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During this past holiday weekend I attended a wedding of one of my closest friend’s children. It is remarkable to watch children grow into adulthood and start lives with their future partners. Both the bride and groom are gentle souls navigating a very competitive world around them. In the ceremony, the clergy marrying them shared her thoughts about how each brings a genuine perspective to whatever they tackle, but sometimes that may not be enough. She explained:

“Sometimes we need to step outside of our comfort zone to achieve our goals. When you do take those steps, don’t lose your gentleness.”

[Tweet “Leadership involves stepping out of our comfort zone without losing our authentic self.”]

What does it mean to step outside of our comfort zone without losing our gentleness? Is this really good leadership practice?

There are many different leadership styles that seem to work successfully for most of us. So how can a leader with a gentle soul make their mark and lead while being true to themselves?

STEP ONE- Understand who you are

It may seem simple enough, but knowing who we are and what feels comfortable  when connecting with others, isn’t so clear for some of us. When we can see our “real self” in the mirror, we can begin the process of inching out of the circle of comfort. Part of this discovery process involves recognizing our personality style and what that may look like to the outside world.

STEP TWO- Think about who want to be

We all need to decide what is important to us when we lead and how we want to come across. Although we can’t change our personalities (love who you are), we can definitely modify our behaviors.

  • Are we effective communicators or do we need to be clearer and more assertive?
  • Are we getting our needs met or feeling like we are always the one to compromise?
  • Do we surround ourselves with people who are supportive of us while still sharing their talents and strengths?
  • Do we have the courage to dream beyond our current environment?

STEP THREE- Be willing to see risk differently

Change and trying something new feels exciting for some of us and scary for others. If we typically stay within the bulls-eye of our comfort zone, we can’t grow or even test the waters. When we don’t have the confidence to confront the unknown, we don’t give ourselves the opportunity to discover new abilities or joys.

[Tweet “Risk is opening our minds to a new perspective.”]

The flip side of not taking risk is never trying out our hidden passions and gifts. We may “hit upon” a new concept, a fascinating person or even a dream we didn’t know could be a reality, if we shift our minds to confronting the bear in the forest.

Getting back to our newly wed gentle souls- they can step outside of their comfort zones while still remaining authentic. They can commit to trying new things without feeling like they are changing who they are. And if their first step out of their comfort zone doesn’t pan out-SO WHAT!

How have you stepped beyond your comfort zone without losing your authentic self?

 

 

 

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