Whatever Will Come, Will Come…

Yes, I know.  The traditional saying is “whatever will be, will be.”  However, my son has just finished reading the Harry Potter series of books — one of my all time favourites, by the way — and this morning I asked him what his favourite quote was.  He didn’t have to think long before he quoted Hagrid and said, “Whatever will come, will come.  And we’ll have to meet it when it does.”

Now, while I realize that the words were not his — he was quoting, after all — I was awestruck at his ability to pull what seems like an essential life-learning from the series, at such a young age.  Essentially, this quote speaks to what so many struggle with on a daily basis:  the ability to stay right here, right now, not worrying about what might happen, and instead trying to plan for every eventuality, engaging in a host of unnecessary worry as a result. Honouring the quote of “whatever will come, will come” seems like such a fantastic reminder of the approach required to move through life with ease.

As I reflect on how this perspective serves leadership, it occurs to me that leaders must strive to avoid getting caught in the “perpetual planning” trap.  There’s a way in which leadership — which requires one to be forward-thinking — requires one to plan ahead.  A leader must contemplate the future, try to anticipate what might happen and brainstorm possible contingency plans and options.  It’s the nature of the beast, I get it.  And yet, if a leader is not careful, he or she can get so caught up in planning and miss what’s going on right here, right now.  And this doesn’t serve either.

Bottom-line:  effective leaders balance the ability to plan with the ability to stay fully grounded and present in this moment.  They balance their ability to vision with the ability to see what’s right in front of them.  They understand that, try as they will, all the planning in the world simply cannot prepare them for every eventuality.  And when it comes right down to it, effective leaders know how to dance with whatever comes their way, even without planning.  Because, whatever will come, will come — that’s all there is to it.