I’m not cancelling anything
This week my grandma Vincenza passed away. She was 90 years old.
As I sat beside her while she lay breathless, I couldn’t help noticing her hands. These hands were worn out. They were tired. These hands contributed much to our society, generation and in helping make Australia the lucky country. The hands gave so much to give us a better life and helped set us up for a future.
Born in Sicily and migrating to Melbourne in the 50’s. Having survived World War 2, she understood, pain, famine, fear, bloody hard work and the need for grit. Going without was common practice and selflessness was the only way through. From the toughest moments in her life, she learned resilience, strength, courage and a can-do mindset.
When I think of her life and the countless that have gone before her, I am not going to cancel and or forget what was given, done and or built. While they didn’t have any platform to amplify the good, they did, they quietly went about building the stage. The stage that we at times mindlessly perform on heralding ourselves as heroes when the really, the pain, suffering and at in many cases the sacrificing of one’s life was done by those who went before us. When was the last time we thought of those who went before us to give us what we have today?
Let’s apply this to business. Great businesses are not an overnight success. They take years to establish and all have a foundation. We build up from this foundation to establish culture. We may get some things wrong, but we learn from them. We get many things right. From both right and wrong we develop. We evolve. We build greatness. We don’t however forget where we came from and or deviate from the foundational values that have allowed us to thrive and survive.
The countless efforts to dismantle the stage of the values and principles that make this country great are the biggest threat to our society and the generations to follow. To do the same for our businesses would be of great detriment.
What we and those who went before us have built is something we should be proud of. It is something our leaders place less and less merit on. Not perfect but it has served us and set us up well. As we prepare to hand over the batten to the next generation let ensure that our efforts and those who have gone before us are not in vain.
