Leading Without Shortcuts
There is a Swedish proverb that says, “Genvägar är senvägar” that means trying to take a shortcut often makes you late or takes more time instead of saving time. I was reminded of this proverb during my reading of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Fellowship of the Ring (Book 1). Pippin Took cautioned Frodo Baggins with these words: “Short cuts make long delays.” How very astute. In the context of The Fellowship of the Ring, the shortcut was related to travel and fighting darkness. But we are also tempted by shortcuts when doing projects.
Have you ever done anything that you thought was going to make things easier or save time, but that ended up the opposite? We are wired to take shortcuts. Sometimes we are trying to be more efficient, save time, or just plain being lazy. As Pippin warned, however, shortcuts usually lead to delays or less than desirable results. We need to put in the work or go the distance. As my dad always said, “If it is worth doing, it’s worth doing right.” So, next time we are considering a shortcut let’s take a moment and consider if it will cause delays.
Byron's Babbles 
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