October, 2006 Issue

Breaking Free

a monthly newsletter from Break Free Consulting
online @ http://www.breakfreeconsulting.com/Newsletters/BreakingFree200610.htm

Two Approaches to Life & Leadership

In the forward of the book The Highest Goal: The Secret that Sustains You in Every Moment, Jim Collins writes,

"...I’ve come to believe that there are two approaches to life. The first, followed by most, is the "paint by numbers kit" approach to life. You do what other people say. You follow a well-traveled path. You stay within the lines. And you end up with a nice, pretty - and unimaginative - picture. The second, followed by few, is to start with a blank canvas and try to paint a masterpiece. It is a riskier path, a harder path, a path filled with ambiguity and creative choice. But it is the only way to make your life itself a creative work of art."

I was struck by how many of us (yes, including me) 'play it safe' and stay within the lines. As leaders (and we are all leaders at something), we should be taking risks, pushing the boundaries and challenging paradigms. Many 'leaders', however, are content to just "color within the lines".

Since when has the objective of leadership been defined by the safety and security of coloring within the lines? To my knowledge, never!

But so many leaders color inside the lines of: peer pressure (yes, it's still around in our lives even after high school), parental expectations, even our children's expectations, job descriptions, existing skill sets, definitions of management and leadership, and expectations set by our industry/our business models - the list goes on and on. Can you think of some lines that you have been coloring inside?

How much more could we accomplish, could our teams accomplish, if we recognized these subjective limitations? Why do we constrain ourselves and the people that we are leading by these arbitrary rules that others have created? What keeps us confined by these often times imaginary lines?

May I suggest an answer?  I believe it may be as simple as 2 words... "our thoughts ".

Everything we do begins with a thought - neurons firing somewhere within our brain. Now whether or not we are conscious of these thoughts is a different story.

How about you? You have incredible potential within you. But are you letting your un-mastered, uncontrolled thoughts define who you are by dictating your actions and behaviors? Are your unchecked, auto-pilot thoughts and habits keeping you between the lines and possibly limiting your success? Or, are you making conscious choices about how you respond to the situations around you?

Are you actively redefining your life as a "creative work of art"? Are you looking past the arbitrary boundaries and limiting expectations that may be placed upon you? Are you able to overcome past experiences that attempt to constrain you? The real question is: Would you like to?

If so, I have some great news for you. It is possible to change! You don't have to continue to say things like "That's just the way I am." or "That's the way we've always done it." (That is coloring between the lines.) You have the ability to make the conscious decision to learn and grow. You are worth it... you are worth the effort!

Helen Keller said, “Security is mostly superstition. ... Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.”

Which approach to your life and your leadership are you choosing?

In subsequent newsletters, we'll discuss the neuroscience behind change, expectations and goal setting. Don't be scared by the word "neuroscience". I'll explain it in plain English, offer new insights, and maybe even contradict what you have been led to believe in the past.

Until next time... choose to be creative and daring
in your leadership and in your life!

In the mean time, if you'd like to learn more about your own thoughts, check out the 6 Advisors Assessment Report to the left. It goes beyond your behavior and your personality assessed with other profiles and delves deep down to the level of your thoughts. It actually measures 'how' you think.

Also, if you'd like to learn how to color outside the lines, give me a call. I'd love to talk to you about how 6 Advisors coaching and workshops can help.

Newsletter contents © 2006 Break Free Consulting. All rights reserved.

For reprint permission, please send a brief email to traci@breakfreeconsulting.com.