Are you a boiling frog?
Suppose you dropped a frog into boiling water, what do you think would happen? It would instinctively jump out. But if you drop the frog into cold water and gradually increase the temperature, the frog won’t notice that it's getting hotter and will continue to sit comfortably. It will continue to sit even when the water boils.
Many of us today are like frogs. We get settled into a routine or we get smaller habits to become larger ones, and we lose the interest of our work and impact.
Take for instance John Lauer, who was the former President of BF Goodrich (now acquired by tire maker Michelin). He was a leader who demonstrated the democratic and visionary styles, listening intently to his employees’ ideas and concerns. He was able to successfully motivate the team towards the vision they idolized. Six years later after becoming president, he gave a speech to a class of executive MBA students. But it was apparent that his charisma and energy had died. All of the business and management issues he was discussing about sounded like a routine and were a bit dull.
Like a slowly boiling frog, Lauer had adjusted to disappointment, frustration, and boredom. He lost the excitement of his work, and no later than a few months after his presentation, he left the company. After two years, he went on to take a leadership development seminar to pursue a doctorate. He did not want anything to do with running companies, but the doctorate was a door into a new life. During that seminar, Lauer wrestled with his values, philosophies, and aspirations. After some hardcore self-knowledge, he realized his capabilities in leadership and was open to taking a CEO job again.
Lauer had rediscovered his vision of life. He confronted the difficulties he faced at BF Goodrich and understood his strengths and weaknesses. From there, he was able to reconnect with the enthusiasm of being a leader; and that led him on track to accomplish fulfillment once again.
Possibly you feel the same about your work. You may be slowly losing the interest of your career, work, or purpose. It’s important to revisit yourself as a third-person and understand what your strengths and aspirations are.
Note: All knowledge and ideas are attained from the book"Primal Leadership: Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence". This blog summarizes the content from the book, but may unintentionally contain the same wording.
Nice very good piece