On Pond

It’s a pressing question pondered by college seekers, athletes, and job seekers: Would you rather be a Small Fish in a Big Pond, or a Big Fish in a Small Pond? Both arenas can teach us something about ourselves and give us a chance to expand our skills. Each comes with its own special set of challenges. Neither should be eliminated because of your current level of comfort or confidence.

There are great leadership lessons for each, and I hope you get the chance to be both Big Fish and Small Fish...then Big Fish again and Small Fish again. It’s the cycle of viewpoint that increases our development. Chris Abraham, the President of Abraham Harrison Public Relations, asks whether you’d rather be the smartest person at your local college or the dumbest person at MIT. He says that if you want to be in the Big Pond, then you better have perfect scores. Yes, the Big Pond is a great place to swim, but beware of getting left behind. That’s right—if you can’t take the heat, then stay out of the kitchen.

So what’s the key to succeeding in the Big Pond? Differentiation. Blake Hall, CEO of Troop ID, moved his company to Washington, D.C. so that he could stand out from the crowd. He essentially made his pond small. Jessica Herrin, the founder of Stella & Dot, did the same thing with her soon-to-be-a-billion-dollar-business. She found a niche in the jewelry and personal sales market (Big Pond) and made it her own (pond gets smaller). She made herself the Big Fish.

What if you’re in the Small Pond? Well, any good Big Fish leaves her mark. Frances Hesselbein, the former CEO of the Girl Scouts, presided over the foremost leadership organization for girls. She wasn’t satisfied with just keeping the organization running—she actually overhauled the Girl Scouts and espoused leadership development for all. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work, among other honors. She started the Frances Hesselbein Leadership Institute after retirement, and is now a Small Fish in the Big Pond of leadership training.

here are advantages to every pond size. I’ve been both the Small Fish and the Big Fish, and I’ve loved and struggled with both. As a Small Fish, I enjoy the freedom to be a “freshman” and work on career, leadership, and growth at a pace that’s as quick as I can make it. I love having mentors, being able to ask questions, and absorbing content from dozens of departments. There’s no pressure to succeed in everything because I’m the Small Fish! On the other hand, the Big Fish is a fun position, too. I set the standards, I do the mentoring; the success or failure of the strategy is on me, and that pressure forces me to get up every day and be great. I have to be self-taught. That’s much different from being taught. But know that both will teach you something.

So go be the Big Fish...but enjoy being the Small Fish. Whichever one you are, know that it’s not the size of the pond that matters; it’s whether you swim with purpose.

在大池塘里做一条小鱼，还是在小池塘里做一条大鱼，这一经典的问题，没有标准答案，作为一个开 放式话题，考生可以选择任意一个角度作答：池塘即环境，鱼的大小即你在这一环境中所处的位置。我们 既可以在竞争激烈的大平台上从默默无闻开始打拼，也可以在较小的圈子里先做一个佼佼者，或者权衡两 种选择的利弊，作一番客观的比较，言之有理即可。本篇范文将两个角度结合起来，运用众多鲜活的事 例，说明两种选择都有其价值和合理性，最后得出结论，重要的不是池塘的大小，而是在池塘中游泳的目 的。不断地从较小的池塘向较大的池塘游，也代表着人生的不断升华。