by Heather Plett | Nov 30, 2009 | fearless, Leadership
Today marks another beginning. I have a new employee starting today. It’s the first of the three we hired recently – the other two will start in the new year.
It’s a new beginning because it marks a new chapter in my journey as an evolving leader. I’ve been a positional leader for a dozen years or so, but each role I take on pushes me to a new level. (I purposefully say “positional leader” because I believe there are all kinds of ways of being a leader without every having the position.)
Expanding my team this year and adding a big new strategic plan is going to stretch me (and my team) in ways I haven’t been stretched before. In this year of trying to be more fearless, this may very well be the biggest step I’ll take.
Today I am being called to:
- trust my instinct more.
- be bold and push forward into spaces I’ve never been before.
- thicken my skin and brave the resistance that always comes when we push into something new.
- challenge those people who don’t want to give their energy to the team’s direction and purpose
- be authentic, vulnerable, and humble, even at the risk of embarrassing myself
- trust my own wisdom and my ability to be the “voice of authority”
- be true to myself and what I believe I am being called to do
- be brave enough to admit failure and strong enough to pick myself up and try again
Six months ago, I put a big proposal forward to the board. It was approved, though not without some resistance on the part of both board and staff. Six months ago, I started slipping into a deep pit of restlessness, fear, frustration, and yes… I believe depression. I wrestled with demons that said I wasn’t good enough, smart enough, or capable enough. I battled obstacles I wasn’t prepared for, with two staff resigning, challenges with a consulting company, conflict on my team, and all measure of personal angst and unease.
This week, the board meets again (for semi-annual meetings). I’m still a little fearful and still not sure I can do what I know I need to do, but something in me has shifted. I’m ready to move into this new challenge. I’m ready to trust that I am not doing this alone – that God has equipped me with the skills I need to succeed, or the courage I need to fail.
Let it begin.
by Heather Plett | Aug 4, 2009 | fearless
It’s official… I’m launching my new site on Thursday! (Keeping my fingers crossed that there are no snags, now that I’ve said it out loud.)
I am so excited! (And a little bit nervous.) This feels like the coming together of so many dreams, so much of my own giftedness, and so many of the ideas, values, and bits of wisdom I’ve picked up over the years.
It’s been an incredible couple of weeks preparing for this. My creative juices have been working overtime in my lovely little studio. (Sometimes even late at night when I’ve woken up with a great idea.) I’ve spent every morning here and it’s been so much fun, that I haven’t minded sacrificing my normal sleeping-in routine of holidays. I’ve connected with some amazing people, I’ve gotten several beautiful pieces of art to surround me with inspiration, and I have felt so loved and encouraged every step of the way. It’s gone so well, in fact, that those little internal gremlins that like to cast shadows on hope have been warning me that I should be prepared for “the other shoe to fall”. Perhaps failure really IS lurking just around the corner, but for now I’m going to believe that only success lies ahead for this little labour of love.
In celebration of the big launch, I’ve decided to throw a party, despite the fact that my house is in a sad state of disrepair and messiness. I’m just going to believe that anyone who believes in my little dream enough to come celebrate with me won’t be looking into the corners for dust mites or cobwebs (or broken toys, or last week’s laundry, or the camping equipment that hasn’t been put away yet, or… the list goes on and on).
If you happen to live close enough to my house (in Winnipeg, Manitoba) and want to come to the party, I’d be delighted to have you here. Leave a comment with your contact info and I’ll send you an invitation. (Sorry guys, this one’s for women only.)
One last thing… I just feel like I should say a great big THANK YOU to you my faithful blog readers. You have all been such a source of encouragement and support to me that you’ve helped me believe that I really can do this.
Who knew – when I started this fearless journey at the beginning of the year – that I would end up here? Be careful what you wish for!
by Heather Plett | Jul 7, 2009 | criticism, fearless
He sat in my office, and though it was a few months too late to give me feedback and I certainly wasn’t asking for any now that all was said and done and the plan was well in motion, he said “I think you’re making a mistake. I think you should be doing X and Y instead of A and B.”
