One of the recent nuances to my worldview may sound kinda weird but my work has convinced me it’s true. Here it is. Do not miss this. This could be HUGE. “Hearing happens very rarely when we’re hurting. And, most humans are hurting most of the time.”
Anais Nin long ago said something similar – “We do not see things the way they are. We see things the way we are.”
The bottom line about your senses are they do NOT default to open. You don’t naturally see everything in front of you, much less around you. You don’t naturally smell the variety of scents surrounding you. You don’t feel the depth or details your human touch could decipher. You don’t naturally taste with a masters tongue nor hear with a masters kinda ear. All your sense have to be trained as does your brain.
Kit Carson became the master tracker of the trail because he trained his senses to see, smell, hear, touch, and taste things most white men missed. He slowed down, literally, to speed up. He quieted his mind, focused forward, and tuned in like an animal being stalked. You still with me? What’s this got to do with leadership, you ask?
You most likely are missing all kinda signals your world is sending your way because you’re hurting and your system has shut down as a means of saving you. When your hurting your senses shut down too. Here’s the bad news. Shut systems cannot receive. Closed senses cannot receive. Do you have trouble letting others in? Do you have trouble trusting? Do you struggle being vulnerable, even around those you love? Do you have a hard time letting down your guard? Do you tend to mask your feelings and kinda live behind an invisible fortress? The fact remains. Most humans are hurting most of the time. Most humans, as a result, hide. Slow down and reflect. Slow down, my friend.
Transformational, BTL leaders gotta remain open. There is no way to lead a team of high performers deep into their collective challenge zone without using all your senses to the very edge of their capacity. And, none of your senses matters more than your ears. You see, BTL leaders listen. Really listen. And, as they tune in like freakin’ Kit Carson on a trail, they find the absolute best way forward. Listen, my leader, so you can give the team exactly what they need. Tune in and help the hurting around you receive. And, do all this while dealing with your aloneness. Hope you’re letting this in. I know it’s easier to look away and just listen to some cheerleading sugar purveyor of nicely packaged bullshit. The truth is it hurts to lead anything. Lead anyway. Lead. I hope a few of you leaders are hearing me and sorry it’s so hard.
God, help all our leaders. God, help us all hear. God, help us give a little. And, God, please help the deeply hurt to open up again and receive. God, help us all..
BUILT TO LEAD 