Taylor Clarke is delighted to be partnering with Scherer Leadership Center and Limen
Associates to run a Leadership Development Intensive online programme in March.
The LDI is designed around Dr. John Scherer’s 5 powerful and transformative questions (see his book, Facing the Tiger written with Dorota Nawalaniec):
1. What CONFRONTS you?
2. What are you BRINGING?
3. What’s RUNNING you?
4. What CALLS you?
5. What will UNLEASH you?
These 5 questions – when engaged with in depth - help to generate new and deeper insights into who you are as a leader, creating greater possibilities for action that result in surprising outcomes. In this blog, I address Q1 – what CONFRONTS you?
Increasingly, we are looking for leadership at all levels in our communities, organisations and wider society to help us navigate the uncertainties we face – including, of course, the pandemic. But what kind of leadership is called for? What kind of leadership is needed NOW? I believe that, more than ever, the PERSON in the POSITION of leadership matters. Who we are, and how we lead, is central to establishing and maintaining the trust needed to bring people together to find new and lasting solutions for the world we live in. These 5 questions take you on a journey to discover the depths of your authentic leadership and it all starts with Q1.
Q1 invites you to identify what situation(s) CONFRONT you in your life and/work that up till now you’ve been avoiding?
For example, perhaps you’ve been avoiding:
A difficult, but important, conversation with a colleague for fear of conflict?
Making/taking crucial decisions because you can’t be sure it’s the right decision?
Speaking up, or saying what you really think because you’re concerned it’s too much for people to hear?
Dr John Scherer refers to these situations as ‘tigers’, namely, issues or situations we would prefer to avoid at all costs, primarily because we can’t conceive of them ending well. In Facing the Tiger, he invites you to consider what you would do if you met a tiger in the jungle? What would your instinct be? To turn and run, of course – and that most certainly would not end well! Apparently if you turn and face the tiger, then the tiger will pause to consider its response, at least for a nano second. The outcome may well, of course, be the same … but at least you have created the possibility of a different outcome! John says, ‘if you’re not facing your tiger, the chances are it’s already eating you’! By learning how to confront the ‘tigers’ in your life/work, YOU create possibilities for different outcomes for yourself, and for others. What tigers are you facing in your life/your work right now? How would you name them?
What’s next?
We will be hosting our free ‘Let’s Talk’ session on What CONFRONTS you? on Wednesday 10th February (12.30-13.30). If you’d like to join and meet other like-minded leaders you can book your place here
Pauline Holland is the founder of Limen Associates, and an Associate Consultant with both Taylor Clarke and the SCHERER Leadership Centre (Worldwide). She specialises in helping leaders, teams and organisations navigate conflict, change and transitions.
Get in touch at jade@taylorclarke.co.uk if you’d like her to arrange a chat with one of our consulting team about these 5 questions or find out more about the LDI.