I sat there dumbfounded for a minute, and then, more calmly than I felt, I said “I’m sorry, I am no longer soliciting feedback on this issue. I asked for your feedback a few months ago, and since you didn’t offer it then, you have no right to offer it now. I don’t believe I’m making a mistake and I’m committed to the decisions I’ve made.”
A few hours later, after he’d left and my gut reaction had settled from seething to just slightly frustrated, it struck me how significant this conversation was. Not that it was unusual to get unsolicited feedback too late from my staff or co-workers – that happens all the time. What WAS unusual though was the fact that, even though it was a frustrating conversation, it had not ONCE caused me to doubt the wisdom of my decision.
I’ve been taking some fairly bold steps in my day-job lately, and though there are lots of supporters for the path I’m forging, there have been a lot of naysayers too. For whatever reason (uncertainty, fear, jealousy, genuine concern – you name it) boldness always brings out the critics. Constructive criticism during the development phase can be a very good thing (it helped make my idea a whole lot better, as a matter of fact), but the “after-the-fact” critiques just feel like rain on someone’s parade.
This realization that I’m getting better at handling it and not letting it send me into a spiral of self-doubt and insecurity was a refreshing and welcome shift. For too long, I’ve let fear of criticism, fear of failure, fear of resistance, and fear of embarrassing myself keep me from boldness. I’ve worked a little too hard at making sure all my decisions were met with acceptance rather than resistance. Let’s face it – I just wanna be liked.
But that’s starting to shift and I’m so grateful. The person who sat in my office and critiqued my plan doesn’t have to like me or my plan. I still think it’s the right plan. The person who made negative comments about the video I executive-produced (after it was completed and too late to make any changes) doesn’t have to like it. I still think it’s good.
What do you do with criticism or rejection – especially the stuff that comes too late? Are you able to rise above and keep believing in yourself? Are you able to continue to face the world with boldness and self confidence?
Today, when you begin to let the critics (either external or internal) eat away at your confidence, stand up and say out loud (even if you just do it alone in your bathroom) “I have not given you permission to dump all over my good idea. I believe that it is good and I am committed to seeing it through.”
by Heather Plett | Jul 3, 2009 | fearless, Wreck this Journal
Don’t you love it when the right book shows up just when you need it? After ordering
a book I’d suggested, Vicki sent me a suggestion for
another book, and it couldn’t have shown up at a better time. I think the writer crawled into my brain, studied my random thoughts for awhile, and, like a doctor, prescribed just the right medication for what’s ailing me.
I’ve underlined so many things already, and I’m only on page 57. This one, for example, could have been pulled almost verbatim from my recent blog posts: “Some have felt eager and engaged by their work for years and then walked into their office one fine morning to find their enthusiasm gone, their energies spent, their imaginations engaged in secret ways, elsewhere.” Hmmm… secret ways? Yup, I got ‘em.
On the bus yesterday, I underlined this quote: “For most of us, an inner parental voice continually keeps the world at bay. It says, ‘Life is precarious; you young cannot know how precarious. Don’t add to the sum total of difficulty that awaits you: Stay off the moors; Stay off the ocean, stay away from the edge, don’t follow the intensity of your more passionate dreams, find safe work, and adventure not into your own nature lest it lead you directly into nature itself. Adventure only on the weekends of life and not in the working week.’”
I nearly choked on that quote. It stirred so many things for me, a lot of them related to the reason I chose “fearlessness” as my word for the year. How many times have I chosen what’s safe? How many times have I failed to “adventure into my own nature”?
The other thing it stirred in me was the concern that I have become that parental voice for my children. More than anything, I want them to be authentic, bold, and passionately in search of their own calling and nature. But sometimes, let’s face it, a mother’s first concern is that they be safe. How do we balance those desires for our children without messing them up in the process?
