The Right Tool For the Job

I've been thinking lately about how the right tool for the right job in the hands of an unskilled person often doesn't get the job done.

There are plenty of projects around the house where you can put the perfect tool in my hand and train me, but in the end, I'll still make a mess.

Sometimes, someone other than you or me is the right person for the job, and that's okay.

We need to recognize when this happens, and we should not:

• Blame my boss/organization

• Blame God

• Sink to the bottom of the emotional ocean

• Become divisive

All not helpful.

So often, I see leaders struggling and feverishly searching for the fix (the next conference, a new book, a fresh big idea), but in the end, none of those things help.

It's okay to say, "I'm not the right fit." There's dignity in that proclamation. In fact, I admire and respect a person with a healthy self-awareness that leads to this realization.

My hope for the future of the workplace is this type of authenticity and vulnerability. A person who demonstrates these values will be rewarded with a great fit, either inside or outside of that organization.