Harmony of Grace

Image Source:  Daniil Kuzelev There is a scene in Herman Melville's famous Moby Dick where the whaling crew are pursuing the great white whale, Moby Dick, in the midst of a terrifying storm. The deck men are running around manically performing tasks, sweat mixing with sea water. Captain Ahab is screaming orders, swearing and adding to the confusion. The helmsman is battling the rough winds in order to keep the ship going true.  You can imagine the chaos. But in the midst of this chaos, there is one person on board who does nothing. No shouting. No labour. No panic. This person is the harpooner. In the middle or raging seas and terrifying winds, the harpooner remains calm amid the crashing and the cursing. He is quiet and poised, waiting. Then the author leaves us with this sentence: "To ensure the greatest efficiency in the dart, the harpooners of this world must start to their feet out of idleness, and not out of toil." Wow. How of...

Image Source:  Connor Dugan One of my favourite fantasy stories of all time is called The Wheel of Time  by Robert Jordan. I have recently been re-reading the series and came across a quote by an army general which really inspired me: "The best of plans last only until the first arrow hits , but a determined, unyielding commander can bring order to chaos by the way he holds himself." - Rodel Ituralde (The Towers of Midnight) Most leaders would agree that planning ahead is important. It is quite common, and natural, to put plans in place to try and ensure the best possible outcome in certain situations.  The problem is that no matter how well we formulate our plans and think through all the possible scenarios we might encounter, something could always go wrong that could render our plans completely useless. One of the distinctions between a strong leader and a weak leader is how they deal with change, particularly when it affects their original ...