When I went grocery shopping last night, I took my “Wreck this Journal” along, thinking I’d do something silly with it. Instead though, with these book-induced thoughts spinning through my mind, I took a detour to my son’s grave and did some wrecking of a kinder, gentler variety.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l87CgnLhmjY&hl=en&fs=1&]
If you can’t see the video yet, it might not be fully loaded. I’m posting before it’s ready – don’t have time to wait.
by Heather Plett | May 17, 2009 | Creativity, fearless
“I didn’t know you were a singer-songwriter,” I said to my dinner companion after he told me he’d be meeting Vance Gilbert (whom I’d just mentioned) at the upcoming Folk Festival singer-songwriter retreat.
“Welllll…” he hesitated, “I dabble in it.”
“Why is it that almost all artists I know don’t admit to being artists – they ‘just dabble in it’?”
He chuckled. “Okay… so let’s try this again… I AM a singer-songwriter.”
“Much better,” I said.
And then, after telling him about my idea for a web space where “dabblers” can “own their wisdom and share it graciously”, I said, “I once taught a creativity workshop, and overwhelmingly, the participants were all yearning for the same thing – permission to create and to call themselves artists.”
“Creativity workshop?” he said, his ears perking up. “Tell me more.”
And then, because we were both trying to be more bold and own our giftedness, I told him more, and by the end, he’d invited me to teach a day long workshop for his staff. And I went home with that dreamy look on my face.
*******
A few years ago, I wrote this as my personal mission statement:
My mission is to inspire excellence in people, facilitate growth and the discovery of giftedness, and to serve as a catalyst for positive change.
*******
Stay tuned. The bud is beginning to unfold in delightful ways.
by Heather Plett | May 13, 2009 | fearless
Prompted by a comment from Joyce, I thought it was high time I wrote another fearless post. If you’re just catching up, you can find the video introduction to my “year of living more fearlessly” here, and follow-up posts here, here, here, here, here, and here.)
Here are the ten things I’ve learned (or keep re-learning)…
1. It’s not doing any good, this “hiding in the bulrushes” thing you try to do sometimes. You’re not doing anybody any favours by not putting your stuff out there. When you put your stuff out there, you might just win $200 in a photo contest. Or get something published.
2. Sometimes, when you try your best fearless growl, and you manage to send out a notice to several creative friends about a cool group you want to start, and then you’re met with stone cold silence by more than half of them, it probably doesn’t mean they don’t like you or think your idea is stupid. It might just mean they don’t open their emails very often. Try again. Maybe pick up the phone next time.
3. Most of the time, other people are just as fearful as you. There might be really good ideas they’re withholding because they’re afraid you’re smarter than them and already thought of those ideas.
4. When you’re on a film shoot with a bunch of big wig film producer and social marketing types (or somewhere else that’s outside of your element), and something just doesn’t sit right with you, it’s just not really a good idea to keep your mouth shut just because you assume they know more than you do. Somebody might roll their eyes just slightly, but when they re-do the shot, there’s a good chance you’ll all agree that it came out better in the end. Trust your gut.
5. About that photo shoot – you’re smarter than you think you are. If you’ve been to almost 20 countries, there’s a good chance you’ll know a little more about some of the clothes worn in those countries than the wardrobe person does. Own your wisdom and then share it graciously.
7. Sometimes, the answer is “wait”. Being fearless doesn’t mean you should rush headlong into something, or push people around in an attempt to get to your goal. Remember to be gentle on yourself and those you care about (or even those you barely know).
8. Yoga is amazing. You might even find yourself in tears after your first class because it feels so right. Why have you taken so long to try it? Maybe it’s time to give up this belief that you’re too uncoordinated for a class that involves body movement. Perhaps it’s even time to forgive yourself for that unfortunate jazz dance class experience and move on. (It was 20 years ago – get over it!)
9. Sometimes, the best way to succeed is to believe you have something worth sharing and then give it away freely and without reservation. Amazing things can happen when you let go of those things you’re too nervous to expose to the world, or you use your creativity to help someone else succeed.
10. It can really, really hurt when your best attempt at fearlessness is met with rejection or (perhaps worse) indifference. Let yourself wallow for a few minutes, learn from it, go do something else you know you’re really good at for awhile, and then move on.
Note: the photo is of my niece, who’s more fearless than most people I know.
