Happy New Year to each one of you! I always get excited in the early months of each new year for the opportunity it represents. An opportunity to fail more, learn more, win more, grow more, do more.
For example in two weeks I’ll be facilitating my first workshop in the beautiful language of French in a remote northern community of Quebec.
A sermon I heard last week triggered this question and I’m excited to share my thoughts with you. So lets talk about Mind, Heart & Feet as they relate to my adventure in Quebec and leadership in general:
Mind
My mind has been telling me alot of things. Like:
1) You can do it. You’ve worked in bilingual positions at Shell and managed just fine. It will be okay.
2) What are you doing! You can’t do this. This is a professional speaking gig and they will expect PERFECT French. Yours my friend, is not.
Heart
My heart has been telling me alot of things as well:
1) Fear! Its been attacked by the occasional fear of failure. What happens if they do want Perfect French and I don’t deliver?
2) Excitement! Here’s an opportunity to connect with a people group you really like ( i have alot of French Canadian friends) and travel to a section of Quebec you haven’t visited before. Awesome!
3) Excitement! At the end of this year you will be more fully bilingual in French because of your learnings in the 4 times you go there.
Feet
You likely never knew that feet talked but they do!
In my moments of fear, they’ve numbed and screamed stop!
In my moments of excitement they’ve tingled and hesitantly started to walk.
They are however bound in some boots that are moving forward. I’ve signed a contract to do it and I have a plane flight booked, both which are expensive to cancel. So fear or not, in February my feet will be in Mont Joli Quebec for 2 days of workshops on Behavioral Interviewing… and I know that is a good thing because the only way to learn is to do.
Mind, Heart or Feet? Which is most Important?
My experience is this: The only way to get your Mind to focus on the positive and your heart to be calmed, content and happy is to force your feet to walk and experience the learning and growth that comes from doing. Too much focus on mind and heart can block the steps required to succeed. It would be tragic to spend a life only thinking about what’s possible while never having waded in or to let the fear of failure stop you from glorious and rewarding growth & achievement. Take care of people’s feet and the rest will take care of itself. Its an important lesson for leaders to apply to not only their team but themselves.
So here is are a couple challenges to you:
I challenge each one of you to make 2012 the year when your feet walk into at least one thing that stretches your comfort zones and that will also be the foundation for your future growth, success & happiness.
I challenge each one of you to similarly challenge every employee who works for you to walk into something new that will be the foundation for their future growth, success & happiness.
What will that be? Only you can decide. Whatever it is, I am excited for you! I know you and they will be glad you did.
Have a great week!
David
David Benjatschek is “Your Man with the Plan for Better Teams and Better Results” . His leadership & communication workshops across North America and abroad have won wide acclaim for inspiring and equipping emerging leaders for success. about.me/yourmanwiththeplan