In my career, I haven't really had direct reports or huge budgets. Most of the time, I've had to work indirectly. That requires a great deal of persuasion since what you are selling are things that no one can touch. You are trying to make someone else understand an idea. More than that, you need them to believe in the vision to the point where they will actually help you even though it may not necessarily be something that falls directly under their responsibility.
There is no more delicious moment to me than when you see proof of your influence reflected in real life. For me, it can come in subtle ways. I might phrase something in a certain way and hear it repeated back in the same way weeks or months later. Someone might take a slide that I developed for a presentation and drop it into their deck. Little projects that no one thought they needed might blossom into larger projects. I'm at a point in my career when I can actually see the tiny shoots just emerging from the ground. They may not be strong enough to stand on their own yet, but perhaps in a few years they will be. I can't tell you how wonderful it feels to see that happen in real time.
I guess it reminds me of my other life outside of work. My boys are starting to get older. My oldest is now in Little League and loves playing baseball. I felt mixed emotions when I learned he struck out the side while pitching in a game earlier this week that I missed because of a business trip. All the same, the pride is still there. Even though I am not on the field with him, I can feel the joys and sorrows as they happen. When I stand on the sidelines, all I can do is watch and hope. It's the same way with a lot of my ideas. They are riding on the efforts of so many unseen individuals. I can only hope that we've given them enough guidance so that their natural talents can shine.
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