Momentum & The Lion Quest

Why not, a combination of my last 2 posts? 

Not quite done yet, i’ve been hanging out with Leo this week while i continue exploring QUESTions…

How do you muster the courage to change direction in the middle of a lot of momentum?

Whether an individual, a small company, a big organization or even interlocking systems with teams of leaders…

When something is off, not adding up; maybe you have that sinking feeling that something is wrong, like a parent’s intuition. What does it take to pause and re-evaluate, to break and course correct?

Do you?

Can you cut your losses?

Interrupt the train?

As a leader (we are all leaders within larger systems even if we do not have a leadership position. We have at least ourselves to lead).

How can you be sure? What are the trade offs? Is it worth stopping?

Or, is it easier to stay in denial until you crash with that rushed to market system, that missed detecting the failed bridge ahead.

What’s the loss after the mistake that could have been averted?

Obviously for each situation from individual to systemic, there are different considerations, levels of momentum and force or weight behind the momentum influencing decisions.

On one hand, i can advocate taking risks, going for the gusto! Not playing it safe… On another, playing it safe might be the riskier route. (Ha ha! i do love a paradox!)

There isn’t a perfect answer and how we know, what we know and who it impacts has baring…

Maybe we could ask ourselves more often: How do we know what we know and would it be wise to listen to another perspective before the train can’t be stopped?

Do you know yourself well enough to understand what’s really influencing your decisions?

What kind of leader are you?

Assessing to the best of your ability, evaluating a diversity of expert information for making your best assessment? Or are you  worried you might be shunned if you disagree with the train that has a lot of momentum and frankly a lot to lose if you’re wrong and even if you’re right until its obvious, if it ever is?

Are you really leading or following? Conformity is powerful, belonging (oxytocin) we’ve all been deprived of for 1.5 yrs is a powerful drug?

Can you ask, am i on the right path? Is the road ahead still making sense?

Do you have the courage to pause and re-evaluate?

To say: “Hey, we may have a problem here” and maybe we should take a deeper look, dip into that pool of knowledge and reorient with new information. Can we widen our aperture, consider other perspectives?

One of my favorite quotes,

“The assumption that what currently exists must necessarily exist is the acid that corrodes all visionary thinking.” – Murray Bookchin

Can we take a risk to sit with a bit of knot knowing (yes that might mean a knot in our gut of uncertainty) to be sure we are on the right path?  Can we consult a diversity of knowledgeable information about the matter at hand or do we take an easy way out and leave it to the experts and then get to blame them when the train crashes.

Can we take the risk to not shut out, new possibilities?

i hope we can all find the courage of lions and a little less of the pride that can blind us to important truths that might be right in front of us.