Living Room Swan Dive
If you are a leader who has intentionally fostered psychological safety in your workplace, cultivated the allure of grand challenges, and invested in the deep development of your people’s potential, all while remaining tenaciously on-mission, then you’ll see a video like this and smile. It resonates with something you’ve observed first hand in those you serve and you revel in it!
Meet my son, Theo. A wonderfully typical 9-year-old mid-elementary schoolboy. He knows the physical properties of a bean bag (safe), continually explores the limits of his abilities for the joy of the experience itself (challenge), and enjoys unlimited time to practice amateur tumbling (development). He’s committed to the never-ending pursuit of raw fun (mission). He is the simplified mini-prototype of an employee that is in a healthy work environment.
If you have not been exposed to this kind of an environment as a leader, then you’ll be more likely to see this video and say, “What was the point of that?” or “Ouch! Did he hurt his back?” or “I’m sure glad he didn’t miss the bean bag!” And you’ll worry about whether or not such a feat should be attempted again. If you find yourself in the “react” versus “revel” crowd, take time to reflect. As 2020 winds its way to an end, we can all acknowledge that there were a tremendous number of things well out of our control. However, there were also a number of things in our control — and the kind of work enviroment we create as a leader is one of them. Consider what you can do differently as a leader this next year to foster a workplace marked by more safety, more challenge, more development, more mission, and yes, more living room swan dives.
An earlier version of this post can be found at https://www.linkedin.com/posts/devonmberry_this-is-what-people-who-feel-safe-challenged-activity-6742881679465181184-ROmG
