So many of us have had our “bright seeds” become dormant. We hear messages throughout our lives, education, and profession that we are not as good as those around us or those who came before us. That we need to do better. Leaving us questioning our ability as a leader, as a professional, or as someone who can make a true difference in an organization. We can tend to stay focused on what we’re not, rather than what we are. Oftentimes we are not given the tools to revive our dormant seeds and continue to struggle.
In nature, dormant seeds often need to be shocked, burned or scarred to release their growth potential. This is the secret. Luckily, there have been many instances that my seeds were “shocked out of dormancy”. The first I recall was early in my career when I was a new manager and invited to an impromptu meeting with HR. My employees were present and after a few minutes I realized it was an intervention of sorts. They weren’t happy or feeling like they were being supported. They told me I was bossy, impatient and micromanaging. This was when I realized I was promoted to a management position without being given the tools to transition from an individual contributor to an effective manager of people.
I took a step back (maybe a few), deep down I knew it was a blessing. I thanked them. It was on this day that I realized that my “definition” of what management was, was NOT what a manager does to be an effective leader.
It has been many years since this first realization and I have been on a self-reflective leadership journey since. I’ve continuously been humbled, gone inside, embraced my mistakes until I understood them, worked to grow from them, and reemerged with fewer dormant seeds of possibility. One seed of self-realization. One seed of self belief. One seed of self-confidence. Another seed, self-compassion. In the past few years, I have seen the growth that’s possible. Not just in me but as I cultivated the relationships around me. As I continue this journey, I am driven to support others and help reveal their true seeds of possibility and greatness.
Either we allow our seeds of possibility to remain dormant or shock them, sprout them, and grow the possibility within.
I hope you join me on this journey.
Let’s get started with a complimentary Discovery Call.
