The chess scene for instance does not appear in the original Alice In Wonderland -- it is the theme of Carroll's second work, Through The Looking-Glass. It is in the latter that the White Queen goes up against the Red Queen (pictured with Alice in the original illustration by John Tenniel above), not the Queen of Hearts.
If you haven't read Through The Looking-Glass, get your hands on a copy (you can often find a combination of both novellas in one
). It's darker and more surreal than Alice in Wonderland. Especially if you, like me, have the strange habit of looking into a mirror and thinking there must be an upside down world in there. The Red Queen holds a special place in my heart because of one scene that stuck in my head. In explaining how everything is the other way around in Looking Glass land -- you walk away from someone or something to find what you are seeking; hills are valleys and valleys are hills -- she takes Alice firmly by the hand and starts running at top speed. Alice is breathless and surprised to find out that they had not moved from where they were. The Red Queen explains:
"Now, here, you see, it takes all the running you can do, to keep in the same place."
This scene has inspired the Red Queen Hypothesis to explain coevolution. I'm not a biologist but the line resonated with me when it comes to work.
Day after day, do you plug away at work like a gerbil on a wheel?
Do you assign the same value to all tasks?
Do you work late hours, weekends and every spare moment because there's just too much to do?
With all that you do, are you actually getting somewhere?
I've met and managed lots of Red Queens who vow to give 100% to every activity in their lives, whether it's straightening the margins on their documents, going to the gym at 6 a.m. or slaving over a colleague's presentation. That's admirable but not practical. The truth is not everything deserves 100%. Some activities yield more impact and value to the company and your career, and these should be tops on your priority list.
Leaders know when to delegate, when to fly in a holding pattern and when to take action. It's a hard skill to learn because it means a) honing your judgement and b) taking responsibility for consequences if something messes up somehow. From experience people are more scared of b than a.
If I knew then what I know now, this is how my priority list would have looked like in my 20s and 30s:
- Find out what among my activities makes my boss look good, and do it.
- Work on cultivating great relationships with my team and colleagues.
- Network as though my life -- and my next job -- depended on it.
- Market myself by sharing my achievements.
- Spell check.
There's running in place like the Red Queen, and running to actually get somewhere. In Through The Looking-Glass, the Red Queen tells Alice they have to go twice as fast to actually get to another place. What a relief that on our side of the mirror, you can actually slow down and get to where you want -- as long as you make the right choices.
Never mistake action for progress.
Are you an introvert who dreads networking? Social media can help you break the ice and establish the business relationships you need. As a marketer - and an introvert! -- I'll share useful pointers and advice at an event on April 8th sponsored by the Japan America Society of Chicago. To register, just visit this link. To see more of what I've written on networking for introverts, read my previous blog post Networking for Introverts: Five Secrets to Working a Room.
Picture of the Red Queen running with Alice courtesy of The Victorian Web.
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