Step Out on Your Wire: Bravery and Purpose
Step Out on Your Wire: Bravery and Purpose
Imagine taking a trip to Niagara Falls, New York, observing the beauty and power of the rushing water, as you peer through the mist to see across the international border. You could be surrounded by other tourists, wearing rain ponchos as protection from the water spray, and taking pictures of the rock formations surrounding it. But what if you instead, stepped onto a wire two inches in diameter, strung 1500 feet from one side to the other, and step by step crossed onto the other side? (more…)
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Amsterdam is crumbling. The capital city of the Netherlands known for its winding canals, historic buildings and beautiful museums is suffering from cracks and sinkholes along its waterways. It was built between the twelfth and sixteenth centuries on a marshland by driving wooden stakes deep into the ground to provide a steady foundation upon which to construct the buildings. While newer buildings were set on concrete foundations, a significant portion of the city remains atop the historic stakes, whose age and quality have caused multistory houses to lean. 
Think back to the start of your professional journey. What if you knew your full capabilities, your potential, your value? What difference would that have made in your decisions? How would it have increased your confidence to pursue your goals?
Imagine walking through an unfamiliar forest…in the dark. The sounds of night creatures; uneven terrain under your feet; tree branches suddenly brushing your head and arms; searching for a path, any trail; trying to see fallen logs before you trip over them; peering at the quarter moon in the sky and wishing for more light. You are trying to remember your wilderness survival training from childhood, but it’s a distant memory. It is a long night; you are exhausted from working all day. You know that dawn is coming, you’ve just lost track of when, and you don’t know how deep into the forest you’ll be when the sun rises.
During the first five months of 2020 we’ve experienced multiple crises. People started the year preparing their vision for 2020, drawing a comparison with having 20/20 visual acuity. But I’m sure no one had this vision for five months filled with: Political uncertainty, a pandemic, economic meltdown, Supply chain interruption, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, killer hornets, senseless killings, protests, and riots
All across the U.S., after several months of orders to stay at home, shelter in place, and work remotely, resulting in many places of business being shuttered, the pressure is on to open up the economy again. The “save lives” focus is shifting to “save the economy.” Several states are venturing forward by opening public spaces and business-to-consumer locations.
As we navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic, the biggest crisis in our lifetime, we’re hearing about many acts of heroism, kindness, generosity, and creativity.
This is Part 2 of the Introduction (read Part 1 
I frequently begin my leadership insights with a story, but none is needed today. We all know the story, and the title is COVID-19. It is a pandemic that has impacted virtually every country and continent in the world. The potential for serious illness and loss of life is enough to make all of us quickly change our normal routines, postpone or cancel what we previously thought to be critically important meetings, and stockpile supplies (including more toilet paper than we know what to do with, me included).
Jeb came home exhausted at the end of the work week. But it wasn’t just this week. He felt the same way every week. Regarded as one of the smartest leaders in the organization, Jeb was working hard on several major projects which would bring tremendous revenue to his business unit, and he was on the short list for promotion to vice president within the next two years at his company. This was the big leap he had been waiting for. But somehow, the leadership approach Jeb used during the first 20 years of his career wasn’t working like it had in the past. Three months into a new assignment, he was beginning to experience greater difficulty in motivating and aligning his team’s individual interests with corporate goals, getting them to bring new ideas forward, and collaborating with peers in other business units. Left unaddressed, his results would be negatively impacted. So Jeb knew he needed to change his approach to leadership quickly, but he wasn’t sure what to do