A few years ago I heard the statement that if we are to grow, we must learn, relearn, and unlearn. Learn, I know. Relearn? As a leader, could there be a lesson you learned, but you have to learn it again? Yes. I thought of several examples. But unlearn? I had trouble with that one. If I learned something, I applied it, and I worked, why would I have to unlearn it? I can see myself unlearning bad habits, but I don’t think that’s what this is teaching.
I can have this thing I need to “learn” on my mental shelf, often referencing it, and still not be able to crack what it fully meant.
Until I learned this lesson: Raising a lid usually involves upending a current staunchly held belief, or practice.
This principle came out of a discussion I had with a close associate of mine.
A lid is a certain level of effectiveness each of us has in different areas of our lives. If you raise your lid in leadership, you would be more effective.
Do you have to upend a deeply held belief to be more effective? No, not all the time. But the times when there is a high slope of improvement, one that immediately takes you 10 steps higher, often there is a set of principles that are deeply held, that need to be changed, or that have to be acquired.
I did not like the sound of this. What I deeply hold onto, I have chiseled to be perfect over years and decades. You are asking me to examine those?
Yes.
Let me give you an example from my life. Since my professional journey started, I focused on training and growing leaders, and that as a leader I must do that. This belief is as deep to my core as my heart is attached to my body. While training leaders gave me high returns, now it was holding me back. Why? Because training leaders requires a lot of time. Where I needed to be now was to make sure leaders are trained and growing, but I do not need to be the one who is the guardian of that.
I used to say that on my epitaph you would read: He honored God. He trained leaders. Now I think it should read, He honored God. He made sure leaders were trained.
Don’t worry, I am not going anywhere. I feel this is the next level for me in the organization I lead. I still feel a calling, now more than ever, to speak into the life of Christian leaders in general, but not less in developing specific organizations I lead or own.
What is it for you? What are some deeply held beliefs you need to upend? Let me know in the comments.
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Devotional:
“As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.” By your favor, O Lord, you made my mountain stand strong; you hid your face; I was dismayed.”
As a leader, sometimes, some seasons, some days, I feel strong. My people may be out-performing my expectations. Our profit margins may be high, our customers are raving and our KPI’s maybe are skyrocketing.
As a husband and family man, I see my wife happy, my kids healthy. I am going to the gym daily, and my health is good. Even my weight is close to target. Life is good.
Prosperity.
This is what King David is talking about here so wisely. He recognizes that finally, things are ok feeling. That, I’m in a good place feeling. That all the hard work is paying off. Even the Lord is good to me. But wait.
All of what you see is good in your life, all of it, every single thing, is from the goodness of God. The Psalmist said, “You made my mountain stand strong.”. Thank the Lord, submit to the Lord. Give everything to the Lord.
Because if the Lord wills, I will be dismayed. And He may will that. The Lord’s work in our lives is to sanctify us, make us like the Son, and use us for His glory. We need to be ready, and put everything by his feet.
Lord, I thank You for all that I have. Like David said, You made my mountain stand strong. No matter if I am in prosperity or not, I will thank You!
How can I support you more as a Christian leader and entrepreneur?
