One of my clients for my Walkshops made a great point the other day. He is in the midst of experiencing Benjamin Harrison’s struggle with executing Major Change during his military duty in the Civil War. My client said that he was shocked that Harrison had to contend with such long periods of inactivity, dull routine, and daily mundane events. It showed, my client concluded, the importance of having the right motivation to endure such times.

As I said, great point. We assume that people, whether as leaders or followers, need motivation to climb that mountain, to overcome that huge obstacle. But just as often, and maybe more often, we need to be motivated simply to endure the unremarkable, the unmemorable, and the unimpressive.

The stretch of time that prompted my client’s reaction was Harrison’s extended duty in Tennessee during 1863. Nothing that you associate with dramatic war-fighting was evident to him. No key battles. No big plans. No important achievements. Dull, dull, dull was all that awaited him. And yet, all around him, Major Change unfolded.

Motivating through the mundane. Remember it.