Waiting and Hoping

As I logged into a recent Zoom call with one of my clients, I wondered how he would be feeling. A few days earlier I had shared the results of a leadership assessment. The themes were clear. He had grown “comfortable” in his role. He was described as a solid performer, a reliable partner, and a good man. With those wonderful qualities, one of his stakeholders noted “he will have that job until he decides to retire.” The problem is — my client wants more. He dreams of a bigger job, a fancier title and the kind of recognition that comes with that. When he learned that others described him as comfortable, he was discouraged. He felt stuck.

There is nothing wrong with being comfortable. There is an ease, a warmth and a sense of contentment that can come with feeling comfortable. Think about your favorite comfortable shoes or being curled up on a comfortable sofa with a good book. Especially during this time of uncertainty, the notion of being comfortable is very appealing. But being too comfortable can quickly become complacency.

When my client appeared on the Zoom call, something was different. Upon reflection, he had, what we in coaching like to call, an “Aha moment”. He said, “I’ve been waiting and hoping for something to happen and I have to stop waiting and hoping and actually do something.” And that set the course for our future coaching sessions.

Most people do not like change. The idea of doing something differently can be scary, overwhelming, and yes, uncomfortable. My client knew that to reach his goals, he would need to make some changes and push himself out of his comfort zone.

A few years back, I worked with a CEO who made it his mission to do something uncomfortable on a regular basis. Every year he would find an activity or project that was out of his comfort zone. He was not satisfied just completing that activity or project — he would work to master it. He believed this is how we grow as leaders: continually learning, growing, and changing.

With change comes transformation. And when we begin to imagine our lives from that place, there is possibility.

So, what are you “waiting and hoping” for? I’d love to hear from you and help you start that conversation.