“The more I see, the less I know for sure.”~John Lennon
My daughter watched Paul McCartney sing Hey Jude in the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. “It was the best version I ever heard!” she exclaimed. “How could it not be,” I thought. “It was one of our greatest song writers, singing a beautiful song, live.”
A beautiful song, like many Beatles songs, that offers us words to live by. As does John Lennon’s lyrics “The more I see, the less I know for sure.”
One of the tenets of Thoughtful Leadership™ is the ability to have an open mind. To be aware of what you don’t know. To be willing and eager to see and learn more. John Lennon’s lyrics capture this, and remind us to let go of what we know so we can be open to knowing something new.
A client recently started a new job. She jumped into the position, eager to show her new colleagues all that she knew and how much value she could bring to them and the company. But she was so busy knowing what she knew and doing her best to broadcast her certainty to others, at first she missed picking up on warning signs that something was amiss on her team. Within the first few months, her direct reports fell behind on their commitments and morale on her team began to drop. Luckily my client caught the situation before it became too disastrous, and she opened her eyes and her mind to what was happening with her team and in the company. When I asked her what she had done, how she had opened her mind, she shared three simple steps with me. “I took some time to slow down and clear my mind,” she shared. “Then I did my best to ask as many questions as I could…and I listened to others’ points of view and perspectives. This allowed me allowed me to see what was going on.”
She was able to see, to forget what she had “known,” and to move forward. She reminded me to be aware of what I see, and to let go of what I know.
Where is what you “know” getting in your way? How can you open yourself up? Slow down and clear your mind. See what happens.
When have you had to forget what you “know” in order to see what was really going on? How have you done it?
Please leave a comment to share.
If you enjoyed this post, you can read more like it in our book, The Power of Thoughtful Leadership: 101 Minutes To Being the Leader You Want To Be, available on Amazon.
For help in letting go of what you know, contact, contact Robyn at rmcleod@chatsworthconsulting.com.
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