New building blocks – Establishing a higher ground

- “NO WAY!!??I’m NOT?letting go of this pole!?I’m going back!”

- “No hands??You must be joking!?There’s no way I am letting go and walking across THAT!”

- “Trust the rope….?? Yeah right!?Whatever…!!”

Sound familiar??Well, unless you’ve been ‘monkeying around’ at 10 meters, walking from platform to platform, suspended by 16mm (life-saving) ropes…probably not!?What might sound more familiar, however, is…:

- “I’m not working with…”

- “But they are so…”

- “We’ve never done it like that before…!”

- “You want me to do what…?!?!

- “I can’t do that…?”

?In an ever shrinking and increasingly polarized world, as leaders we have a mandate to unite people from all walks of life – in effect, establishing a new team or corporate culture.? Identifying which part(s) of people’s previous (personal and/or corporate) culture is a blessing, and which part(s) would be better left behind (prejudice, woundedness, resentment, etc.) is crucial to ensuring a healthy foundation to our new culture.?

Tangibly creating this new culture can be fun, interesting, and sometimes very challenging.?There are two things that will exponentially aid in this ‘new culture’ building process.?The first, is simply walking the journey together with our most valued assets, our team.?The second, is identifying a new common higher ground with which to replace the ‘old’.?

It’s simply not enough to just lay aside the things that may weigh us down.?Once left behind, they leave a void.?If we are to effectively establish our new culture – we must collectively identify a ‘higher ground’ worth keeping! ?New building materials, beliefs, and behavior patterns that fill the void.

The value of this ‘new’ must be greater than the value of the ‘old’ I’m being asked to release.?And this can be a matter of perspective.?Standing on a platform, 10 meters in the air, legitimately (and metaphorically) helps alter my perspective.?My brain is telling my body – no way!?Fear (the ‘old’) is gaining control.?I want to get down, and quite frankly feel l have a right to go back.?Yet there is a reality that I am being asked to face.?

I am being asked to consider that this 16mm rope will in fact hold me.?And to consider that there is a common law or higher authority that in fact overrides my fear and replaces the ‘old’ culture that I have chosen to leave behind!?I am being asked to clear the deck of possible preconceived ideas, prejudice, or fears based on past experiences, and simply trust!?Doing this, alone, can be tough at best, and petrifying at worst!

A few years back we had a top 100 Chinese CEO with for a training event.?In debriefing that evening, he recalled the 10m high bridge he had to traverse with his wife – with only each other as ‘hand support. Having first crossed it alone, and then come back for her, he commented on how much more stable it was with two on the bridge.?His connection to his daily leadership reality was; ?…if as leaders we would invest in our managers and walk with them through the initial tough scenarios, (as I did with my wife) it’d be a lasting investment. Their environment would be more stable.?Together, we would choose what to leave behind.?Together, we would identify the trustworthy higher law, ensuring friendship and trust.?Their ‘performance fear’ would diminish or even cease.?Though it will take my time, the end relationship and result is a win – win for everyone!

No doubt, leaving the perceived safety of the ‘old’ is hard to do! ?However, he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. (Jim Elliot)?As leaders, we can identify the new higher ground together with our people.?Then we can step out together, embracing the new journey with great expectation.

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