Windmills vs. Walls

“When the wind changes, some people build walls, and some people build windmills.”

My first call after our leadership team meeting was to Charles. We had finished our initial chit-chat, checking in on each other’s health and families, and I relayed how the discussion with the team had gone.

That was when he said the thing about the windmills.

“I’m sorry, what? Did you say windmills?” I asked.

“It’s a Chinese proverb. I can’t remember when I first read it, but it seems especially true right now. It has application to this challenging health and economic climate, but it also resonates with the perspective of living a purposeful, fulfilling life,” he said and paused. “So, Will, the question is, are you going to build walls or windmills?”

I wasn’t sure. Somehow I was not picking up his gist. But, as usual, he was picking up on mine. So he continued.

“Walls, by their nature, are forced stopping points. We create them to keep something out. They’re rigid and, for the most part, unmoving.

“When something difficult happens in your life, when the wind changes, you can decide to build a wall to block the wind. But it only works until the wind changes again. And the wind always changes.”

I was getting it. “So, now I have a wall that doesn’t do me any good, and I need to build another one.”

“Right. So, instead, you could decide to embrace the wind. You could say to yourself, ‘I know things are going to change again, and again, and probably again after that…and I better prepare for that change and make it work for me the next time it happens’.”

Even though we were talking on the phone, I could picture his face so clearly, looking at me with that fatherly smile and clearly caring about me as if I was his own son.

“That mentality can change everything,” he said. “It can help you have more positive relationships with people in your life. It can lead you to business success. It can help you solve short-term problems and long-term ones.”

“When the wind picks up, like it is now, with this crisis we are facing, the right answer might be to embrace it, not try to stop it. Find a way to make it work for you. Flip what you perceive to be a problem into an advantage.”

I listened as Charles finished his thought.

“That’s terrific advice, Charles,” I said. “And a perfect analogy. But how will I know if I need a wall or a windmill? Clearly, there are things that we will need to do to weather this particular storm that aren’t going to be great long-term solutions.”

“Of course. For example, I’m guessing that you’re trying to extend payment terms with vendors, maybe even your landlord, right?” He asked.

“That’s right; those are the kinds of things that we obviously won’t change permanently. They’re just there to help us get through this particular time,” I said.

“You’re probably right, although even in that scenario, perhaps there is a lesson to be learned about always negotiating hard on payment terms in the future because you never know when disaster will strike,” he said.

I hadn’t thought of that. I made a note to talk to Rachel about that being something we did going forward.

“I get your point, I need to be thinking about how to lean into these new changes, not just put in placeholders as a way to make it through,” I said.

We said our good-byes and hung up. Charles always had a way of making me think differently. And I was going to need a healthy dose of thinking differently in short order.

Key point: Understand when something needs to be changed only for the moment vs. when it can be a change that can help your business overall. Look at big changes, especially during a crisis, as a way to grow and get better. We always learn the most when faced with a challenge.