Well it has been quite a year so far. Some fabulously huge promotion came my way in being an “author@google” and being featured in the Boston Globe. But my purpose is higher than mere self aggrandizement, that’s just a means to an end.
Someone once said, “there is no point in being a public speaker unless your goal is to change the world.” I think that sums it up. I want the world to change. Note I don’t necessarily want to do it all myself. That’s a lot of work.
So as I sit here pondering the best way to make real improvements, I have ask myself, what do I offer my clients? What is the “value” of me getting up before a crowd of people and sharing a few amusing stories? How does that translate to real tangible results?
Well I would like to think that it’s because I’m so terribly cute and clever, but that’s not it. The biggest resistance to change is simply the fear thereof. Very often the next step for an individual or an organization is obvious and simple, but there is that hitch step, of that wildebeest-at-the-waterhole hesitancy. Is there any unknown danger lurking just out of sight that they can’t see? This brings all energy to a stop. I suffer from this myself constantly as I move into unfamiliar territory every day.
We all have lions and alligators of past hurts to contend with, not to mention infinite unknown future consequences, and the status quo always feels so good. So one of the biggest reasons to bring in someone from outside is not to do redundant problem solving. At a certain point that can even become counter-productive. The real purpose is to infuse a group with courage from a different angle. A Wildebeest on the other side of the watering hole isn’t any smarter than you are, and is just as scared as you are, but because they have a different angle, they do have a different perspective on the potential dangers. If I can play that role, and make people feel just a little less afraid, then I have done my job. Everything else, they can usually figure out on their own. Part of my job is reminding them of that capability, not just doing it for them.
I try to manifest courage in others. And I start by manifesting it in myself.
© Justin Locke
