Luke and I headed to Old Rag, a mountain in the Virginia Blue Ridge, on a cold and windy, but sunny February day. I had heard that this was a great 10 mile hike, but also that there was rock scrambling at the top which is what Luke and I live for. We started out on the incredibly steep frozen mud trail with footprints of those that made the climb on warm days before us. Luke and I haven’t gotten out to hike up mountains in a while so we were a bit out of shape, but we still pushed through this tough part knowing what was up ahead…the scramble. After a couple short stops for water and a breather, we made it up the steep 3 mile, 1700 foot incline to the first section of the rock scramble. You can see it in the picture behind the title of this blog.
What an incredible time with my son, but the whole way I was thinking that this initial incline was like the culture my team and I had been working in; a culture that had been around for decades and only had one way of conducting business similar to those frozen footprints in the mud. I went in with a positive attitude that I could influence this inflexible environment that I was in, but after six months I was still battling against it. I felt like it wanted to suck me in; to conform me to it. I witnessed people from outside begin to get sucked in as soon as they interacted with it. I was discouraged by that and thus the reason I am writing my feelings about it in my blog.
To be totally honest somedays I feel beat down, but as I am reflecting today, it encourages me to stay focused on what is out ahead of me; the ability to have a positive influence on one or two leaders by making them aware of the challenges of that culture, to overcome the sucking pull to conform to it and to look to influence others in a positive way during their time there. It is the positive place in the future that, as leaders, we have to stay focused on; it’s the rock scramble on my hike as I push through the initial challenging climb.
What do you do when you and your team are working in an unhealthy culture that has been around for decades where there is very little trust? How do you keep your team motivated through all the finger pointing? How do you stay positive when every time you try to improve the processes the culture says, “No we like the way that we are doing it!” and then moves you to a position that doesn’t allow you to have that influence anymore? How do you stay positive when every suggestion that you provide is debated and then disregarded?
These are real life challenges that I have had to face recently as an individual and a team leader. It was tough to stay positive. It was straining to have one-on-one and team discussions where I, as their leader, had to try to pull them out of a tailspin of negativity about everything we were trying to do; to keep them focused on the goal and vision of our mission. I felt drained after those discussions, but that was my job. I realized after a while that this was the most important part of my job because it will have the biggest impact on the overall project and that it should be work.
Ok…now I have reflected on it and see it for its positive worth…now it is a challenge and I am always up for a challenge.
Did you just hear and feel the “click”? My perspective just changed. I know you may be in a place that feels like there is no way out. That you are stuck in a place that you don’t want to be. My challenge to you is to reflect on it, stay focused on the purpose of your work and take on the challenge with a positive focus. This will allow you to not only be successful, but will allow you to be an example to those around you; to be a true leader.
