Get past yourself and climb a rock
How often do we hear of the five steps to an effective leader? Or how to be a leader for the decade? And on and on… Well those hints are good and at times relevant, but through my outdoor experience of rock climbing I learned more in an afternoon about myself and others than I did in many years. I must admit I was not thrilled to be away from home and in a cabin roughing it for a few days, but after all I am in Colorado! This experience proved to be nothing like I had imagined. The very act of doing something that was totally different for me as well as needing to trust people that I did not know was very rewarding.
We were challenged to stretch our minds, resources and perspective and having an opportunity to rock climb did just that. I would have never believed that I would be on a mountain side, scaling up and down, but that is what happened and I learned a little bit more about myself. I learned that when you have people around you that know what they are doing and you can trust them, you can step out of your comfort zone and try new things. I also learned that pushing through your fear is easier when you let go and stay focused on your goal. I learned that when you have the proper tools, resources and experienced support you can achieve your end goal. Bottom line––I had to let go of my fear, think outside of the box and completely stop worrying about failing. This is when I could see the beauty in the experience and the scenery, and I mean this literally.
We all have so much to learn in being an effective, strong and determined leader, but I also know that we have all we need within ourselves to be such a leader. Find your hidden ability and talent by climbing an obstacle and changing your entire perspective on life and yourself.
Learn more about Andrea Mosby at campuspeak.com/mosby.