention and investment. Today, invest in others’ lives – that’s what really matters.
