In October of 1947, Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier flying over the Mojave Desert. Many scientific minds believed this could not be done. Many believed the plane and pilot would disintegrate from the force of the shock waves creating the sound. A few with the right stuff, as we say, kept pushing the envelope. We always have a few manically focused on breaking barriers. Always.
BTL team practice is designed to break you and your teams sound barriers. You know, break through how you sound one way when you’re around so and so, and another way when you’re not. You see, friend, your team is limited by all kinda sound barriers. Most teams believe there are certain sounds the boss can’t hear, certain sounds top performers don’t want to hear, and certain sounds we better keep hidden from those on the front lines. Kinda like many scientists seventy years ago, we’re afraid of what’s on the other side of the sonic boom. We’ve been told for years and years what can and can’t be said, so we mostly play it safe and fly well below our challenge zone, nowhere near the edges of the envelope, and more or less cruise around in our comfort zone. We play it safe.
I’m reading a book at the moment titled Hidden Figures, by Margo Lee Shetterly. The book is about the women back in the 1940’s, 50’s, and 60’s, who broke gender and racial barriers never before thought possible. It’s a page turner and worth your investment of time. Nothing was handed to these barrier breakers. As we study history, it never is. You and your team can break through all kinda barriers limiting your peformance, that is if you can learn to talk about them. We cannot change what we don’t address. We cannot address what we keep sweeping under the rug. Go on friend, break the sound barrier in our next BTL team practice. We’ve seen and heard teams like yours break through their own sound barriers. It’s always the shakiest right before we break through. Once we punch through the sonic boom, we discover smoother air, and soon enough – we’re flying higher.
What sound barrier do you and your team need to pierce? What’s holding you back from taking us there? Do you believe you have what it takes or it’s not your place? Are you ready to fight to improve performance, not prove a point? Sounds to me like you’re ready, friend. Let’s go. Sound good?
Good…
BUILT TO LEAD 