Does It Have to Be Perfect?

The Personal Technology column in today's Wall Street Journal talks about slide show software. I don't really want any slide show software, but for some reason I started reading the article. I'm glad I did because it got me thinking...

Early in the column, by Thomas E. Weber (twber@wsj.com), He says "After I switched from film to digital, I noticed something about my pictures. They were all great - yet in some ways, they were all alike, with smiling people caught at just the right moment. Not that I'm such a great photographer. I just wasn't showing any of the outtakes. And while the pictures I culled out were individually mediocre, taken as a whole, they captured the essence of my family and friends, regardless of frowns or cut-off heads."

What he is saying, in a way, is that digital makes it easy for us to hide our mistakes - to make all of the efforts we display to the world look "perfect". This is a tempting thought - especially as a leader of others. After all, what could be better than to always look good to those we lead?

Actually, you'd be far ahead as a leader to show those you lead "the whole roll." Let them see your frailties. Let them see your mistakes, let them see that you are human. When they see you as human AND as someone that leads effectively, you will become a more effective leader and mentor to them, and provide more powerful model when you turn your "cut-off heads" into perfect portraits.

Then you will be leading and learning by example.

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