Surrender to Your Humanity

The foundational value of innovation leadership and personal growth

In our SUCCESS model, the "S" stands for "Surrender to your humanity." There are realities about being a human being that, if we can accept them as such, each of us can improve. We can live up to our greater potential. But, if we cannot at least acknowledge that there is work to be done, we will stay stuck.

With humility, we are more likely to live up to our greater potential.

Each of the elements below has a link to a deeper dive, but this is our top-line thinking about "Surrender". And note this: Surrender, in this case, is not about "giving up and losing" - it's about what is spoken of in the serenity prayer. It's about seeking the wisdom that allows us to accept the things that cannot be changed, the courage to change the things that can be changed, and the wisdom to know the difference. This surrender is about no longer wasting energy in the useless battles, and shifting our personal resources in the directions where a win (and growth) is possible.

THE MOTTO: We're all human, and we all make "misteakes". That's just the way it is. It is the meat of life. Get used to it.

Gator Brain: You can either respond to people around you like an alligator (eat, attack, run, freeze), or you can react like a thinking, feeling, creative human being and upshift to a higher level of being. Choose wisely. More: A video describing "Gatorbrain."

The Myth of the Grown-up: Think you know everything? Think again. There are two types of people in the world: 1) People who are grow-ing up and 2) Stuck people. Which one are you interested in being? More: More: A deeper dive into the myth.

Humility vs. Arrogance: In group development, there are two approaches: 1) recognizing that an effective team needs to be constantly vigilant for non-productive behaviors and stop them immediately, and 2) an arrogant, cocky attitude that relies on past accomplishments as a way of making the team feel like they can accomplish anything?whether or not they're actually still able to. More: Humility, the foundational value of innovation leadership.

The Value of Playfulness: Life's short. Why make it unpleasant? Just because the work is important doesn't mean that you have to take yourself seriously. Lighten up. It's not just more enjoyable, it also yields greater levels of innovation. More: Playfulness and humor in the workplace.

Stages of Innovation Team Development: All groups go through these stages if they are to become effective Innovation Teams:

• Pseudoteam: If they look like a team, they must be a team, right? Nope.
• Blamestorming: Not my problem. I didn't mess up. It's someone else's fault. Poor me!
• Response-ability: If we're going to do something, I have to take responsibility for making it happen.
• Inter-Depend-Dance: I can focus on doing my thing because I trust you to do your thing.
• Innovation Team: A high-performance team with skills for making innovation happen!

Pull these things together in your organizational culture, and you are well on your way to greater success.

This thinking is excerpted from a book Jonathan Vehar and I wrote. "More Lightning, Less Thunder: How to Energize Innovative Teams" which I've expanded upon here via the links to additional videos and writing. Enjoy!