I looked into the backyard and noticed the beautiful, vibrant and colorful fallen leaves scattered across the lawn.
My first thought was, I won't be raking those leaves anytime soon. They're too lovely! 🍁
I have a similar dilemma in the spring.
The grass starts growing, and so do the dandelions and little purple violets 😳. For a short time, they're beautiful actually--colorful and lovely.
Where some people see a problem, I see color. Beauty. Life.
Same yard. Different perspective.
And it got me thinking about leadership.
How often do we look at a situation, a person, or a behavior and immediately decide what it means?
They're being difficult.
That person is resistant to change.
This team isn't motivated.
That idea will never work.
Maybe. 🤷🏻♀️
But what if there's another way to see it?
Another perspective?
What if the person we consider difficult is challenging an assumption that needs to be challenged?
What if resistance to change is actually concern about something we haven't considered?
What if a team that appears unmotivated is simply exhausted?
I'm not suggesting we ignore problems or pretend everything is beautiful.
Sometimes weeds really are weeds. And in those instances, I/we do the hard work of weeding! 😆
How many opportunities do we miss because we've already decided what we're looking at?!
Once we've labeled something, our view narrows. We tend to see more evidence that confirms the label. And less of what might challenge it.
So what would it take for you to see something differently?
A different question? A little curiosity? A willingness to reconsider your first interpretation?
Sometimes a fresh perspective doesn't require changing the situation.
It requires changing the lens through which we're looking.
And sometimes...
The weeds are actually flowers. 🌸
❤️ Heidi