Charged

I was almost struck by lightning this week.

A colleague and I were driving to a meeting, surrounded by torrential rain, cracking thunder, and sheets of lightning. We could barely distinguish between the sky and the road. We were chatting casually, windshield wipers flipping back and forth. But then the loudest thunderclap I have ever heard reverberated right next to the car. And we both jumped as a bolt landed somewhere to our left, in the brush just off the road.?

Through the rear windows, I could see flashes of light and sparks. It was?that?close.

“Whoa!”

The driver and I froze, waiting for another strike.?

But after a minute or so, she said, “I suppose we just keep going?!”?

I nodded. And then I said, “Clearly, something amazing is going to happen today. We just don’t know what yet!”?

And we laughed.

Later that morning, we told the story when we arrived at the board meeting. As the group huddled together inside the camp building where we were meeting, rain continued to pour down.

“This is actually an interesting metaphor for where we are right now,” I said, pointing to the sliding doors. “There’s a storm out there, people, and it has been that way for a while!”

Because my family is originally from California, my mother was always distressed by thunderstorms. She could handle any above-average earthquake. But lightning and thunder? Run for the basement, kids. She taught us how to count 1-1000, 2-1000, 3-1000 after claps of thunder to tell how far away the lightning was. And if there was a big storm coming, she made us stay away from the windows.?

It wasn’t until I was older that I learned the likelihood of being struck by lightning is 1 in 15,300. Not that likely. But still, there was something exciting about huddling together in the basement.

The lightning and storm ended up being an apt metaphor for our work that day. This organization had a brand-new leader, and after a tough 18 months, they were launching a strategic planning process. They were ready for something new.

I often ask clients, “What is the weather where you are right now?” Is it stormy? Balmy? Clear skies? Perhaps it’s like that moment in spring just after a rainfall when the air smells like fresh dirt and you know something is about to bloom.?

Or maybe it feels like a blizzard and you can’t see a darn thing.

Groups can reflect on the same question, "What is the weather on your team right now?" Using creative metaphors like this can help you look at where you are with a new lens.?

My son did a science experiment when he was 11 called “Lightning in a Pan.” It involved an aluminum pie plate, a wool sock, and Styrofoam. In a paper summarizing his experiment, he talked about how lightning comes from electrical charges bumping into one other. He concluded his essay by saying, “It’s through this lightning that balance comes back inside the cloud.”?

Ahh! So, electrical charges crashing into each other can be a good thing. Through that happening, we might be able to eventually find balance.

In the end, the board found some equilibrium too. At least for that day. By the end of the meeting, the skies had cleared, and they were filled with hope.

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Kellie Wardman, CPCC, ACC, is an executive/leadership coach and senior consultant with DBD Group, a team of dedicated professionals joined together to help non-profits realize your goals and unique vision. Kellie focuses on strategic planning, board development and governance, and individual and team coaching.?https://www.dbd.group/