How we change what others think, feel, believe and do |
Don’t Be the One Who Waits for the Safe Space
Guest articles > Don’t Be the One Who Waits for the Safe Space
by: Lisa Earle McLeod
We all want the safe space, the space where you won’t be rejected, where you won’t look silly, where there’s no risk, and where you know that things will work. Whenever I talk about emotional engagement, or passion or Noble Purpose,
inevitably someone will come up to me afterward and say, “I love this, but my
company will never go for it.” That person then proceeds to explain why his or
her money-driven boss doesn’t care about emotional “stuff’ like this, or the
person will say, “The people in my company are too intellectual—or educated, or
uneducated, or power hunger, or disengaged—to get into this.” Here’s the big mistake: We know what’s in our own hearts, but we often underestimate what’s in everyone else’s. We judge ourselves by what we’re thinking, but we judge others by what they say and do. We may be thinking, I wish this company were more passionate, but if no one else is saying it out loud, we tell ourselves that we’re the only one who cares. The truth is, most of us hold ourselves back from becoming emotionally engaged. We yearn for a sense of greater purpose; we want meaning; we want close emotional connections. Yet it’s easier—and safer—to check off our daily tasks than it is to open our hearts, and be vulnerable by talking about big things like, love, or passion at work. But what are we really waiting for, the safe space when everyone else is on board? Or the awful space when things are so bad we don’t have anything left to lose? The truth is, sharing your emotional aspirations for your job, or your relationships, doesn’t make you less powerful; it makes your more powerful. So don’t wait. Don’t wait until your business is failing. Don’t wait until
you get comfortable enough to talk to your boss. Don’t wait until it’s
convenient, safe, or easy. And above all, don’t wait until you think everybody
else is ready. Somebody has to start. You can be one of the people who holds back, waiting to see what everyone else is going to do. Or you can be one of the people who has the courage to bring your full emotional self into everything you do. At the end of the day, all we have is each other. Your life is a short imprint in the arc of the universe. You can sit around and wait for the safe space to share your hopes and dreams. Or you can be the one who goes first.
Lisa Earle McLeod is a sales leadership consultant. Companies like Apple, Kimberly-Clark and Pfizer hire her to help them create passionate, purpose-driven sales forces. She the author of several books including Selling with Noble Purpose: How to Drive Revenue and Do Work That Makes You Proud, a Wiley publication, released Nov. 15, 2012. She has appeared on The Today Show, and has been featured in Forbes, Fortune and The Wall Street Journal. She provides executive coaching sessions, strategy workshops, and keynote speeches. More info: www.mcleodandmore.com Lisa's Blog How Smart People Can Get Better At Everything Copyright 2014 Lisa Earle McLeod. All rights
reserved. Contributor: Lisa Earle McLeod Published here on: 21-Jun-15 Classification: Development Website: www.mcleodandmore.com
|
Site Menu |
| Home | Top | Quick Links | Settings | |
Main sections: | Disciplines | Techniques | Principles | Explanations | Theories | |
Other sections: | Blog! | Quotes | Guest articles | Analysis | Books | Help | |
More pages: | Contact | Caveat | About | Students | Webmasters | Awards | Guestbook | Feedback | Sitemap | Changes | |
Settings: | Computer layout | Mobile layout | Small font | Medium font | Large font | Translate | |
| Home | Top | Menu | Quick Links | |
|