Sometimes a farmer's field is not a perfect square. In those instances in which one side of the field is longer than the other, the work almost always begins on the longer side of the field and ends on the shorter side.
To our knowledge, there is no law that says it has to be this way. Tradition just has it that you start in the long rows when you're fresh and save the short rows until later in the day.
Particularly when performing hand intensive labor, coming to the end of a row can provide a welcome respite, an opportunity to catch your breath, or even to take a water or bathroom break. (But hopefully you would demonstrate some decency and not take such a break right there in the field!)
Once the farmer gets to the "short rows," she can move across the field more quickly and the work seems to go by faster. Upon nearing the end, a farmer and her crew might state "we are in the short rows now" to signify that the work is almost complete.
So what does any of that have to do with leadership?
In today's GO GO GO culture, it is easy to get caught up in the moment or the issue du jour. In doing so, we sometimes fail to concentrate on the things that matter most - those things we will realize we should have valued more only once we get to "short rows" of a project, relationship, or even our lives.
Ray's mission is to encourage people to think ahead to what they want to be remembered for when they reach the short rows, and, like the farmer, to ensure they experience a sense of relief and accomplishment when they get there!