Things to Think About

“There are two kinds of virtues: resume virtues and eulogy virtues.”  David Brooks from his New York Times Op/Ed piece, Moral Bucket List.

I love quotes that help us put things into perspective, as this one does for me.  In my work with leaders, I often ask them to discuss what they want their legacy to be.  The reason we spend some time on this topic is that I want them to acknowledge what their “True North” is.  Harvard Professor, Bill George, who authored the bestseller, True North, tells us that it is less like a watch (resume virtues), which counts minutes and hours, and more like a compass (eulogy virtues), which shows direction without regard to time.  Once we identify True North, it becomes the driver as we reverse engineer it to daily, or resume activity.  Looking at one’s compass instead of their watch is what leads to fulfilling lives, careers, and a legacy of which one can be proud.

Good luck on your journey!