Great practice this morning with a great leader. He’s been CEO for less than a decade. He knows his strengths and weaknesses. He’s had to lean into what weakens him for the sake of his system. Been a hard few years. Easy to get on the down escalator. Today, I took him up more than a few floors by taking him back a few years. He felt energized by our encounter and rightly so.
He’s been told he’s too much and too little by many who lack his commitment to excellence. He’s tried to soften his stance and water down his expectations. Today, I lit him up. Very ccd, here’s what I said. I told my client clarifying truth. He’s taking too much tension and passing along too little.
His voice told me he got the message. He felt like I got him because I do.
Everyday I see friends look at me like I’m nuts. I see friends disgusted with my drive. I see old friends even hold me in contempt, can’t so much as say my name. I am learning to let them go. They don’t get me. Not worth my energy to keep trying to win them over. I told my young CEO a few of these stories. He had no idea. Thought he was the only one dealing with this kind of negative energy around him. He’s not. So, as we finished practice I shared a few surprises from new friends I never saw coming. Simply be who you are, I reminded him, and eventually God sends a few to surprise you. Smile as you welcome ‘em in. Good.
You are not too much or too little. You simply are not for everyone. Make peace with your place. Be who you are. Do not own tension that is not yours to own. Leading anything is hard. Impossible when you take too much and pass along too little. Give and take care, right? What relationships are you owning too much and passing too little? What are you choosing to do about it? Life’s an energy management problem. Solve it.
Live hard. Love harder…
BUILT TO LEAD 