George Bernard ShawToday, a metaphorical quotation packing a powerful punch.

“The only man who behaves sensibly is my tailor; he takes my measure anew each time he sees me, while all the rest go on with their old measurements and expect them to fit me.”
George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright, Nobel laureate

Questions to Ponder

  • What old beliefs about yourself are you holding onto?
  • What old beliefs about others are you holding onto?
  • How could you take a fresh perspective, or measure anew, today?

Action Steps

  1. Look at the people with whom you interact today with fresh eyes.
  2. Look beyond your past interactions, and create a new first impression.
  3. Then, compare the old measurement with the new one, and see what you learn.

My Thoughts

I don’t know about you, but clothes that once fit me well, don’t anymore. If I bought new ones based on my old size, it wouldn’t be a pretty picture. I’d like to think that I have grown in ways other than pounds though . . . that I am a different person with different experiences, perspectives, knowledge, and wisdom than I once was.   Given that, I’d prefer people look at me for who I am today, not simply who I once was. . .

Wouldn’t you want the same?

So why don’t we give others that same chance?

Read Shaw’s words again, and think about the situations and people who you have measured and since thrown away the ruler.

Maybe it is time to get a fresh perspective.  Measure where people are today, and where that measurement can take them, rather than relying on past memories, or worse, other people’s measurements of people you adopted as your own.

Measure carefully.

Measure today.

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Kevin Eikenberry is a recognized world expert on leadership development and learning and is the Chief Potential Officer of The Kevin Eikenberry Group. He has spent over 30 years helping organizations across North America, and leaders from around the world, on leadership, learning, teams and teamwork, communication and more.

Twice he has been named by Inc.com as one of the Top 100 Leadership and Management Experts in the World and 100 Great Leadership Speakers for Your Next Conference. The American Management Association named him a “Leaders to Watch” and he has been twice named as one of the World's Top 30 Leadership Professionals by Global Gurus. Top Sales World has named him a Top Sales & Marketing Influencer several times, and his blog has been named on many “best of” lists. LeadersHum has named him one of the 200 Biggest Voices in Leadership in 2023.

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  1. Hi Kevin! This post definitely serves as a great reminder. Change is always inevitable and ever constant. So I agree that we must “”measure anew”” and carefully. Thanks for this great insight.

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