We moved to the northern California coast during the pandemic. Though we are in a very remote area that has just two decent restaurants and very little flash, we find it extraordinary. It just so happens that nature, more specifically the ocean, has quickly become the centerpiece of our life. Really!
Why?
- She changes every day. Every time I think her current state will continue, even for the next hour, she morphs into a new color, texture or utters a new sound. It turns out, change is one of her most consistent traits.
- She reminds me how much I don’t know. Unless our careers are devoted to studying oceans, we really don’t know much about her. Scientists estimate the ocean is home to 228,450 species. However, as many as 2 million more remain a total mystery.
- She teaches me that nothing is permanent. Her low tides reveal spectacularly shaped and brilliantly colored living creatures that I’ll never see twice, and other days her high tides destroy beaches and more with one fierce storm.
- She inspires me. Gazing at her extraordinary beauty brings out the little kid in me, and all I can say is “Wow….!” I am in awe of her magnificence and pledge to come back for more tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow.
You may be thinking, “I get it, the ocean IS beautiful, but where’s the leadership relevance?”
CHANGE: As leaders, it’s essential that we are consistent and steadfast in certain aspects: Our values, our vision, and our adherence to high standards come to mind. It is also imperative that we are agile, able to pivot and change course when new data suggest an alternative course could yield a better result. It’s OK to change our previously communicated plans. As the captain or co-captain of the ship, we see further ahead, consider a broader range of action, take reasonable risks, and have the option to change direction (being sure to communicate your “why” so your team understands your thinking). Leaders need to be agile, and so do teams.
CONTINUAL LEARNING: When leaders adopt a mindset of “I know all I need to know,” they are destined for a brick wall. It’s a common and dangerous trap to base strategies on what we knew to be true yesterday. We must leave room for new information, new understandings, and different ways to view an age-old problem. Strong leaders adopt an open mindset that sounds like, “Yesterday I knew XX, but I know new understanding WILL unfold. I am open to what comes next.” This is true especially when it comes to learning about the people on your team. Leave room to know your people better than you do today by staying curious about what is meaningful to them. They could very well surprise you with previously hidden talents, leaving you reassessing how to utilize their newly discovered value to the team.
IMPERMANENCE: To what extent do you live with the awareness that life as we know it today could change drastically? If you’re a leader who has worked within the same organization for a long time, it can be difficult to imagine big change. As experts in human behavior, Leadership Landing coaches know that being fully present and alive means we live with the understanding that everything that keeps us feeling safe and secure could be taken from us. Are we encouraging a fearful mindset? Oh goodness no. We ARE saying that a leader’s ability to stay present and be in touch with the preciousness of each day is a contagious superpower. It keeps us in connection with ourselves, practicing and communicating gratitude regularly and not taking any of our and others’ gifts for granted. It’s being the kind of leader that people actually like working for. We encourage you to consider that you may be capable of a higher level of followership—of being the kind of leader that people make big changes to be with! Yes, that kind of leader.
INSPIRATION and AWE: What inspires you? Can you find a way to share that inspiration with your team? Teams are infinitely interested in knowing their leaders, especially if the leader brings their whole self to work and allows the team to know them as someone who is also engaged with their life outside of work. When leaders allow their teams to know what captures their awe, they model courage and inspire team members to follow their hearts too. One of my favorite leaders would tell anyone he was meeting with on Tuesday afternoons that he was leaving promptly at 4:00pm to take cello lessons. What was gained by this? He allowed his team not just to hear him speak of his love of music, but watch his behavior align with his words. He also signaled that it’s OK to make space for things that inspire us. The more leaders reveal what captures their heart, the more teams will find them interesting and compelling. And who doesn’t want to follow someone who listens to their heart and makes room for pursuing something that inspires their awe?
Turns out, the more engaged, authentic, and agile we become as leaders, the better suited we are to inspire others. Our teams don’t excel because we tell them to work harder. They work harder because they’re inspired to do better and be better. Show your team how to be present, keep learning and connect with what makes them say, “Wow!”
Be a source of inspiration!