Give time a chance: The silent partner in growth
In a world obsessed with speed, “give time a chance” sounds almost countercultural. We celebrate quick wins, overnight success, and fast growth but often forget that time is not just a background element. Time is a revealer. A refiner. A truth-teller.
Time always tells.
It tells in business. The companies that boom overnight are exciting, but the ones that last those are the ones built with time in mind. Time exposes shaky foundations, reveals misaligned values, and tests whether a business model is truly sustainable. Likewise, time rewards consistency, clarity, and quiet diligence. It’s why the businesses that compound slowly often grow deeper roots and greater resilience.
Time tells in people. You can meet someone once and be impressed, inspired even but it’s time that unveils character. Time exposes whether someone’s leadership is performative or principled and whether their growth is fake or true . It also reveals whether they’re committed to the long haul, or just passing through.
It tells in companies too. The sheen of a great brand, a viral launch, or bold positioning is never enough. Time will reveal whether culture is healthy or toxic. Whether innovation is real or reactive. Whether vision is baked into the DNA or simply a pitch deck performance.
That’s why we must respect time; in the moment, in history, and in the uncertainty of the future.
Respect time in the moment: Understand that the present is the seedbed of the future. What seems small and unnoticeable now through an idea, a habit, a conversation may be the very thing time will magnify. Be mindful. Be diligent. Be intentional with every hour.
Respect time in history: Look back, see the patterns, the signs, the stories of those who walked the road before you. Time holds memory and it holds lessons that, if honoured, can help you avoid cycles, refine your thinking, and build wiser.
Respect time in its uncertain future: The future is not promised, yet it is shaped by what we do today. That tension is not meant to scare us, but to keep us humble. To remind us that control is an illusion, but preparation is wisdom. Faith, hope, and strategy—those are the tools we can carry forward into time's unknown.
So pause and ask yourself:
What am I rushing through that actually needs more time?
What am I building today that I want time to tell well tomorrow?
What am I learning from the past that can help me be a better steward of time now?
Because in the end, everything worth building is revealed over time.
Give it a chance.
This is a reminder to me and to anyone else who needs it.
