The time and energy and resources you invest in the intangibles is not lost; it is not a “cost of doing business.” It is an investment that pays substantial returns in the long run. It’s just that you can’t always draw a direct and immediate line to the results. But the results are there, and the connection is there, just as the farmer who sows a crop in the spring sees results not immediately but in the fall, when it’s time to harvest. So also we need to have this long-term view when it comes to our effectiveness and productivity, both as individuals and as organizations.
