In
a long journey, the last mile becomes critical in actually reaching your
destination and achieving your goals. Long journeys can be arduous
and boring, when short supply of resources like time, food and water can cloud
our judgement... even the best are bound to make errors. This
can also happen when you are executing mission critical projects or
assignments, where all deadlines are being met and yet, at the last
5% of the project, there could be issues which impede you from achieving
your goals. This actually prevents you achieving
excellence in your chosen field.
Interestingly,
there is a narrative in the Bible of three wise men who made an
error of judgement in the last mile of their journey. The wise men of that
time, similar to the Subject Matter Expert ( SME) of today, did their
research and deep study on their field of expertise. They understood that
a King was born, by reading the literature of that time and matching it
with the symbols and events. Their study revealed that the prophecy
was being fulfilled through a bright star being seen in the East, so
they decided to follow this bright star to lead them to their destination.
Their purpose was to worship the King who was born at that time.
They
had a journey of about 1300 kilometres from Babylon to
Bethlehem, had they taken the main trade route. In those days the
average speed was 32 kilometres per day by a camel caravan. Therefore the
journey would have taken at least about 40 days. They would have taken a
small entourage to provide for their needs and the needs of the camels. In
essence, there was planning, detailing and providing for resources. They
were clear on what was needed and they followed the star in their
journey.
As
they came close to their destination, perhaps about the last 10
kilometres, they let their instinct decide, instead of following the
star. In their judgement they assumed that the king had to
be in a palace. They took their sight away from their source of
guidance and instead, relied on their assumption.
They
meet the ruling king at that time and ask him, "Where is he who
was born king of the Jews?", which sent alarm
bells ringing in the kings mind. An alarm in the kings mind was panic
in the hearts of his subjects. This falter turned fatal for scores of children
who were below two years, as the king did not want any rival to his
throne. I am not sure if these wise men ever learnt of the consequences of
their falter.
There
are a few learnings for Project Leaders and Business Heads from this
little episode. Most professionals believe they are on the path to
excellence. Having clarity of purpose is not enough, it is important
to set the right goal and stay focussed on it. A review of the
goal is important as we reach important milestones. Overconfidence, common
assumptions, hearsay could make you falter and deviate from reaching
your goal. Completing the last mile is important to achieve
excellence in your chosen field.
It
is important to also remember that when one deviates from the goal, there is a
price to pay. Unfortunately in this incident a few scores of innocents paid for
this falter. Therefore Leadership is a responsibility and as Leaders,
we are called to lead wisely.
