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The top concern and point of stress I’m hearing from leaders this year is the struggle of being with all the unknowns and lack of clarity regarding new systems and initiatives.
Assessment is different.
Curriculum is changing.
There are new department leaders.
I hear leaders ask:
How do I lead for something so unclear?
How can I rally my team around an ambiguous goal or timeline?
How can I possibly be successful when the goal line is moving?
As a solo entrepreneur, let me tell you, my boss is a nut.
She changes her mind, shifts around the timeline, rarely knows the exact answer, and adjusts her goals all too often.
It’s a real trip.
And she, my boss, is me.
In any context, ambiguity and uncertainty can really suck.
We all want the playbook and the answer key.
We want to know, with certainty, what’s around the next corner and if it will all turn out okay.
We are all, quite simply, human.
And with compassion and connection in our shared desire for the answers, let’s examine what’s going on with the part of ourself that just wants to know.
I came across this quote from Dr. James Hollis, a Jungian psychoanalyst and author of twenty books. In an interview on the Pulling the Thread podcast with Elise Loehen he said this,
“There is a fundamentalist inside all of us. Someone who wants clarity, external authority, to know the black and white values so they can determine what’s right and what’s wrong and all of this is a way of deflecting personal accountability.”
While this is directly put, it’s absolutely something I can find in myself.
I’ve spent days longing for the perfect business coach who can teach me the exact codes to unlocking success and impact.
I feel sad and burdened by a dynamic in my personal life that I feel powerless to and want someone else to fix.
I would happily pay big bucks to get a cheat sheet for the next five years of my life.
And that’s really not so different from what we come to long for within our institutions.
We want to know the plan, the process, who’s in charge, and the way implementation will roll out.
These are not unreasonable wants.
AND we’ve all served in schools and large organizations long enough to know that most change comes with a ton of failed starts, confusion, and adjustments along the way.
It’s actually more reasonable to expect the lack of exactness and clarity than to expect it only to be disappointed.
When our experience of a successful life or successful leadership hinges on something external, it allows us to take our hands off the wheel.
“I’d do my job if someone could just define it for me.”
“I’d inspire and rally my team if I knew the goal the central office wanted us to achieve.”
“I’ll lead from clarity when clarity is given to me.”
But now we know it's just that little fundamentalist part of ourselves.
Perhaps you give that part of yourself a name.
Mine is Captain Indigent.
Perhaps you attach an image to that little fundamentalist.
Is it a harried squirrel?
A guard dog?
A frustrated child?
Whatever you choose, let it bring a little lightness to the whole thing.
“Oh there’s the Captain again, demanding answers.”
“Damn that squirrel, it’s running all around making a racket.”
“That sweet, giant dog, barking at the gate, trying so hard to keep me safe from my frustrations.”
Leaders, it’s really helpful to have the answers.
It’s even more helpful to be honest about our reality and to reconnect to our immeasurable power and impact regardless of the “system” and its “plans.”
Because your leadership is what is ACTUALLY needed.
So smile at that little fundamentalist when she shows up and starts banging around.
And then, send her outside to play.
You have work to do.
Your coach in success and leadership,
Maggie
Ps- I work with leaders all the time who are deeply committed to their purpose-driven work AND who are under supported in their leadership journey. That’s why I’m offering a free coaching call.
It’s called The Supported, Successful Leader Call.
On this call, it’s all about you. We will coach on the number one block you feel is preventing you from being successful in your leadership. This is not a sales call. If at the end of the call you want to learn more about ways we can work together, I’ll share that, only with your permission.
To step out of the crisis and stress culture of your work and step into more supported and values aligned leadership, book your free hour long coaching call HERE.
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