I was recently catching up with a high school classmate—someone I’ve known a long time, and someone who now runs a successful landscaping business. He told me about how customers often come to him asking for trees, only to be disappointed when the trees they see are small. “I wish I had planted bigger ones,” they say. So, he invested in a large tree spade—mounted on a truck—so he could transplant full-grown trees. Why? Because people want what they want, now.
He said to me, “Kevin, it’s all about instant gratification.”
And you know what? He’s absolutely right. Instant gratification is the short game. It’s focused on now. It’s impatient. It’s about living in the moment, and it’s how kids often behave—something we adults shake our heads at, even as we fall into the same trap. But in a world of next-day delivery and on-demand everything, it’s no surprise that our collective patience has dwindled.
But What About the Long Game?
The long game starts with knowing your purpose. It means asking the big questions: What are we here for? What are we trying to accomplish?
It’s easy to lose sight of those questions when you’re knee-deep in the daily grind. Urgencies pile up. Notifications ping. Goals start to look like checkboxes rather than milestones tied to a bigger vision.
Playing the long game means connecting all those short-term and medium-term goals to something larger. It means having a clear staircase and knowing each step—no matter how small—moves you closer to where you ultimately want to go.
It means shifting your timeline. Not just thinking about what you want today or even next week, but what will serve you—and your team—over months, years, even decades.
And yes, it means lifting your eyes.
My dad used to tell me when I was a kid, “Kevin, quit looking at your feet and look where you’re going.” Whether you're walking, biking, or leading a team, the principle is the same: when you look further ahead, you see more. You anticipate better. You avoid surprises.
You Can Still See the Now
Here’s the important part: looking long doesn’t mean ignoring what’s in front of you. When you focus further down the road, you still see the close-up things. But if you only look down, you’ll never see what’s coming.
And when you’re committed to playing the long game, you learn the value of patience. That doesn’t mean waiting passively. It means making thoughtful decisions today with a deep understanding of how they’ll ripple outward.
So Here’s the Real Question...
I’ll bet you’ve been nodding your head this whole time. Not much of this is radical. But the real question isn’t whether you agree with me—it’s whether you’re doing it.
Are you playing the long game?
Because if you’re a leader—or you want to be seen as one—this mindset sets you apart. In a world that moves fast and often celebrates short-term wins, thinking long-term is not just rare... it’s powerful.
It earns trust. It builds resilience. It creates real, lasting impact.
In times of turbulence and uncertainty—and we are certainly in those times—playing the long game might just be one of the most valuable things you can do. And one of the best complements to long-game thinking? Becoming a more flexible leader.
If you want to explore what flexible leadership looks like, I encourage you to check out my new book, Flexible Leadership. You can even grab a free sample chapter at KevinEikenberry.com/flexible.
Until next time—keep looking ahead.
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