“That’s just how we’ve always done it.”
These are words I hear frequently among many institutions and systems with teams that are frustrated that they aren’t making a bigger impact.
When “the way we’ve always done it” doesn’t work well or at all for you, the leader or founder, or your team or even your customers, it’s a sign of languishing.
Think DMV experiences.
Think insurance systems.
Anything can end up languishing, especially with enough atrophy and apathy.
Including you.
Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist at Wharton and author of books such as Originals and Give and Take as well as host of the TedX podcast WorkLife, wrote in an article during the the pandemic that “we are all languishing, which he defines as the following:
“Languishing is the neglected middle child of mental health. It’s the void between depression and flourishing — the absence of well-being. You don’t have symptoms of mental illness, but you’re not the picture of mental health either. You’re not functioning at full capacity. Languishing dulls your motivation, disrupts your ability to focus, and triples the odds that you’ll cut back on work.”
Languishing will slow or even prevent you from redesigning old systems that are on life support.
You must have the capacity and the energy to imagine, design and create transformation.
What are some ways this may be unfolding for you in your business or organization?
Upholding barely successful programs just because they keep getting funded or because it’s been around for years.
Relaunching an offer that is on life support.
Consistently posting on social media to little engagement or response because “it’s what you should do.”
Showing up to your desk or office half-heartedly or quiet quitting.
Feeling burned out but not talking about it or doing anything to change it.
Needing to take time off but not willing.
Braving YES requires some very specific foundations that increases or maintains capacity. But first you must be willing to make the hard decision that change is not only needed but necessary.
You must choose to step out of survival mode and into a flourishing mode.
The work of Braving YES begins when you can implement clear shifts that intentionally move you and your work out of languishing and into vibrant, radiant energy that delivers greater impact.
Let’s begin with these three shifts and this week’s Lab Work, Practice and Experiment.
Shift from Survival to Proactive
If you are trapped under the day to day of survival for your company or organization - - or your workload — you may need to cultivate a mindset shift from a reactive survival mentality to a proactive and strategic approach.
This begins with an understanding of purpose and intent that you need to articulate to your family members and/or your team members to create that kind of space.
It’s easy to fall prey to the day-to-day but it’s a practice to become proactive.
You start by stealing 15 minutes a day or an hour a week and you slowly reclaim that time of reflecting, building, creating and designing the business, work, life or community you want.
Finding that time to zoom out and think about the bigger picture needs of your work or business isn’t a “hope” to have time action but a priority we often don’t build into our core business foundations or work life practices.
The shift out of survival to proactive is a big one but when done effectively creates both inner transformation for you, the leader, and outer flourishing in the work you are putting out into the world.
Shift from Boring to Bolder Thinking
Nothing loses people’s interest more than the same-old, same-old — same-old mistakes, same old rhetoric, same-old programs.
And while you may have evidence that some of your tried and true processes or services are successful and you may feel they are also vital and important, it is still true that they made need a refresh. Kind of like your living room now and then.
Upgrading from boring — routine, habitualistic, etc. — to bolder, braver thinking around how and what you are doing can create new energy and turn languishing systems and services into transformative leadership practices.
Establish a compelling, bolder vision that inspires and guides actions toward long-term success around reenergizing what’s currently languishing.
If that’s you, what new vision do you need to use to set fire to your passion?
If it’s your business, what vision would empower you — and your team — to play bigger and let go of what’s not working?
If it’s your company or work, how can you set a new, bolder vision for the work. you are doing?
Shift from No Brain to YES Brain
When I lead Brave YES Leadership Retreats we focus a full 90 minutes on being open-minded, saying YES and what it means to operate with a No Brain.
This is always my favorite part of these retreats because it’s an opportunity for instant growth to happen. Some move from a No brain to someone who is willing to consider YES. Some just decide to be braver entirely.
When you cultivate a mindset that views change as possibility for growth and success you are officially stepping into the Braving Leadership formula.
A No Brain is focused on staying small, safe and in control. It needs to have a lot of good reasons to say YES and will likely react with a NO first before coming around to a YES.
A YES Brain operates requires a shift into trial and error, curiosity and being open to possibility — and even failure — in order to see bigger, bolder results.
Most people operate somewhere in the middle.
When we are Braving YES to create new systems, new cultures, new thriving for all, being closer to a YES Brain is not only necessary, it’s required.
Below I’m sharing three exercises to use to help you move into Braving Leadership. First, is The Work, which is always inner work that sets the stage for growth. Second, is The Practice, which is just that … a practice in something to work at and get better at. And, thirdly, there’s an experiment to challenge yourself and truly put the Brave YES Mindset to work.
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