Permission

I am and have always been, to some extent, an independent thinker and a man of action. I like taking the lead. I spent 30 + years working for myself and despite having clients to answer to, I rarely sought or felt the need for permission. As an entrepreneur, I would assess and explore my options and managed to make good decisions along the way. And, as I get older (not old) I seem to care less about permission. I am always respectful of managing my time and what affect it will have on my colleagues, but permission is not always my priority. Has that attitude bitten me on the bottom from time-to-time? Absolutely. I am very capable of bucking the system, resisting or opposing the established norms. And although I recognize the implication of going against the current trends, I don’t want to be considered ‘the rebel’, but I do like shaking things up a bit. I find that healthy and will always look for the appropriate way to collaborate, but I will lose sight of PERMISSION. I have developed a solid reputation and take great pride in being known for ‘getting stuff done’. Results are a great metric, and I suppose that if I couldn’t get stuff done, my metric would demand that I take a step or two back and consult with folks and ask for permission. I like to think I have earned that. I do not take it for granted.

I have always had a thing for authority. Even as a kid, I was always in the crosshairs of my school principal. Not disrespectful – More mischievous, but I hated being told what to do and that got me in trouble in school, and at home. I still carry that. But, with age comes experience and maturity. That has redefined my metric and my standards. I know that permission is a necessary attribute and characteristic to pay attention to and something that can, at times, be a requirement, but I do like drawing ‘freehand’ and not seeking permission to use the crayons!