As an insurance adjuster, I was sometimes amazed at where water could get to and cause damage in a home. Still, there was always one constant – water always took the path of least resistance. Even if the path was longer, it was always the path of least resistance.
Leaders often do the same thing. Who gets the extra jobs? Who gets the extra assignments? It’s the people who do the job with the least amount of pushback. (Shocking, but true!) I call it the “competence penalty.” As veterans, we’ve experienced it. When we’re good at our job, and we don’t push back, we get rewarded. Unfortunately, our reward is (usually) more work.
If we’re getting a lot of “extra” work from our boss, then we’ve become the “path of least resistance” for him (or her). Since being the “path of least resistance” is a choice, we can choose when, and for whom, we are the “path of least resistance.”
The question is: “Are you still the path of least resistance for the people who matter most to you?”
- Is it easier for our wife (or husband) to connect with us, or is it easier for them to connect with someone else?
- Is it easier for our kids to have a conversation with us, or is it easier for them to chat with someone else?
- Is it easier for God to move us to action, or is it easier for Him to work His miracles through someone else?
We all choose to be a “path of least resistance” for someone. Is it the right path for the right person?
On the other hand, if you’re the leader and find yourself defaulting to the same person again and again, maybe YOU’RE the one who’s following the path of least resistance.