I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends

I am now on my second blog entry and you might be wondering how I got to this point...to the point of blogging about leadership.  Well, I found my inspiration to start this leadership blog in the most unlikely of places...facebook.  Yes, facebook!  You know, that social media site that seems to be where you waste what little free time you have and that which connects you to 300 of your closest friends?  Yeah, that's the one...


A particular quote from a friend on facebook captured my attention.  (Disclaimer:  I do not know the source and actually think part of it is from Josh Groban's song "Believe".  I am not sure where the other part originated).  The quote she posted was:


Believe in what you feel inside
Give your dreams the wings to fly
Stop being afraid of what you can not see
Make a choice and set yourself free...


I have been struggling over the past two years to really determine what it is I want to be when I grow big.  After much reflection and time with some outstanding mentors, I felt that I was finally able to identify my true passion - leadership development.  I am fascinated with how leaders develop, how they do what they do and why it is that they do the things that they do.    


When I finally discovered my professional purpose (I have a personal purpose too which is different - that will be the topic of another blog some time...), I came to the harsh reality that I have no "formal" experience in this field.   Sure, I had been doing this kind of work informally in my career for about 10 years.  Sure, I have about 17 years of leadership experience in various capacities, but I kept wondering if I was actually qualified to do this kind of work.  I then had some personal set backs and rejections at work that just really shook my confidence and made me doubt my abilities.  So, instead of pursuing my passion, I kept doing what I was doing and continued to get what I always got which was mostly unfulfilling.  I took some steps, but not too many because the fear of failure was paralyzing me.


Then I saw that quote on facebook:   Believe in what you feel inside, give your dreams the wings to fly.  At that point, something just clicked and I made a commitment to myself that I would really, really pursue my passion now.  I needed to believe in myself and give myself at least the chance to be successful.  To do that, I recognized that I would essentially need to reinvent myself and move outside of my comfort zone.  This blog was my first step on that journey outside of my safe space...


I published my first blog entry, "Different Strokes for Different Folks" with much trepidation.  Would people like it?  Would anyone besides my Mom read it?  Would the readers take something away from what I had to say?  All these questions and doubts came flooding through me like a tidal wave as I contemplated publishing the post.  With a quick tap of my index finger I clicked the "Publish Post" button anyway, linked it to my facebook page, sent a few e-mails with the link to the blog and hoped for the best...


The next day, I was humbled by the responses I got to the blog.  I received so many positive comments through facebook and e-mail on my first blog entry.  Each comment from each person gave me confidence and a renewed sense of purpose.  I felt as though I was validated and my ideas counted for something.  I started to believe that maybe I am qualified to do this kind of work.  These people - my friends - took the time to comment on something I had poured my heart and soul into.  Because of that, I am now inspired to keep doing this blog; I am inspired to actively pursue my passion; and I am inspired to help others learn and develop by sharing my experiences.  I was filled with all of this inspiration because of my friends.  Who would have thought that a few kind words could make such a difference?  Who would have thought that facebook would have given me that opportunity?  I sure didn't but I know better now.  So, this blog entry is for all my friends out there who gave me just what I needed this past week.  You rock and I am privileged to call you my friend.  Special thanks also go out to my Mom - also my friend - who always builds me up and makes me feel special (I think she may also have visited this blog 80 times since I am approaching 100 hits...).  Join me now in chorus...


Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends.  Oh, I'm gonna try with a little help from my friends...


So, what did I learn about leadership from how my friends responded to my blog?


LIFE'S LITTLE LEADERSHIP LESSONS

1. Leaders sometimes lack confidence.  They may appear tough on the outside but leaders have insecurities like everybody else.  In this case, I really doubted my abilities as an aspiring leadership development professional.  To help me get over this, I needed lots of # 2.
2. Leaders need positive reinforcement.  A few words of positive recognition and reinforcement can go a long way in making someone feel good and valued.  Leaders are often the last ones to hear about the good they are doing.  Take a few moments to recognize the leaders in your life - not only will you make them feel good, you will feel great too!
3. Leaders take chances.  Leaders need to put themselves and the people they influence in situations where they can stretch themselves and experience things they may have never experienced before.  Doing so can create a new world of possibilities.  The bigger the risk, the greater the reward.  Trust me on this one...it is more than true!