#844 burning

Former pro golfer and sportscaster Johnny Miller was on the circuit for 30 years and spent  20 years broadcasting the U.S. Open.  Over time, the outspoken Miller made a few observations about the golfers who came and went on the tour.

One of his thoughts was the "wick theory", indicating that every player's wick burns only so long.  

This explanation of behavior can apply to other settings outside of sports:
> In entertainment, stars come and go in music, movies, etc.
> People ride the tide at work, going from "golden girl/boy" when they ace a pet project to the scapegoat when the risks that put them on top cause them to fail
> Politicians are the darlings of their party -- until they aren't
> Popular kids at school tend to run their course too -- they are part of the "in crowd" only for a limited time
> Celebrity chefs and/or their dishes are in high demand for short spurts of time until the next person's star rises
> Fashion designers are copied and sought after for brief periods before the stars want something different

Think about the wick in your career or your industry.  If it will only burn for so long, how can you take advantage of that brightness to do something that will let the light continue to shine after you move on?

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

Quoted in Haney shoots straight on Tiger by Teddy Greenstein, Chicago Tribune, June 6, 2014, p. 6