I feel like this is an area that leaders struggle with the most.

I feel like we often have the tendency to assess “progress” (or success) with the measure of our own journey (or at least how we perceive it).

We have to be careful to assess the progress of others through the lens of THEIR journey and not from the perspective of our own. Not only is there great variance in the growth of individuals (as depicted by the image), but there are also many different starting points, which adds to the necessity of evaluating from an empathetic view.

If I can use altitude to illustrate this point, I would caution us from thinking that the person who has currently climbed to 2,500m in altitude is not as advanced as us who are at 5,000m. Why? Well, because You and I may have begun at 3,000 and they may have started at 0. That would mean they have actually ascended 500m more than we have, and our judgement of them is not only ill-placed, but it is inaccurate.

Furthermore, if one starts at our same 3,000 and is only at 3,500, it may be that they have not achieved much…or it may be that they faced circumstances in life that took them from 3,000 down to 1,000, and now they have worked diligently to make it back to where they were and keep growing. (This is probably close to my own story.)

All in all, those of us in leadership have a responsibility to meet people where they are and treat them with dignity and value. Often we may have no idea what their journey has been like. So, let’s give people the benefit of the doubt and, if we feel the need to assess them, take a moment to authentically learn about them before we decide anything.