AUTHENTIC LEADERS DON’T AFRAID TO GET CAUGHT BY THE CURRENT

Is it because of the rain that is pouring down the windows or because of the deafening sound it makes or maybe it is just because of the yesterdays’ disappointment...Yet, this morning I had this familiar feeling (btw, I love that Moloko song, you know it?), feeling that once more I came across the current and that, once more, it is time to surrender.

I am dedicating this story to you who is feeling like all your hard work was in vain. That everything you did, you were putting yourself out there, you kept going even when things were way more difficult than you thought, you were doing so much, risking so much, and for so long...for nothing.

It is never for nothing. And that what seems to you like nothing can be everything to someone else.

To someone who is a few meters behind you. Or just watching you from the shore...

And the story goes like this:

You know how to swim, you know all techniques, breaststroke, freestyle, the butterfly, backstroke. You are in shape, you have that winners mentality, you have the quality and the capacity and you have the opportunity. The one.

And then you get caught by the current. Abruptly. Suddenly. Unexpectedly.

Each technique you know is now useless. You are drowning and moving away from the goal. And you know it, you feel it, you see it, everyone else is seeing it.

And yet, that is it. This is the moment of your extraordinary growth. This is the exact moment when your natural instincts are supposed to come to light.

This is the moment you need to do the exact opposite from what you were taught for the most part of your life, what you have practiced so dedicated for so long. This is the moment you need to:

1. Stay absolutely calm

2. Surrender to the current and just float

3. Trust the process, trust that you are supported by the water and that you will get out of the current

4. The second you are out of it, you should start swimming to the shore

5. The second you reach the shore you should ask for help

And this is your success story.

You see, you reached some new shore, new destination, destination that you could not consciously pre plan, destination with new opportunities. You have mastered a new skill and you have learned how to survive even if the situation looks bad. And you are even better role model, inspiration and motivation to those who were watching. Because now they have the opportunity to see and learn from your real struggle.

And this is why you keep going this time again. Because you are an authentic leader.

Don’t be afraid of the current, don’t be afraid that you will not going to deliver, that you will not be on your A game, that you will let down others.

Let them see you and be inspired by you. By your endurance, by your ability to stay in the present moment and get out of the current. To get out with new skills, with new success feeling, with new people around you.

Show them, teach them that sometimes, no matter how much time you spend practicing and perfecting, things go wrong. And that reaching out for help is not a sign of weakness.

This is leadership. A lifestyle. This is you inspiring your family, your friends, your coworkers, your clients. This is you showing those few meters behind you, or watching you from the shore, that when things start to look really ugly - it is time to ditch familiar teachings and learn to listen to your instincts.

This is how you build your self esteem and self confidence. Because you know that you are capable of getting out from any current you might come across. Or shark.

Don't forget to groove the world,

Olja A.