Tonight I took my son for a walk after dinner to burn off his energy before bed. We got about halfway around the block when we picked up some small pine cones. I held a few in my hand for him and he ran over and touched them all. Then he found some more and brought them to me. He would take some. Put some back. Take some. Put some back. He was excited about all the pine cones.
As he put his small hands into mine to take and replace the pine cones I was struck by something. It made me realize that scale isn’t everything. And that’s it’s important to understand the value of what you hold in your hands, your communications, the services and products you provide to others.
To my son those five or six pine cones were very important and unique. To me they were just some random pieces of nature. But he wanted ME to hold them because I could keep them safe and keep ALL of them in one place as he gathered more.
Sometimes we take for granted the power we have because of our size or strength. And this little interaction reminded me that I have so much influence and guidance and protection to offer him. And that he trusts me. It’s precious and sacred.
And for me he brings wonder to my life. He makes me laugh. He gets me excited about the little, every day things. Things I go too fast to notice.
We have to remember that as we grow (a business, an idea, a following) that the small things matter as well. That they can teach us how to be better leaders and keep us close to what matters most.
Scale is wonderful when done right. Spectacular even. But small is the seed that started that growth and we can’t ever forget that. Stay in touch with the little things.
