Climbing All the Way to the Top

Yesterday I climbed a mountain. Not figuratively. I actually climbed a mountain. On a couple of occasions as we climbed the steep and rocky path, the trail leveled off, revealing a beautiful view of another mountain. For a moment we thought we were at the top, until we turned and saw that the trail continued upward. Finally we came to a magnificent opening. It was a series of giant boulders, with spectacular views in all directions. We were looking not just at another mountain or two, but at 10 or 12 mountains, and beyond them dozens more. As leaders, we climb mountains all the time, and we may be tempted to stop halfway, and only factor in the viewpoints immediately before us. But we have to climb all the way to the top, where we can see many different perspectives, including--and especially--those that challenge us and make us uncomfortable. Leadership is all about perspectives.