Trapeze Leadership

Imagine that you have gone to see the circus, and you are especially looking forward to the trapeze act.When the time comes, the acrobat climbs to the platform and grabs onto the trapeze bar. He then steps off the platform and swings back-and-forth, back-and-forth, back-and-forth. And then he gets back on the platform and takes a bow. You would be incredibly disappointed, would you? It is not a circus-worthy trapeze act if they don’t let go of the bar and take some risks. The same can be said of leadership. It is possible to have a title that indicates a leadership role, but if you’re not letting go and taking some risks, you’re not a true leader. Leaders are not content with the status quo of swinging back-and-forth. They push their organizations to do new and different and innovative things. This always involves risk. When you’re trying something new, success is not guarantee. Leaders must be willing to let go of old ways of doing things in order to try something new. Hanging onto the bar may be more comfortable, but it’s not what the people came to see. They’d rather see a leader make some bold moves and occasionally go crashing into the net rather than one who plays it safe. I am not advocating a reckless style of leadership. The trapeze acrobat is taking a risk, but it’s a calculated one. It’s what they have practiced and prepared for. The acrobat on the trapeze is never a solo act. When they let go, they’re depending on someone else to catch them. In the same way, leaders don’t try to do everything on their own. They take the risk of depending on others because they know that this will ultimately produce a much better outcome. If you’re just hanging around and waiting for something good to happen, maybe it’s time to adjust your leadership style. Or at least go to the circus and think about the trapeze artist. It’s easy to receive my blogs by email. Just sign-up on Feedburner by clicking here.]]>