Do you care about people?
Do you want to make things that matter?
Those two things, when they are held together in tension, make leadership exponentially more complicated.
It's tempting to avoid the complication of caring about people.
But what if digging deeper into caring about people is crucial to making things that matter?
What if, as a leader, wading into the complexity of being human is the only way to make things that matter?
Embracing complexity means first of all recognizing the complexity of our own humanity.
If we ignore our role in the process we can get tripped up by our own un-awareness.
When we embrace our humanity and approach it with compassion, we gain a new and profound connection to the things we care about achieving.
Leaving business-as-usual is a journey into uncertainty.
You are in a cave.
It is pitch black.
You got teleported in, like Star Trek
Because it’s pitch black,
you don’t know which way leads into the cave
or which way leads out
You don’t know which way you should go,
you don’t know if the monster is farther inside the cave
or outside of the cave.
On top of that
you aren’t alone.
You are in a landing party.
You aren’t sure, but you might be the leader
Take a moment to imagine yourself in this scene
(no really, actually take a moment to imagine it, it's okay, no one has to know)
How do you feel?
How do you feel in your head, your hands, your heart?
We’ve all experienced moments
in the darkness of uncertainty
with no idea where to go
Maybe it’s around the dinner table
you are teleported in the uncertain silence
after Aunt Judy’s really awkward comment
Maybe it’s at work
you are teleported into the uncertainty of expectations
around a new project you are suddenly in charge of
Maybe you’ve been unwillingly teleported
in the uncertainty of a global pandemic
We’ve all felt the pitch blackness of uncertainty.
What if, suddenly,
in the cave of uncertainty
there’s a light.
Take a moment to imagine a warm amber circle of light
around you and the people you are with
coming from an old time-y lantern
You still don’t know
which way is into the cave
and which way is out
You still don’t know
which way you should be going.
But you and your little group
can see enough to take the next step
make one decision
start moving
How does the light make you feel?
How do you feel in your head, your hands, your heart?
Take a moment to really zero in on how that feels.
Now,
what if you where the one who conjured the light?
The light that let everyone take the next step and start moving.
How does that make you feel?
Now,
what if you were the light?
What if the light comes from inside you?
What if you were
The Light Bringer
The Conversation Starter
The Map Maker
The Cartographer of the Future
How does THAT make you feel?
Could that be you?
Could you be the one brave enough to follow your own light?
Brave enough to take the first step toward the unknown?
Brave enough to make the path by walking it?
Yes, I believe it could be you.
I believe it could be you.
I’d love to help unlock and unleash your creative, collaborative and best self, because lord knows we need that version of you right now.
Let's work together