The Resource You Need Most – Glenn Brooke

 

I frequently hear “We don’t have the resources to do ___.”

You will never have the resources to do everything, for which we should be thankful! If we did, we would spend far too much energy on stuff of limited value. Limits help us focus and do our best work.

If you have a truly worthwhile objective and offer “We don’t have the resources to do ____.” as an excuse, then you’re wrong and being unhelpful in two ways.

The first point is that we say “resources” when we mean people. It bugs me that we call people “resources.” They’re people with skills and experiences to accomplish work. Resources are funds, raw materials, bandwidth, computing power, machinery, and time. Call people “people” and everything else a resource.

The second point is that saying “We don’t have the resources to do ______.” reinforces fear and status quo, because of a fundamental misunderstanding of how the world works.

Experience shows us that captivating visions foster people into action — taking risks and making commitments — and money and more people help will follow. The resource you need most is courage to execute on the vision.

If you are waiting for a safe, comfortable position — big budget, no constraints — before you begin, then your vision is too small, or you don’t truly have a personal commitment to the vision. You will find yourself saying things like “Someone should do that” rather than owning it. This mindset leads to failures you would prefer to blame on others, rather than successes that you are proud to share.

Begin by leading yourself. Cultivate vision that engages you and others, then have the courage to start. Think creatively about getting the resources you need. (You might ask, “What is that in thine hand?”.) Imagine how you will one day tell the story of fulfilling this shared vision. Make it happen! The world needs the very best you can bring.