IV. Prelude

The conference was awkwardly timed, although Dan would be the first to agree that conferences are rarely conveniently timed.

There was his regular day job, in which there was no spare time. There was the Next Level project, which, though enjoyable, was starting to chew up extra time. There was the possibility of a lucrative job offer requiring urgent attention – OK, that was mostly wishful thinking.

AND...there was the urgent requirement to engage a lawyer in order to avoid jail, destitution, social ostracism and likely some diseases not seen since the Middle Ages.

Despite all that, Dan recognised the usual buzz as he entered the conference venue. ‘They do it well, don’t they?’, he called to Tony after they’d collected name badges and conference bags.

Tony nodded in agreement, ‘Yeah. Every year it’s the same basic format and yet always fresh.’

At this point, they’d caught up with several hundred other delegates enjoying the music and cafe in the foyer – mesmerised by a holographic celebration of powered flight that soared and whooshed several metres above their heads.

‘It’s my privilege to welcome you to ESO this year’. The conference director’s familiar introductory speech was delivered by a man with noticeably more grey hairs than in earlier years.

‘When we started this event fourteen years ago, we believed we could help organisations move from good to great, from merely profitable to sustainable and from admirable to exceptional. And, over the journey, we have been swamped by stories of organisations moving forward because of material they first heard here at ESO.’

‘I have every confidence that our high calibre faculty will inspire and equip you to lead your department, your organisation and even your community.’

As usual, Dan’s head was pulsing with new material by lunchtime, but he was particularly energised when the time came for the late afternoon session titled, “How to Ignore your Competition and Prosper.”

‘This session is essential subject matter for those seeking to make an impact over the long-term...’, began Eliza Fawsson, acclaimed author, and speaker.

Mia leaned over to Dan and quipped, ‘Pretty sure that’s the fifth session that’s started with the same statement.’

‘…and thank you for sending through the questions that are on your mind about this material. I’d like to share a question that, I think, is right at the heart of this topic. Dan writes, ‘We don’t talk about other organisations at all. It means we’re not distracted, but surely ignorance is not bliss. What is a healthy balance?’’

Mia and Tony glanced at Dan who was trying to non-verbally deny involvement, but then Eliza peered into the crowd and asked, ‘Where are you, Dan? Come on up.’

Before he knew it, Dan was standing on a flood-lit stage in front of several hundred people. Eliza handed him a lightweight basketball goal that reached chest height from the floor. ‘This is yours,’ she smiled. Dan would have preferred it to be tall enough to hide him from the audience’s view.

He didn’t know he was about to triumph. Thankfully, not the kind of triumph that would see his current pose cast in bronze like a knight of old holding a sword.

But triumphs of understanding rarely receive a statue.