It’s raining outside today, and I can’t help but think back to a lesson hidden in a crappie fishing trip. Picture this — I’m in north Mississippi, home to four of the greatest crappie lakes in the world. My passion? Wade fishing during the crappie spawn, when they venture into as little as 18 inches of water. It’s prime time, and I’m collaborating with two buddies to decide if today’s the day to fish.
The forecast? Rain showers, off and on. Not storms, just rain. Classic fishing weather drama. One buddy’s quick to tap out. “Looks like rain all day. I’m out. Let’s wait for better weather,” he says.
But my other buddy? A different mindset altogether. “If we wait until 10 a.m., we can avoid the worst of it. No lightning in the forecast, and we can keep an eye on our phones if anything sketchy pops up,” he suggests. I chime in with my two cents, “We’ve got raincoats and waders. We’ll stay dry enough. I’m in.”
That’s how two of us ended up hitting the water around 10:30 a.m. Sure, we got rained on. A couple of soaking showers came through, but we braved them. It wasn’t until almost 6 p.m., as we were packing up, that a real storm rolled in. But here’s the kicker — we had one of our best days that week during all that rain.
The Leadership Lesson Hidden in the Rain
Now, I know what you’re thinking. Is the lesson here to always pack a raincoat? Well, sure. But there’s something deeper to unpack.
This little fishing story reveals two starkly different mindsets when it comes to pursuing goals.
Mindset #1 sees the rain and says, “Not today.” All it is focused on is the rain itself. It waits for perfect conditions, perfect clarity, or better weather before moving forward. This is a fixed mindset.
The team member or leader who stays with the status quo because the “how” for making a change isn’t certain or clear. Waiting until they feel ready to change direction. Postponing working on the new certification or skill set because it’s not at a convenient time. The rationalization and justification of this mindset quickly finds excuses not to take action.
Mindset #2, though? It sees the rain, too, but it’s focused on the goal. It asks, “How can we work through the challenges to make this happen?” Then it starts taking proactive steps to adjust and make it work.
A perfect example of this mindset is the mom with three kids who works full time and navigates all of the challenges with these roles to also secure her doctorate of nursing! It’s also the team member who aligns quickly with a new direction for the company, even though it’s not clear what their final role will be. The leader who sees the hard trends of change and moves resources to secure new opportunities although they are unsure of all the steps to complete the transition. These people are using a growth mindset to push forward.
Here’s the truth about life and leadership (and crappie fishing while we’re at it): Perfect conditions rarely exist. Instead, we often face rain showers in the form of challenges, uncertainty, and good old-fashioned hard work. The question is, how do you respond?
Mindset Check
This story isn’t just about me wading through water or chasing crappie in the rain. It’s about all of us. What mindset dominates in your daily life, work or organization?
Are we quick to spot challenges, using them as reasons to delay or stay stagnant? A fixed mindset?
Or are we bold enough to face those challenges, with our eyes firmly on the target? A growth mindset?
Everybody wants something. A successful project, a closer team, personal growth, a bigger paycheck, or heck, maybe even crappie for dinner. But all too often, we’re unwilling to wade through the rain to get to it. Does your team stop at the first sign of difficulty, or does it start thinking about how to move through those obstacles?
Take the Harder Path
Leaders, professionals and aspiring teammates, here’s my challenge to you today: Be self-aware of your mindset. Rain (read as “challenges”) will come. Take a moment to look them square in the eye. Then, instead of waiting for “better weather,” ask yourself, How can I face this head-on and move forward anyway?
Remember, great days often come in the rain. You’ll never know the success that’s waiting on the other side unless you’re brave enough to step out, wade through, and give it your all.
What’s stopping you today?
The Rest of The Story
Me: Hey, we are going fishing today.
CeCe: It’s raining everywhere today, you are not going in this rain.
Me: We are going to wait to put the boat in and we will have rain coats if we get a shower or two.
CeCe: You have gone absolutely crazy.
Finding purpose begins with finding significance, which begins with valuing people. I am better because of this book, I’m confident you will be too! Mark Cole, CEO Maxwell Leadership
Grab your copy of Leading with Significance to find more magnetic insights to help you on your unique journey.
For more information on my presentations or to access my beBetter blog library go to joeyhavens.com.
