Past the Barbed Wire Fence

I recently listened to a podcast of one of the longest living survivors of the Holocaust, Estelle Lauglin.

In this podcast she describes her memories of the people she thought of during her time in the concentration camps that provided her “light in darkness.” She goes on to share  she firmly believes it is the feelings of hope, curiosity, and wonder that came from her memories of these people that kept her alive and helped her see “past the barbed wire fence.”

What traits do leaders posses that keep those they serve “alive”? By alive I mean hungry, ambitious, bold, and unwavering in their pursuits to grow the vision and mission of an organization in the stablest of times and the rockiest of times.  How do these leaders embody the traits of hope, curiosity, and wonder? How do you lead past complacency and fear and chart uncertainty alongside an ambitious, eager, and unrelenting team?

Hope. Leading with hope requires a belief that all things and all times are temporary. The good things and the bad things, the good times, and the bad times will come and go, therefore leaders of hope know just how to keep people moving in the storms and promote growth in the sunshine. There are a few key strategies they employ in these times.
Reflection - Making space for thoughts and discussions around what has been learned in the peaks and in the valleys is critical to remaining hopeful that the future good and bad times can be survived and capitalized on. A critical mistake we make is not taking the opportunity to use our harder times to reimagine the future. A hopeless place to live is to keep recycling the same practices that may have led to the hard times. Honest reflection about what we can control and adjust to bring about a new future is where we find the blessings in the storm. It’s where hope lives.

Reorientation- In the highs and the lows, leaders should bust out their vision maps and drop a pin on where we are and where we want to be. Reorienting when signs of complacency (common in high times) and signs of fear and resignation (common in the low times) are emerging. Leaders of hope are constantly reorienting the ship. They are not waiting to hit an iceberg to calibrate the course and measure the progress.

Curiosity and Wonder. Leaders who lead curious organizations squelch their own fears of uncertainty and of being wrong and are relentless in their pursuit of new and different ways. They recognize “organizational suffering” comes from feeling stuck and broken. They can spot signs of “stuckness” and brokenness in those they lead. Leaders of curiosity and wonder can employ these practices to combat complacency and gridlock:

Wonder Walls- A dedicated physical space for dreams, imagination, and wondering lives in the meeting spaces of leaders who lead bold and curious organizations. Conditions are created for conversations around these wonders and dreams of the team. These conversations are just as important as those about upcoming calendars and pre-populated meeting agendas. They communicate on acceptance and an expectation of curiosity and wonder.

Calendar Audits- Leaders who prioritize curiosity constantly audit their calendars and existing meeting structure to ensure they and those they serve have margin to create and act on their wonders and curiosities. They recognize the importance of this time to the future of their organizations. They are constantly aware of the slippery slope of over scheduling themselves and their people as it relates to burn out and disillusionment. Predictable routines and schedules are great until they begin to breed the idea that progress is a checklist and not promise towards the future.

Leaders of hope, curiosity, and wonder help create conditions for those they love and serve to see “past the barbed wire” fence. Oftentimes the “stuckness” we feel is more a matter of the mind than it is a reality.