Leadership lessons from a caterpillar

This is a true story:

When I was ten years old I found a caterpillar. I was mesmerised by its size. It must have been at least 12cm. I took it home, along with a handful of leaves from the nearby shrub I thought it was feeding from. I placed it in an old shoe box, on the blanket of lush leaves. 

Everyday I checked in on my new friend, and played with him awhile. However, I became increasingly concerned as he appeared to be shrinking. How could this be? My mum, who shared my deep love of nature, reassuringly explained that it was transforming into a cocoon, and one day a spectacular butterfly or moth would emerge. Sure enough, it continued to shrink, and its exterior began to harden, until one day my friend no longer moved.

The weeks passed. And the weeks turned into months. Yet… nothing! I had convinced myself that something was wrong. Maybe he was dead. Or maybe he just needed a little help to escape from his cocoon. I lasted another week, before my impatience got the better of me. With my little pocket knife I gently teased open the delicate encasement. Alas, to my immense relief, I could see some movement through the newly bored hole. Phew! 

The next morning I ran outside, looking forward to seeing this sensational creature, transformed, in all his glory. Of course, I was heartbroken to discover the lifeless body lying in the remains of his cocoon. I had killed him. 

This was a powerful lesson in leadership for little Matthew. At the time, my mother’s attempts to console were futile, but her words would stay with me forever, as she explained that my little friend needed to experience the struggle of breaking open the cocoon, in order to strengthen his wings. 

The pandemic has provided such extraordinary adversity and challenge for most of us, and continues to do so. An unexpected period in time for self-reflection and discovery. A precious moment in our lives to reappraise who we really are, and what we stand for, as authentic people… as authentic leaders. 

If you are especially ambitious, and interested in professional transformation, I would love to hear from you. I am specialised in helping highly driven, ethically minded business leaders and entrepreneurs resolve stubborn self-limiting beliefs, so they can significantly heighten impact, freedom and opportunity for themselves and their people. I am currently offering 1:1 (VIP) mentoring programs and weekly mastermind coaching programs.

Dr. Matt

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