Build a Wall or Lay a Brick

The first story in Will Smith’s memoir Will is 11 year old Will and his brother spending a year building a 12 foot high, 20 foot long brick wall for their dad. Will describes it as building “the Great Wall of West Philly.”

They complain “This is impossible, it’s never going to get done.” Will’s father replies:

              There is no wall. There are only bricks

              Your job is to lay this brick perfectly

Masterful reframe. Stop thinking about the enormous task. Focus on what is next.

The challenge is to hold both perspectives. Plan the wall. Lay the bricks. Support people laying bricks. Leaders must be fluent in all three.

Without a plan, perfectly laid bricks don’t accomplish anything meaningful. The best plans are meaningless unless bricks are laid with consistent excellence.

My comfort is the planning and vision. My challenge is staying connected to the why without becoming overwhelmed by the whole of a project. One strategy I use is to calendar tasks in enough detail that someone else could do them. When the time comes to lay bricks I focus on that because I’ve thought through the big picture.

How do you determine where to focus in a given moment?

Which mode is most comfortable for you? What’s your challenge?