Fortunately or unfortunately, I have dealt with private equity firms a bit over the years.
Many are very good at making a company more profitable quickly. They buy a business, cut expenses, leverage assets, push revenue, improve margins, and position it for the next transaction.
And it works. A lot of money can be made.
But sometimes there is a cost buried beyond the spreadsheet.
Decisions that make perfect sense for the next thirty-six months may be terrible decisions for the next ten years. People leave. Quality slips. Customers notice. The company may become more valuable for the next transaction while becoming less valuable to actually own.
That happens when our interest in something is shorter than its future.
If I don’t intend to be around five years from now, I have little incentive to make sacrifices today for what happens then.
Private equity didn’t invent that. We do it too.
We win an argument and damage a relationship. We sacrifice time with our family for another rung on the ladder. We spend credibility to get our way.
Some decisions pay dividends today by borrowing against tomorrow.
In Genesis, Abraham gave Lot his choice of land. Lot looked toward the Jordan Valley and saw green, fertile, prosperous country.
It looked like the obvious choice.
But it took him toward Sodom.
The land looked good. The direction wasn’t.
That distinction matters.
We spend a lot of time asking what a decision will give us. Wisdom also asks where it will take us.
Long-term commitment changes short-term decisions.
When we intend to still be there, still loving, still leading, still building, and still believing years from now, we become much more careful about what we sacrifice today.
Sometimes the most expensive decisions are the ones that pay us immediately.
If this spoke to you, share it with someone today.
#FirstLight #Faith #Wisdom #Perspective #Leadership #Purpose