What’s in the way, is the way!

As a leader you will face many interesting and unique challenges, and each will stir up their own interesting and unique feelings and emotions within you. It’s the tricky conversation with a colleague that doesn’t go the way you thought it would and plays over in your mind and knocks your confidence, or the feedback from a colleague that hits you where it hurts.

Some years ago, I had a mentor who helped me reframe these daily challenges by reminding me, “What’s in the way, is the way”. In other words, whatever challenge you’re faced with is meant for you, and you’re being asked to face it and work through it, because freedom, peace, and growth, are waiting for you on the other side.

Life has its way of bringing you challenges that are uniquely designed for you; challenges that stir up thoughts, feelings, and emotions that you would much prefer stay buried. These obstacles act as triggers to prompt further growth, and whilst we can avoid and ignore them for a while, life will just send you more of the same!

Being an inspirational leader is about being bold and brave enough to put yourself under the magnifying glass and be shown your blind spots, being consistently uncomfortable, and growing personally and professionally.

Managing yourself and your emotions is a key part of being a leader, but let’s not forget that we’re humans too and it would be very strange if we didn’t feel anything at all! Uncomfortable feelings and emotions are signposts to uplevelling your leadership. Your leadership will grow as quickly as you do!

Think about situations or challenges you have faced recently that left you feeling frustrated, angry, lost, or confused, and ask yourself:

“What am I being guided to see here?”

“How has this happened FOR me, not TO me?”

“How can I grow from this?”

Book recommendation: “The Obstacle is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph”.