Hurdles

Hurdles

As leaders there are hurdles that we have to jump over.

Sometimes hurdles are put in front of us by others. Sometimes the hurdle is just there and presents itself. And sometimes we put the hurdle in front of ourselves!

Three types of hurdles:

Put there by ourselves: such as “I can’t believe that I did that thing that I don’t want to do, and I did it AGAIN.

Put there by others: such as “Hey, I know you are busy, but I need you to BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.

Put there by the universe: such as an entrepreneurial opportunity presenting itself to the world and is waiting for the world to respond.

Hopefully that gives you a sense about the three types of hurdles I’m referencing.

I was working with a Client the other day and she was sharing with me how an employee put a huge and unexpected hurdle in front of her. Her first reactions to the hurdle were frustration, wonder, questioning. All of which caused her to spin. She had questions like, “What the heck? What is going on here with him and why would he do this? Why am I responding in this way?”

It was her last response, “Why am I responding in this way?” that I paid the most attention to and further explored with her. Her self-reflection creates space to turn a hurdle into an opportunity.

As leaders we need to expect hurdles. As leaders, we also need to see hurdles not as challenges (even though they often are) but as opportunities for growth. This can be extremely hard to do in the moment and is why your presence as a leader is essential.

When we see hurdles as opportunities, we are able to consider the larger purpose involved, what can be learned through them, as well as the impact of our response on others. 

As a Process Consultant, this is where true transformation can take place. Wisdom emerges when we consider how our actions impact others, ourselves, and the organization we serve. Not how we think we are impacting, but actually how we are impacting our world. 

As a Process Consultant, this is what we mean by learning towards wisdom. When we allow what we are learning to deepen within ourselves, to seep into our bones, and permeate our organization. This allows learning to have a fighting chance to take hold.

When we remember our past learnings and recall them time and time again to come to our aid, we move towards wisdom and not making the same mistake time and time again.

So the next time a hurdle presents itself to you, either by the universe, someone else, or by you, consider the larger purpose of what might be going on. Consider the impact your next step will have on everyone involved.

Pause, take a moment and be present in that moment in order to give yourself the time you need to respond, even if not responding is the action you take.

Mind how you go,

Lon

Lon L. Swartzentruber

Design Group International

Managing Partner & CEO 

Interim - CEO, Society for Process Consulting

If you’d like to go deeper in your journey of leadership, please schedule a call. I’d be honored to listen and learn more about your journey as a leader and where you’d like to go next.

P.S. Please join me as the Society for Process Consulting's Inaugural Conference in Philadelphia, PA, 10 - 12 November 2024.

Most recent podcast listening

Sounds True: Insights At The Edge. Tami Simon's interview with Otto Scharmer.

Here is what is in my backpack

Rereading Humble Leadership 2^nd Edition, by Edgar H. Schein and Peter A. Schein

Presence, by Peter Senge, Otto Scharmer, Joseph Jaworski, and Betty Sue Flowers

Rereading The Advantage, by Patrick Lencioni