Feel the S-T-R-E-T-C-H!!!

So, while yesterday there was a sense of stuckness and restlessness for me, today is all about movement and stretch.  Woke up with the inspiration to “just do it” already — complete some follow-ups, take some risks, step boldly as it were.  It’s all great.  Had a concrete goal as well, to put some finishing touches on a workshop — which I did.  And what I’ve been noticing is that, moving out of the restless place, while it absolutely required me to “notice, allow and shift” as I suggested yesterday, it also requires me to stretch.

Now here’s the interesting thing that I’m learning about stretch:  I can stretch to different degrees.  Sometimes, it’s just a wee bit of a stretch.  At other times, it’s a real, effort-filled, dear-Lord-can-I-really-pull-myself-that-far sort of stretch.  And both serve.  Both have me move beyond whatever self-imposed limits I’ve created, and both stretches have me create space for what I couldn’t necessarily have anticipated showing up.

In a leadership context, this feels really important for me to remember.  As a leader, I need to constantly be aware of how I might stretch, what I might stretch into, what I might create.  Red flags for me are when I hear myself imposing limits — or even notice myself acknowledging limits.  Those limit-noticing moments are also opportunities for me to ask, “what’s the stretch here?”

As anyone who’s ever done any physical activity of any sort knows, stretching is a good thing.  It limbers you up, gets you ready, and allows you to do what would otherwise have been beyond you.  The same principle applies in the leadership game.  If you’re really going to bring your leadership vision to life, you’ve got to stretch.   A little stretch here, a big stretch there, whatever sort of stretch — just stretch.  M-O-V-E yourself into those spaces that seem like they’re off limits; challenge yourself, even just a little bit.  When it comes right down to it, at the end of the day, those little stretches all add up to one big leadership expansion.  And as a leader, that’s exactly what I’m going for.