I just presented this sequence in a powerpoint presentation at Learning as Leadership Personal Mastery workshop last week. The presentation was fun and the workshop meaningful: a great group, a lot of healing, break throughs and armors on the floor!
To create a strong “WE”, we need a strong “I”. To create a strong “I”, we need to be in touch with the full range of who we are – strengths and weaknesses – and no resistance to show up.
The problem is that we confuse “being armored” with “being strong”.
Because of our engrained fear-based ego-strategies to protect or inflate the image we have of ourselves, we do the opposite of what would make us truly strong.
Here is what a pseudo-strong leader can look like in our modern organizations:
Therefore, here is a “strong” team:
The problem with the armor is that it looks strong, but it’s just heavy. It looks stable but it’s ungrounded. And under unexpected challenges, it doesn’t take much for the pseudo-strong “I” to collapse.
Then, once brought down, it is much harder to extirpate from the armor.
In conclusion: Don’t wait to collapse to take off the armor and discover what’s underneath. Despite years of engrained habits, it actually might not be that difficult.
Only one “R” gets in the way.
To be a strong “I”’ and create a strong “WE”, what does it look like for you to take off your armor? even just a first layer? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Once again you have managed to illuminate your profound thoughts with imaginative and very humorous cartoons. You make me think, feel and laugh out loud. What else could one ask for from a blog? Just wonderful, Carole. Keep educating and entertaining us!
Thank Susan for your appreciation. It means a lot to me!
Susan said it very well! Carole, your insights are profound and the cartoons are like the spoonful of sugar that helps the medicine go down–in a most delightful way. (Can’t you just hear Julie Andrews singing along in the background?)
LOL Robin! I love having Julie Andrews in my background! It reminds me that one of my most important cultural chock was when I discovered that “My Favorite Thing” wasn’t a free-jazz standard from John Coltrane, but a original song from The Sound of Music… Anyway, thanks for your appreciation!