I've often said that it's a wonder that anything gets done at all. I mean anything. Take the Eiffel Tower, star of the Olympic Games, built 115 years ago to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution.

Wait!  Let's back up. That was an astonishing sentence! In the incessant flood of global information, 24/7, the profound has become the mundane. 

What do I mean? 

Well, we take for granted that the Olympic Games have happened like clockwork every four years, and since 1994, they even alternate between Summer and Winter Olympics. The sheer magnitude of organization and administration is mind boggling.

Never mind the tiniest detail on every costume, the logistics of transporting equipment, food, people, designing accommodations - and well, let's not forget - the dedication and utter devotion of the athletes themselves.

Coroebus of Elis was a cook who won the Sprint Race back in 776 BCE and was the first recorded Olympic champion. (Add "recording" to the list of incredible human accomplishments.) World Wars I and II, the Cold War, and COVID-19, all led to cancellations of this mammoth undertaking. 

And let's not drag up what is required to stage, orchestrate, and execute any war - or a global pandemic!

But back to getting stuff done in “ordinary” business. Just for a sec. 

Between 2016 and 2020, the average number of small businesses created annually in Canada was 100,475 - and the average number of small businesses that disappeared annually was 96,548. Canada has 1.19 million businesses in 2024, which employ roughly 46.8% of the total private labour force. 

Math is hard, but let's try. 

Basically, only half of small businesses survive for five years, and only one third get to celebrate 10 years in business. That means more than 50% of these entrepreneurial visions tank. 

Most visions never cross their “Olympic”  finish line.

If you've ever sat on a Board, or sat through most staff meetings for that matter, you'll know what an excruciating waste of time most of them are. 

So how does sh*t get done?

You'd say it is usually only one man (sic) with a dream, sheer force of will, and burning tenacity who devotes his life to seeing that vision come true. That's what millions of leadership books will gladly sell you, but it's only part of the equation. 

Enter politics and allies. Cuz you need 'em.

So what was really happening in 1887 when Mr. Eiffel had his dream? 

Well, France was soon to host The World’s Fair and needed to flex. The context? The United Kingdom had recently been formed, and soundly defeated the French at the Second Battle of Aboukir (which was Napoleon trying to take Egypt - again). And the two superpowers continued to bite, claw, maim, and kill all through the so-called Napoleonic Wars. 

The first steam locomotive began operation, and the echoes of that spike reverberated all the way through to the forests of North America. The Holy Roman Empire was dissolved, with Napoleon's son made "King of Rome"; Russia allied with France against the UK, but then the French invaded Russia. The Congress of Vienna redrew the European map, and France had to give up all her recent conquests. Napoleon was exiled to Elba and again later to St Helena. 

Coincidentally, Mary Shelley published Frankenstein.

Let's dig a little deeper. 

The Treaty of London was signed in 1827, with the UK, France, and Russia guaranteeing the independence of Greece. The first electric motor was built in 1829, and the US passed the Indian Removal Act. In 1834, Britain sent its poor to workhouses, while France restricted the freedom of the press and fired a volley gun at its King from the upstairs window of a house. The King survived the Republican assassination attempt and the perpetrators were guillotined.

Queen Victoria took the throne from 1837 to 1901 and soon after her ascension, Upper and Lower Canada merged into the province of Canada - which actually means the British beat the French.  

In fact, the 1800s were filled with Anglo-Franco wars, fought around the globe. 1853 to 1856 was the Crimean War, where France and the UK uncommonly banded together to defend the Ottoman Empire and defeat Russia in order to ensure the “balance of power”. 

Coincidentally, steel began to be mass produced in 1855, and the world's first oil refinery opened in Romania.

The British Empire occupied India for 90 years, while the Austro-Prussian war dissolved the German Confederation. Three British provinces were joined to form The Dominion of Canada.

Coincidentally, Tolstoy published War and Peace. 

The Franco-Prussian War resulted in unifications of Germany and of Italy, under which France had been reasserting itself as the dominant power in Europe.

In 1886, Burma was presented to Queen Victoria as a birthday gift - and you would legitimately ask: "Presented by whom?!". French Indochina was consolidated under the British East India Company, who had three armies the size of the British army itself. They "gave" the country (and its people and resources) to her.

And back in the year 1887, one entrepreneur - Gustave Eiffel - did indeed have a vision. But the tower was supposed to be taken down after just 20 years!

So what saved this enterprise?

Coincidentally, Eiffel built in a radio antenna and  a wireless transmitter. That was of immense interest to a nation - and the world - on the brink of "The War To End All Wars".

Back to the Future in 2024, as mere average mortals just “tryna flip a buck”, what's the moral of the story?

Here are 10 lessons learned:

• Realize you're part of a larger picture and tap into it

• Understand the power of authentic sentiment, symbolism, and shared identity

• Make small incremental changes and adjust your course along the way

• Create the right thing at the right time

• Cultivate incredible personal resiliency, for there will be setbacks and personal blind spots that cause you to stumble and possibly fall

• Leverage new technologies - they are the gateway to the future

• Embrace conflict, for it is what opens your eyes to other perspectives

• Forge strong allies and amass a small army of people who believe wholeheartedly in you and your endeavor

• Find the seeds of the future sown in the past

• Build something so enduring that it inspires future generations

You can have the biggest vision, and the brightest plan, but neither Rome, nor the Olympics, nor the Eiffel Tower, was built in a day. 

Coincidentally, that's how sh*t (really) gets done.

About the Author

Anna is an organizational psychologist and executive coach, with a special interest in all things technology. We’re part of the team at Garleff Coaching and Consulting Group. If this article has struck a chord, please let us know.
Anna Garleff Cell: +1 587 224 3793 / anna@garleffcoaching.com
www.garleffcoaching.com