"If"

A Leaders Guide to Maturity and Growth

Last year, I found myself in a profound conversation with my good friend, Brandon Chynoweth. We delved into the topic of humility in leadership, particularly noting how the attention and acclaim from crowds can sometimes cause leaders to develop a sense of arrogance or pomposity, eroding their ability to lead with humility as their influence expands. During our discussion, Brandon cited a line from his favorite poem that struck a chord with me, prompting me to request the entire poem from him later. The line he quoted was, “If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch.”

This line resonated deeply with me. It poses a compelling question about the balance of character in leadership: Can one maintain their virtue amidst the allure of the masses? Is it possible to mingle with the elite, the 'Kings', without losing touch with the common, everyday experiences and people?

This poem has since become profoundly meaningful and impactful to me, and today, I am eager to share its wisdom with you.

If

This poem is "If—" by Rudyard Kipling. Written in 1895, it was first published in 1910 in Kipling's collection "Rewards and Fairies." The poem establishes a set of values emphasizing fortitude, self-control, and resilience in the face of adversity.

Though not explicitly authored from a Christian perspective, the poem resonates with Biblical truths reminiscent of various Proverbs.

Kipling's "If—" serves as a guide for personal integrity and self-development. It addresses the reader directly, offering advice on how to maintain one's composure, trust oneself, remain humble, and handle success and failure with equanimity. The poem suggests that these qualities are essential for maturation and personal growth. Its themes are particularly relevant in leadership and personal development contexts, resonating with those who face challenging situations, such as leaders or individuals in positions of responsibility. The final lines suggest that mastering these virtues leads to a fulfilled and honorable life.

I will read this poem from time to time as I start my day. I pray you will copy and paste this somewhere so you can revisit it often. Take the next 5 minutes and read it through 3-4 times.

One particular line every ReLeader should see and embrace: “Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, and stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools.”

Enjoy…

If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you,   
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, but make allowance for their doubting too; 
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise,
If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;   
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim;   
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same;   
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, and stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings and risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings and never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew to serve your turn long after they are gone,   
And so hold on when there is nothing in you, except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, or walk with Kings—nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,   
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,   
And—which is more—you’ll be a Man, my son!