
š”āIām not ready,ā my client said. āIām not that great of a leader!āš”
This client had just become the head of an organizationāovernight. The former leader’s sudden physical decline left a void, and without a proper succession plan, my client was thrust into the role.
We had an open, honest conversation during which the client admitted, āI genuinely donāt feel ready for this. I want to be, but Iām honestly not that great of a leader.ā
I reminded the client not to speak against what they truly wanted.
āI hear you, Brenda, but what do you want me to say instead?Ā That āI AM a great leader?ā Itās too far from the truthāI donāt believe it. Itās not real.ā
āI understand,ā I replied. “That kind of phrase can feel like forced optimism, and thatās not sustainable. But what if you rephrase your wording to say something like, āI am LEARNING to be a great leaderā? Is that a statement you would feel comfortable with?ā
āActually, yes… I like it. That works for me.ā
I continued. āThink about itā¦ When you were learning to ride a bike as a young child, you probably fell a few times, right? But that didnāt stop you from getting back on the bike. When youāre in the process of learning something, you give yourself a break ā you allow yourself permission to fail ā because, after all, youāre learning.ā
This mindset shift made all the difference. Through coaching and constantly reminding themselves to embrace the āI am learning toā mindset, this client went on to become a *very* good leader.
š The takeaway? Embrace the process. Allow yourself the space to learn and grow, and you might just surprise yourself with what you can achieve.
ā”ļø What about YOU? Is there something in your work or life where you could benefit from applying the phrase āI am learning toā¦ā? Would love to hear your thoughts!
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