Pushing Through the Barrier: The Key to Achieving Breakthrough in Work and Life

As we strive to achieve success in our work and personal lives, we often come up against a seemingly insurmountable obstacle: ourselves. We hit a wall where our ideas start to feel tired and superficial, and the conventions that govern our behavior seem set in stone. Yet, it is only by pushing through this barrier that we can achieve breakthrough and reach our full potential.

Adrian Savage, an English writer and retired business executive, has spent years developing his philosophy of Slow Leadership, which emphasizes the importance of slowing down, thinking deeply, and challenging conventional wisdom. In a recent article on his blog, Savage reflects on the challenges he faced while writing a book on Slow Leadership, and the breakthroughs that came from pushing beyond his limits.

Savage notes that his early ideas about Slow Leadership were simple pleas to slow down and take the time to think. However, as he delved deeper into the topic, he developed a more contrarian approach that challenged the quick-fix, “just-get-it-done-somehow” style of leadership that dominates the contemporary workplace. He argues that too many leaders sacrifice long-term success for short-term profits, and that the emphasis on fashionably pseudo-scientific management techniques has dumbed down the management process into a series of rules-of-thumb and fashionable panaceas.

To achieve breakthrough in work and life, we must push beyond the obvious and the conventional, and seek out uncharted territories of the mind. Savage argues that education is precious, but we cannot rely on the ideas of the past to guide us. Instead, we must challenge every assumption and risk everything in the search for knowledge. The key to achieving breakthrough, he writes, is to be a learner – to know only that we do not yet know what matters.

This approach to leadership is of particular importance in the 21st century, where advances in technology and globalization have transformed the nature of work. Many old assumptions about work and industry no longer apply, and the pace of change is likely to increase in the years ahead. Leaders who cling to old ways of thinking will find themselves struggling to keep up with the demands of a rapidly evolving world.

To achieve breakthrough, we must also be willing to let go of the false certainties that hold us back. Savage points to the dangers of fashionable management techniques that promise quick results but lack any real substance. These techniques may be popular in the short term, but they do not provide a solid foundation for long-term success. Instead, we must rely on deep thinking and a willingness to challenge conventional wisdom.

In conclusion, Savage writes that achieving breakthrough demands that we push beyond our current limits, challenge every assumption, and risk everything in the search for knowledge. This is the entryway to breakthrough and mastery, and the key to achieving success in work and life. By embracing the philosophy of Slow Leadership, we can overcome the barriers that hold us back and reach our full potential.