I was in denial. I told my husband, “I’m not a leader.”
“Yes you are,” he countered. “Whether you want to be or not, you are a leader.”
In retrospect, it was ridiculous for me to deny it. I had been leading all kinds of things for almost 20 years. Whenever there was a lack of leadership, it tooka good amount of self-restraint to keep myself from stepping in and taking over.
Despite all the personal growth I’d done over the years, I still had some crazy and powerful beliefs that were really holding me back. My thoughts, which I wasn’t even aware of, went something like this:
- Leaders aren’t supposed to make mistakes.
- If I’m a leader, people will be watching me.
- Surely I’ll make a mistake eventually.
- If people see me make a mistake, they will think I’m incompetent.
No kidding, it just went downhill from there. Fortunately, when I discovered these not-so-conscious beliefs I was able to swap them out for ones that served me better:
- Of course leaders make mistakes; they’re human.
- I will make plenty of mistakes in my life.
- People will still like me if I make a mistake.
- Yes, I really am a leader.
And, most recently,
- People like me for who I am, not because I appear to be competent.
- In fact, people respond better to the authentic me than they do to the “perfect” Rena.
- It’s easier and more fun to show up as I really am anyway.
My struggles and growth in this area may seem strange to you. Maybe you can’t relate to the specifics. That’s OK. We all have our own issues. Still, I encourage you to consider that you may have some unconscious beliefs of your own that are holding you back. If you are ready to uncover those invisible chains, I recommend Klemmer & Associates’ leadership training and character development. Consider going to a K&A workshop. It could be pivotal in your life. It certainly was for me and for John.
If you live in the Sacramento area, you can get a taste of the power of K&A at their Champion’s Workshop on Tuesday, October 22. It’s a preview of their Personal Mastery Workshop to be held November 15-17.
I have been super-blessed by K&A’s work and because of K&A I will be a blessing to many more people than I would have otherwise. Therefore,I am happy to spread the word about their workshops. That way, you might be able to bless a whole lot more people throughout your lifetime, too.
