Leaders are human and surrounded by temptations to be comfortable. [Tweet “What happens when a titled leader struggles to stand alone? Leadership Quakes @GianaConsulting”] What happens when work friendships become so comfortable they become a clique? It can impact your growth, your credibility and the growth of your organization. How do you know when your comfort zone is holding you and your organization back?
Last week someone asked how I was feeling about a particular topic.
I answered from the heart. I was struggling. I was viewing something with fresh eyes and could clearly see that years of doing something had created a comfort zone where there is risk. Today that comfort zone is so big that unnecessary risks are being taken without a second thought.
Instead of really listening, this person attempted to explain away my concerns with something that sounded a bit like this, “We’ve always done it this way and we’ve never had a problem…”
When the conversation ended I felt like a puppy dog that had been patted on the head and dismissed.
I felt frustrated about being asked to share my thoughts, when the person asking did not demonstrate any desire to hear them.
As I was tempted to dwell on the frustration I made my mind switch gears and consider another perspective:
Although it sounds like something that small children can do, it takes a clear vision of the value of gratitude and a strong mind to practice thankfulness.
Below are 5 powerful reasons for adults and children to practice thanksgiving:
Gratitude gets us through the hard stuff. Max Lucado
October was a tough month.
As soon as I felt well enough to get out of the house I said yes to everyone I had been saying no to while I was sick. And although I was thrilled to see them, I tried to do too much too soon.
The good news is that October ended better than it started.
And I came home today feeling so thankful. As always, I turned on the music that would reflect my heart and speak to me. And then sat down to write. As I looked through interviews I’ve done and thoughts I’ve been noting, I stumbled across this quote from Einstein.
He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.
Today I shared a new post titled 5 Truths To Help You Do “It” Even If You Are Afraid on The Lead Change Group Blog. While many of you are familiar with our expat story I have never shared the level of fear I felt when we were asked to make this move.
I wrote the story several weeks ago deeply believing that we all battle fear. And knowing that as long as we are webbed in place we can’t contribute our greatest gifts to each other, to our workplaces, to our communities, or to our world.
Since writing it I have run into more hurdles getting this article published than any other post I’ve ever written. Which makes me even more convinced that needs to be shared.
If you or someone you know is in the midst of a battle with fear I encourage you to read that article and to savor the quotes below. (Some of the quotes in this post are linked to previous articles about fear.)
1. Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world. Ralph Waldo Emerson
2. The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown. H. P. Lovecraft
3. Facing your fears robs them of their power. Mark Burnet
4. Fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of cruelty. To conquer fear is the beginning of wisdom. Bertrand Russell
