The young man swaggered into the lumberjack camp, announcing with full bravado that he could cut down more trees than anyone. “In two hours I can cut down 10 trees!” he shouted. “Who wants to take me on?” The oldest man in the camp said he would be delighted to see who would win the bet.
The contest began at dawn. In no time the young man felled two trees, wood chips flying everywhere. The older man also began chopping, slow and steady, and after he finished his first tree he disappeared for a few minutes, walking out of sight of the young man who was still flailing away. After the second tree fell, the older man again walked away but soon returned, his third tree falling quickly thereafter.
The young man had also chopped down three trees, but each tree seemed to get harder to bring down. Although he was stronger than the older man, he was soon very tired, and each swing seemed less effective as the one before. He watched the older man disappear for a third time, wondering why he needed so many breaks. Perhaps, the younger man thought, he is old and needs to rest. He soon forgot about the older man and went back to his fourth tree, which seemed to take forever to topple.
In no time at all the two hours had passed but the results had long been visible to those watching the contest. The older man had chopped down nine trees, the younger man only five. Both had the same size axes, both had the same amount of time. The younger man had stronger muscles and appeared to be in better shape. Yet the older man had bested him.
As he turned to walk back to the camp, the older man heard the younger man ask “Between trees, what were you doing?” The older man looked back and smiled. He simply said “I was sharpening the blade of my axe.”
And so it should be with us, but more often than not, it isn’t. I hear sales people boast how great they are, yet they never take the time to speak to others in the profession to learn something new. I talk to business owners who are too busy to attend valuable workshops where they might learn something that could make their business improve. I witness young hard-charging managers scoff at the idea that there might actually be someone that they might learn something from.
There are many ways to sharpen the blades you need in your professional life, but before you can do it, you have to willing to make the commitment. In other words, walk the walk not just talk the talk. The boss can mandate that you read this book or attend that seminar, but if it truly going to be effective it needs to come from within.
Blade sharpening cannot be a one time thing. You can’t just attend one workshop and proclaim that you “know it all. ” It will be clearly evident to those around you that you don’t.
The professions understand blade sharpening. Physicians, nurses, dentists, teachers, and attorneys must continue their professional development and education or lose their certifications and licenses. Or, put another way, would you have a fifty year old doctor operate on your heart if the last time they attended class on the subject was in medical school when they were twenty five?
Yet, far too many in business think that they can ignore the realities of a changing world by believing that they already know enough to get by. Actually, many not only think they know enough to get by, they believe that they can be a roaring success without ever taking the time to sharpen their blades.
Anyone who wants to be a success needs to discover the best way to sharpen the blades of their own axes. Some chose the quiet of the library to read a book; some prefer to listen to an audiotape or CD as they drive; still others believe in attending a class, a lecture or a workshop at a college or trade show or participate in a formal peer group meeting.
Leonardo da Vinci wrote “Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work, your judgment will be surer; since to remain constantly at work will cause you to lose power of judgment.”
How do you sharpen your blades? Decide what works best for you and make the commitment to keep your blades sharp.
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