I pulled into the drive thru line at Starbucks this morning. Nothing odd about that except for the sudden realization I had left my wallet at home.
I don’t usually forget that.
Now when I say wallet, what I mean is the small, money clip with the pocket for credit cards that I carry in my front pocket. I gave up carrying the overstuffed, folded, leather wallet (see picture) in my back pocket a long time ago. Too many back issues.
Whatever it is you carry, the point here is that I didn’t have any money (the foldable kind). The silver lining to this part of the story is I was able to scrounge some coins out of the middle console for a cup of coffee.
Once I realized that I had forgotten my wallet (once again…not really a wallet and not something I do often…just to be clear), I quickly went through what my day was going to look like without it. I considered my schedule and had to think what I couldn’t do without an ID, cash, credit cards, etc.
Leaders face this kind of thing all of the time. In the midst of plans, expectations, and execution something breaks, someone gets hurt, resources aren’t there, someone forgets his wallet. Now what?
A leader, a good leader, is a seer of alternatives.
If your best option is pulled off the table, do you have the creativity to see other options? If not, perhaps a good exercise is to think about how you would get through your day if you didn’t have your wallet.
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What a great lesson, Tim. Sometimes having to improvise on the spot can lead to better results as we rely completely on God instead of our crutch of choice. Sometimes that’s when others step up to bat and show us we not only can’t do everything ourselves, but often, we need help from others.
Leanne. So true. It was a lesson in dependence and in humility. I had to borrow some cash from a couple friends. It showed me that my own sense of independence can be quickly shattered by the smallest of crisis (of my own doing!).