April 4, 2008

“We are not who we were.”

This could easily be said of all of us.  In some ways, the mere passing of time causes certain skills and talents to diminish.  We cannot run as fast as our youthful legs once carried us.  Notes that once seemed easy to hit can no longer be reached by aging vocal chords.  A keen memory fades.

Yet, in other, more profound ways, being different that we once were is wonderful progress.  In the context of this quote, a handful of us had just finished meeting with a room full of industry analysts.  Our business was being evaluated.  Would the results depict us as industry leaders or also rans?  How would we rate against the competition?  The progress we had made since our entry in this particular market was remarkable, yet self-evaluation carried little weight in the greater marketplace.

At the conclusion of our day-long session, the feedback from the analyst community was favorable.  We were to be portrayed in a very positive light.  Gleaming with a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction after the analysts departed, one of my colleagues leaned back in his chair and commented on the great strides we had made in a short period of time.  He mused, “We are not who we were.”

The milestones of progress in business are rewarding.  We can improve over time. It is wise to frequently measure successes along the way and experience the satisfaction of a job well done.  However, it is the building of virtues – kindness, patience, diligence, punctuality, integrity – that truly makes us different than we once were.