Life (and business) are meant to be shared

I recently reread the Ernest Hemingway classic The Old Man and The Sea.

After reading the book for the second time, I think I picked the right book for my leadership journey. 

The book is essentially a tale of an aging man, Santiago, catching and then battling a giant marlin and other creatures in the ocean as he seeks to live out his craft of being a fisherman.

As I read this book for the second time, I noticed two distinct leadership principles that The Old Man and The Sea showcased clearly for me:

What is not said is often more powerful than what is said.

This novella was extraordinarily simple. The story is stripped of prescriptive direction. Ernest Hemingway allowed me as the reader to capture the lesson that was most relevant for me. I think Hemingway’s approach is relevant to how we lead our families and businesses. Leadership and messaging does not need to be prescriptive. Leadership communication can be directional and provide framework for the team to run forward with.

Life and business are meant to be shared.

Santiago, went on the journey alone without his young student. When he finally hooked the giant marlin and then battled to bring it home, he wished constantly throughout the book for the young boy that he did not bring along. Santiago repeated throughout the voyage: “I wish I had the boy. To help me and to see this.”

As I reread the book, Santiago’s solitude struck me. Throughout his struggle with the marlin and the sharks he was alone. He had no one to lean on. He had no one to give him a break. He had no one to provide an extra hand in his struggles. Santiago was limited in his fishing adventure by going on the journey alone.

Santiago’s situation reminds me of one of my favorite phrases:

If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together”. African Proverb

Onward,
Matt