Last week, we published a white paper here at the LeaderTalk blog. David Burkus left a comment congratulating me on “shipping,” a reference to Seth Godin’s Linchpin.
I have to admit to you now, as I admitted to David when he left the comment, that I haven’t read the book yet. It’s been on my shelf for months and now, with prodding, I think I’ll finally read it.
In case you haven’t read it either, I will explain the concept of shipping. Shipping is sharing your work with the world, in Seth’s words: it’s the collision between your work and the outside world.
Today, I am shipping again.
My two oldest daughters are headed off to school.
These girls – the two I’m sending off and the one still at home – are my best work.
From the moment I discovered my first pregnancy (nearly ten years ago), I have known that I would dedicate my best energy to mothering my children.
If I published a string of best-selling books, they would still be my best work.
If I rose to the executive suite of a Fortune 100 company, they would still be my best work.
If I became president of the United States and led our nation out of our financial slump, they would still be my best work.
I can think of no accomplishment that would compare to the joy and satisfaction parenting brings.
I will never do anything as important as this: being their mother.
Part of being a leader, though, is sharing your best work with the world. Shipping.
And although my work in their lives will never be complete – although, in fact, I still have many more years of teaching and influencing them before they become fully independent – this is the first of many days that I will ship them.
Today, they nearly skipped away, dressed in colorful polo shirts and navy jumpers, into the world, where they brought their sweetness and light, their creativity and curiosity.
Last week I shipped my best writing from this blog; today, I shipped again.
What are you shipping? How can you share your best work with the world?
This was originally posted at Mountain State University LeaderTalk and is reposted with permission.
I am the founder/CEO of the Weaving Influence team, the author of Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and the host of the Book Marketing Action Podcast. I’m a wife and mom of three kids, and I enjoy running, reading, writing, coffee, and dark chocolate.
While children are our most important work they are rarely considered our best work. Thanks for producing a better future for all of us. And for reminding me I haven’t shipped anything in a while. I need to do that.
Becky,
This is a beautiful tribute to Motherhood. I admire how you seamlessly blend your various life roles in your blog.
This is lovely, Becky. And it is a timely reminder for me, too: I have been stalling on getting an article drafted because I am nervous about sending it out into the world. Getting down to work now…
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing
Good post. A nice perspective for we bloggers, who often chase the “best post” to lead strangers…yet the influence on our family is the best leadership.