Cruel irony

I was reading this article from HBS Working Knowledge earlier today. Research (and personal experience) show that managers have to change their decision-making styles as they advance in the organization. What makes a first-line manager effective, for example, does not work when that person becomes a director. And what makes a director effective does not work when that person becomes a VP. This got me thinking about this topic more generally since it certainly applies outside of work. For example, what makes a person an effective parent of a toddler does not make that person effective as the parent of a teenager. I find a cruel irony in all of this. Just when you feel you have something mastered, that you have things figured out, the game changes on you. What used to be a strength becomes your Achilles' heel.

I've known this for awhile (we discussed it in my MBA program) but the HBS article reminded me of this principle. In the context of my post last night, it got me thinking about the "cruel" irony of my current situation. Take pride, for example. For a variety of reasons, I've never really been proud of my achievements in life. And just when I do begin to take some pride in myself and my accomplishments, I feel that God is telling me to be humble. Honestly, I'm not ready to let go of that sin quite yet. Now, generalize this a bit more. When I was growing up, I felt that I needed to adhere to my father's plan for me. Now that I'm older and taking control of my life, I'm faced with whether I need to adhere to my Heavenly Father's plan for me. When I was younger, I felt I could never meet my father's expectations. Now I worry that I'm not meeting my Heavenly Fathers expectations. Unbelievable. Just when I thought I had things figured out, the game changes on me.

Admittedly, I opened this Pandora's Box. But it's a cruel irony nonetheless.