"High office teaches decisiveness instead of details."

Serving in a high office often demands making tough decisions rather than getting bogged down in the nitty-gritty. It's all about focusing on the big picture and steering the ship, rather than micromanaging every aspect of the journey. Think of it like being the captain of a ship. The captain's job isn't to tie every knot or scrub the decks; it's to navigate the vessel through rough seas and ensure it reaches its destination safely.

Historically, this idea has been echoed by many leaders and thinkers. One relevant context is during the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower. Eisenhower, a five-star general before becoming the U.S. President, understood the importance of focusing on strategic decisions rather than getting entangled in minor details. He frequently emphasized the need to prioritize and delegate. During World War II, he had to make quick, decisive calls that impacted the lives of millions. There wasn't time to worry about every single logistical detail; he had to trust his team to handle those while he focused on the broader strategy.

Let's look at a real-life example to illustrate this further. Imagine the CEO of a large tech company. During a major product launch, the CEO must decide on the overall vision, market strategy, and long-term goals of the company. It's not their job to debug the software or choose the color scheme for the product's packaging. They need to trust their engineers and designers to handle those specifics. The CEO's role is to make the big calls—like whether to pivot the product strategy based on market feedback or how to allocate resources for maximum impact.

So, what's the practical advice here? If you find yourself in a leadership position, whether at work, in a community group, or even within your family, remember to focus on what only you can do. Prioritize making decisions that set direction and clarify goals. Delegate the details to those you trust. It’s a balance—knowing enough to understand what's going on, but not getting stuck in the weeds.

Imagine you're leading a volunteer group for a community project. Your goal is to renovate a local park. As the leader, you decide on the timeline, the budget, and the overall vision. You might select team leads for different areas—someone to handle fundraising, another to manage volunteers, and yet another to oversee the actual renovation work. You trust these team leads to handle their areas of responsibility. You’re there to make sure everything aligns with the big picture and to step in only when necessary to keep things on track.

In essence, high office—or any leadership role—teaches you that your energy and time are limited. To be effective, you have to make strategic choices and empower those around you to handle the details. It’s not about ignoring the small stuff, but about trusting your team to take care of it while you focus on steering towards the bigger vision. This way, you ensure that the collective effort moves harmoniously towards a common goal.