One up position…

Today, I began practice by challenging my client. I asked him to show me a visible example of his strong CORE. I further challenged him to give me an example from his work. Without pause, he told me about a difficult situation involving his company. He’s writing about the root and preparing to step up, he smiled all kinda proud of himself. Prior to building his CORE, he continued, he would have never entertained the thought of taking this kinda thing on.

Here’s where clarity began to arrive. “What’s your gut,”I asked. It’s not structured properly, he began. I asked him to tell me more. The structure strips the innovative spirit because it’s a pyramid scheme. I asked him to explain a bit further. He went on to describe one of his team leads and her lack of leadership. My questions continued rapid fire. His answers continued to leave me wanting more. He was using lots of language and sounded like he had convinced himself; me, not so much.

Finally, I played back what I heard. I told my client the root problem is him. He’s afraid. His fear has fooled him into over complicating a simple failure of leadership. His fear, like so manys, is positional in nature. He fears people in a “one up position.” He fears people with more power than him. So, he deceives himself into telling his team lies. He holds back. He does not believe they can handle the truth. And, here’s the funny part. He’s in the “one up position” here. He’s the head of the system.

All humans have this fear, even those in power. Jesus is right. The truth will, someday, set you free. Our problem is we have given too much power to people we perceive in a “one up position.” So, we wait. We blame the structure, the strategy, and use all kinda language to convince ourselves we’re not having a failure of nerve.

God, help me understand You alone are above me. God, help me focus my fear properly. God, help me love my team enough to listen and speak truth even when it’s hard. God, help me.

Reader, who you putting in a “one up position” in your world? Why? Why? Why? Three or four why’s down you’ll find your fear…