LEADERS LEARN TO LET IT GO
I was thinking about Princess Elsa this week as I read a powerful leadership blog post.
Who is Princess Elsa, you may ask? If you do not know the answer to that question, my guess is that you do not have young children or grandchildren. If you did, you would smile and know that Princess Elsa is the heroine from the Disney animated film, “Frozen.” The film was so popular that, like other Disney films such as “Lion King,” it was translated into a Broadway play.
The most popular song from “Frozen” is “Let it Go.” In the song, Elsa is finding her own identity, she is growing into who she truly is and she is finally accepting her own leadership strengths, including magical powers. Instead of hiding from her strengths, Elsa is embracing them and “letting it go.”
As we all grow in our leadership journeys, we too have to learn to “let it go.” Too often we as leaders refuse to let things go, either consciously or subconsciously
Why might we choose not to let things go?
-We enjoy a particular task, even though we know it could be done by one of our teammates
-We believe that we are most capable of accomplishing a task
-We do not want to spend the time necessary to train a team member
-We think hanging onto a task will help us retain some influence or power
Sometimes we do not make the time to pause and ask ourselves this question: Even though this something that I can keep doing myself, would it benefit my team to let it go and ask or train one of my team members to take it on?”
This subject of letting things go was addressed by Chip Conley in a recent MEA blog post. The MEA is the Modern Elder Academy, and Chip is its founder and CEO. In his blog post, Chip opined that “one of the great gifts of aging is discernment – the ability to recognize that just because something is possible doesn’t mean it’s wise.”
Conley proceeds to explain that “true wisdom is knowing when to step back, create space for others and redefine success. Maybe stepping aside allows someone younger to shine. Maybe it gives you the bandwidth to explore something new. Maybe it prevents burnout.”
“What if letting go wasn’t a loss but an invitation? An invitation:
-to mentor rather than micromanage,,
-to trust rather than to control,
-to create rather than compete?”
As Chip writes, leaders are not in place to prove they still can achieve. They are in place to accomplish “The Three E’s:”
-Elevate others
-Evolve as a leader
-Enjoy the leadership ride
Please remember what Chip calls the essential question. It is not whether you CAN as the leader – it is whether doing so serves your highest self and serves your teammates as well.
As we mature on our leadership paths, we learn that sometimes our most powerful and effective move is not pressing forward with all our energy and resolve, but stepping aside so that our teammates can learn and grow.
I invite you to ponder your own leadership philosophy and your beliefs about creating space for others to blossom.
-How can you loosen your grip to serve others?
-How can you teach rather than preach?
-How can you embrace your authenticity and learn to surrender control?
Remember that we cannot lead other people until we learn how to lead ourselves.
So follow Princess Elsa’s lead : Know when to let it go.
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-Larry