Leasors to listeners…

Today in practice number eleven with a team of leasors, we learned that the best way to lease more is to STOP trying to lease more. Kinda like the best way to hit a golf ball farther is to STOP trying to hit it farther. Funny, huh.

I interrupted our practice to give the head of the system some timely feedback. I asked him how he was “feeling” when he challenged one of his teammates. After a moment of thinking out popped the truth. He was frustrated, he said. He defended his approach by “anding” that he was attempting to challenge his teammate. Here’s what I told him and it’s a nuance but an important one for him and most likely for you. I reminded him that challenging the team is what we’re all about. Keep it up. And, challenge them more and more. However, do NOT mix your challenge with the emotion of frustration. Mix your challenge, instead, with your belief. Push the team out of their comfort zone and into their challenge zone because you know they can handle it, you want them to taste the sweet taste of success, and because you trust that the challenge is well within their reach.

Challenge wrapped in frustration may get a result and an uptick in performance, it just won’t last. Your team will overly tune into your frustration and feel like they don’t have what it takes, like they keep letting you down, like they must be some kinda slow learner or some such negative. They will feel less.

Challenge wrapped in your belief will allow the teammate to really focus on the challenge. They will feel secure in their relationship with you and will feed off your belief. They won’t feel like they’re letting you down. Nope they won’t. They will sense that you must know something about their capability beyond what they see. And so they will reach, they will jump, they will make every effort, and the jump into the challenge zone will feel like it was their idea. And, as there eyes meet yours they will see that you still believe and back at it they go. They will feel more. They will feel more capable because they see something coming from your eyes and it is good.

Challenge in frustration is NOT the one you want. Challenge in belief is. This word change can make a world of difference.

Today a team of leasors moved toward becoming ONE. Today they tuned into each other. Today, frustration took a hit and belief was built. Today, they lightened up their grip and ripped one down the middle. Today a team of leasors became a bit more crazy. Today they began to transform. Today they began to transform into a team of listeners.

Freakin MAGIC, my friends. Freakin’ MAGIC…