Lifting the Leadership Lid

Today, while working with our team in a Leader-to-Leader session, one of our seasoned leaders said, “I was creating my own leadership lid. I had intentionally set my ability to lead myself and others too low because I was afraid, I might fail. “

The leadership lid is that imaginary barrier we often put in the way of how we think and how we develop ourselves. The lid might be telling us that we don’t have the right education, the right experience, or know the right people. The imaginary leadership lid keeps us in a comfort zone; in a place of development that doesn’t demand too much, or where we don’t have to risk anything. So, because we are afraid of failing, we believe what an imaginary leadership lid is telling us about our capacity to succeed and overcome. We stay where we are rather than growing to our full potential.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” ~Winston Churchill

Thomas Edison was dismissed from his original job, after a chemical experiment oozed acid onto his boss’ desk. Edison was broke at the time, but he rose to be the most prosperous inventor of his generation. Edison could have put a lid on his mind and felt sorry for himself, but he learned each time he did something.

“Try a thing you haven’t done three times. Once, to get over the fear of doing it. Twice, to learn how to do it. And a third time to figure out whether you like it or not.”  ~Virgil Thomson

Perhaps no U.S. president experienced more adversity than Abraham Lincoln. He lost eight elections and as a sitting President was required to oversee a bloody civil war. But throughout his presidency he remained steadfast and did not put a lid on his ability to lead. He continued to grow his knowledge and ability to lead well, it would have been easy to put a lid on his growth by thinking his failures were his lids.

“Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.”  ~George Herman “Babe” Ruth

How will you lift your leadership lid to grow the remainder of the year?

Keep lifting…. And growing,

Jeff