You may have heard the expression, a long road to a small house. We could interpret this as a long, long journey to get to a destination. I want to look at this differently as it pertains to getting something accomplished. Remember, there are many roads to get to a destination.

When I worked in a corporate environment, sometimes I got something done in ways that didn’t fit into someone else’s mold. This was not always an accepted practice and caused some nice ruckus occasionally. There are those times, for regulatory purposes, following protocols is a must. I get that! But outside the boundaries of regulations, does it really matter how you get to your endpoint?

As a leader in an organization, you have a goal to accomplish. Said leader probably has a team to help get to the target. In the larger scope of things, regulations aside, does it matter if I use a purple binder instead of a green one? Maybe I work better with my headphones on, blocking out the surrounding chatter so I can think. Or, perhaps I take my laptop outside on a pretty day to sit under a tree, but I still get to the target. Is my way wrong, or just different?

As leaders, it is important to remember your team is there to help you accomplish, to get to a house. If they choose a paved road to a house or a grassy tundra to the same house, does it really matter? Maybe the paved road is a little longer than the tundra route. The house is most important, is it not? Choose a road and get to the house, but get to the house, that’s the most important.

Now, back to that long road to a small house. Shortcuts are not always the best idea, for sure. Sometimes, though, if a shorter road to the house still gets it done without negatively impacting the organization, is there anything wrong with that? All this to plant a seed. As a leader, be open to the gifts your team offer, even if their road is a little different from yours.