Taking things for granted is a very human thing. It happens for many reasons including feeling comfortable in our current place/mind-set, being too busy to stop and notice things around us or maybe because we are too self-absorbed or arrogant to open to something different.
There can be opportunities to get the wake-up call, shift our perspective, but even then we have to be willing to approach them in the appropriate way. Take a development session for example – participating with colleagues in a session designed to help you open your perspective, shift your thinking a little – can easily be written off as bringing now value/a waste of time if we go into it with resentment at the time out or a sense of ‘won’t teach me anything’ etc.
Whilst of course we don’t want to go through life as naïve children whooping at everything that crosses our path, as leaders we do have a responsibility to bring an openness of mind and heart that can support a more curious approach. Curiosity isn’t often found in the leaders’ competency list and yet genuine curiosity supports a quality of listening and openness to the new which can become very creative. It also creates relationships and engagement with others as we enter more fully into their way of thinking and seeing the world – we can, even if only temporarily, shift our perspective.
When completing a mandatory part of my coaching accreditation for professional coaches recently (which must be renewed every three years) I confess there was a big part of me that thought ‘there’s going to be nothing new here – just got to get through it’. In fact there was a new thing that struck me and caused me to stop and think – not because the information itself was new but because it struck me in a new and indeed very helpful way.
If we fail to embrace each and every experience as an opportunity to discover a little gem, a new idea, or adopt a new perspective, how do we truly grow and develop?
So to all so-called world-wise leaders out there a gentle nudge to reflect on what is it that stops you and makes you think (differently)?