BCG BLog

Dream Big. Live Small.

I love dreamers. 
People that accept no limitations for what they can do.
People that dare to do what others say can’t be done. 
They’re inspiring.

I believe the dream, or vision, is the first step of leadership. Leaders see things differently. They don’t accept the status quo, or relegate the future to what has always been done. No, no, no … leaders expect to make a difference, or else, why lead?

We all know it’s ‘the different’ that changes the world. The ‘weirdos’ that are crazy enough to try something that everyone has always said is impossible. Those are the people that leave an impact. 

The same is true for leaders of teams. It may not be world changing, or it may be, but it still requires a big dream and the courage to try to make it a reality.

Why Should We Care?
If the dream, or vision, is the first step of leadership; then the next thousand steps belong to humility and work. 

Living small is grounded in humility. 
Lack of humility robs us of the desire to improve. It tells us over and over that we’re good, or at least better than the next guy.  Why would we work at something if we already think we’re good enough?

Work is always the process.

It’s ironic that we all know this to be true, yet when we look at the successes of the people around us we are so quick to attribute their success to a lucky break or a preordained gift from above. One of the last things we concede is that they must’ve worked at it.

The people around us experiencing excellence may have been given a gift all right, but it wasn’t what you think that’s led to that excellence. Sure, others may have been blessed with a knack for numbers or remarkable athleticism or an ability to connect with others, but the gift that’s led to excellence is almost always a willingness, a desire, to work.

That’s what living small is.
There is no overnight success. It’s not a thing. 

The big dreams that we encourage those we lead to have can only become reality by committing to the day to day work. We must embrace the sacrifices that this work demands or move on to a different dream. There is no other way, so stop looking.

REAL TALK - Action Steps
It’s the combination of the two, dreaming big and living small, that creates excellence. One without the other leads to mediocrity and frustration

• Dream Big. Live Big. 
  
  • Entitled and arrogant would describe those with this mindset. They hope and aspire to great things, typically the wrong things, but great nonetheless. They get the dream and vision part but act as if they’re already there. These people usually lack the courage to put themselves out there in fear of being discovered. They would prefer to pretend rather than fail and grow.
    

• Dream Small. Live Small.
  
  • A lot of times these people simply sell themselves short. They dismiss their potential impact on the people around them and sadly wondering, “Who am I to think I can …”? These people embrace the work and process necessary to be great, but lack the vision of what their impact could truly be.
    

• Dream Small. Live Big.
  
  • Without a vision, there is no purpose behind work. So, why try? This group is oftentimes seen as pretenders. They have no real purpose in mind for what they want to do with their life, but are happy to act as if they have it all figured out and are superior to those that have to work really hard to improve at something. 
    

The only combination that leads to excellence is dreaming big and living small. A pursuit of something that seems out of reach, almost unattainable ... but maybe. Combined with a work ethic that constantly whispers, “we need to be better ... we can be better ... we’re getting better.”

For more information on building excellence in your teams, visit us at www.bluecollargrit.com. 
We would love to know how we could help!

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