Blinded By The Light
Literally.
Two weeks ago Sandy and I were once again in “the room where it happens” for another quarterly Leadership Experience.
The good news - we were not plagued by the sounds of construction (you can check out that story HERE).
The not so good news - we were blinded by the light. Yes, we were literally blinded by the SUNLIGHT. Queue theme song here:
This situation was a definite first for us - the first time ever having too much natural light in a meeting space; the first time wishing it was not sunny outside; the first time demonstrating the power of leaders dealing in “as-is” reality; the first time creating transformation live, on-the-fly with a group of leaders.
Let me set the scene for you. The room we host the Leadership Experience in is (in my opinion) gorgeous - the marble floors sparkle, the crystal chandeliers emote a regal feel, the wall of antique mirrors remind us all of what we are up to, and the beautiful skylights pour energy into the room throughout the day. It is far from a “typical” meeting space, which is exactly what we wanted.
Since we said “YES” to hosting the Leadership Experience in this room at the historic Adelphi Hotel, countless leaders have offered their positive feedback on the meeting space. Could it get any better, we thought. Could it actually be the perfect spot?
Well, turns out, it was perfect, until suddenly it wasn't.
Right around 11am on Day 1 we noticed fatigue starting to set in around the room; everyone’s faces were strained, with squinting eyes and crooked heads. At lunch time, Sandy and I knew something was off, yet we couldn’t put our finger on it. We paced the room, reflected, inquired and then it hit us - literally hit us in the face. The intense sunlight beaming in through the skylights was too bright, and causing our participants to squint and strain.
Now it is incredibly rare that Sandy and I are both triggered / out of balance at the same time. On this day it was my turn to get messy. “Dude, why don’t they have blinds for these skylights. I cannot believe this. This should not be happening. What the heck are we going to do? This is embarrassing. Oh my god this is going to compromise the integrity of this work. This is MY fault- I was the one who recommended this space. We are screwed. I don’t know what to do. @*%$ … game over!!!”
Get the gist?
Sandy immediately slowed me down and reminded me I am not alone in this.
Do you ever have a situation FLOOD into your life (personally or professionally) and you feel immediately overwhelmed, stuck, trapped … ALONE? Typically our instinct is to put our heads DOWN and grind it out. What if there was another way? What if when the overwhelm flooded in, we picked our heads UP and asked for help? What if you are actually not alone? Remember, leaders ask for help early and often.
So, I picked my head up, took a deep breath, opened my ears and my eyes, and Sandy said, “This is not ideal, this is the “as is” reality and we are going to use this to demonstrate to the group the power of transformation.”
I trusted. I followed. I was skeptical.
Before I knew it we had completely transplanted the room to another space in the hotel - one with SHADE. The group reconvened, and while the new set-up was not ideal, we explored the power of leading in the “as-is” reality. After all, one of the top 5 leadership practices is: Leaders deal in “as-is” reality. And it is INSIDE the “as-is” reality where possibility, ideas, innovation and TRANSFORMATION lives.
The conversation flowed, we did not compromise any value, and if anything, the situation sparked brand new leadership conversations.
In full transparency, part of me was embarrassed to share with you readers the messy place my mind went to that day. It was icky. I chose to share it with you, because this leadership @*%$ is real. I chose to share it because what if instead of being embarrassed, I chose to acknowledge myself for being a mess and a masterpiece at the same time; acknowledge myself for efficiently pivoting into the “as is” reality; acknowledge myself for picking my head up and asking for help! And that is what I am relentlessly committed to practicing … as messy as it may feel at times.
So who will join me? Will you choose to pick your head up, declare the “as is” reality and ask for help? Consider that is one of the most courageous acts we can take as a leader.
And if all else fails, start singing “Blinded by the light, revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night …”
Courage Always,
P.S. One of the most powerful ways you could practice picking your head up right now, is by declaring your commitment to the Leadership Experience … I promise you, the sunlight will work in your favor!
The September Leadership Experience is already 50% full … only 12 seats remain. Claim yours!
