On a rocky coast stood a lighthouse whose keeper was admired by every passing sailor. The lantern always burned brightly, the gears turned smoothly, and no ship had been lost for years. One spring, visitors began arriving every day. Some praised the polished brass railings. Others suggested brighter paint. One thought flowers would make the lighthouse more welcoming. Another insisted the windows needed larger curtains. The keeper tried to satisfy them all. He polished until the brass gleamed like gold. He repainted every wall. He planted flowers, replaced furniture, and hung banners that fluttered beautifully in the sea breeze.The lighthouse had never looked finer.
But each improvement stole a little time. One evening, while arranging fresh flowers in the entryway, he forgot to refill the lamp with oil. Far out at sea, a captain searched for the familiar light.He found only darkness. The next morning the keeper sat in silence among the broken timbers washed ashore.
An old fisherman approached and said, "You have cared for everything except the one thing only you could do."
The keeper looked around. The flowers were still blooming. The brass still shone. The walls were freshly painted. Everything was beautiful. Everything was useless. From that day on, the keeper changed his routine.
Every morning he asked only one question: "What must not fail today?" Only after that work was finished did he polish, paint, or decorate.
The lighthouse never became the prettiest on the coast again.But it remained the safest.
As a leader, do you recognize the most important things to pay attention to, the things only you can do that support those doing the work?
Are you making the necessary sacrifices to do the work of leadership?
How coaching can help:
Understand what the most import work is as a leader and develop the skill and discipline necessary to do that work.
