Ever been mad at a stick? No? Then you've never played a fool's role in the helium stick exercise. Let me explain. As the linked site indicates, it's a deceptively simple team-building exercise. Within a group, you're instructed to form two facing lines, outstretch two fingers of each hand, lay a stick across everyone's fingers and lower the stick to the ground - without anyone's fingers losing contact with the stick.
But guess what? The damn stick floats. It doesn't go down. It keeps inching its way higher and higher until everyone is frustrated and pointing fingers and demanding to know Who's Raising The Stick? I'm Not Raising The Stick. Are You Raising the Stick? WHY ISN'T THE DAMN STICK GOING DOWN?
As usually occurs in these types of scenarios, a few people take charge. They refuse to give up. They try different strategies. They bark orders. They do not succeed but keep at it anyway. Meanwhile, other team members are still pointing fingers, rolling eyes and swearing at the stick.
Me? And this is truly reflective of my attitude in difficult work situations. I shut up, shut down and start fuming to myself. Regardless of any possible solutions that might come to mind, I don't share them with the group. I don't contribute to the vision or the destruction of the team but I keep my angry fingers on the stick and continue to do my worker-bee job while otherwise divorcing myself from the chaos. I pessimistically assume we'll never actually lower the stick but keep my fingers outstretched anyway long after my arms become achy and tired. Because hey, who cares if the stick ever hits the ground? I'm just doing what they pay me to do. It's not my fault if the stick floats.
This is not the attitude of a leader.
And that's one of the many things I learned about myself recently. If I want to be a leader, I need to change my attitude. I need to make the decision to lead and accept the risks that come along with the role of leader. I need to stop waiting for executives and marketing experts to provide a vision. I need to create my own vision, communicate that vision to others and encourage them to work towards that envisioned goal with me.
Now I sound like Dr. Phil, right? Or some other candy-coated, self-help guru. Or maybe not? Maybe that's another lesson I need to learn: to stop worrying about how I sound and accept the fact that sometimes a leader has to play the rah-rah, go-team, can-do role. It doesn't mean I can't do it without creativity and originality and depth. I can still lead as my quirky, pithy self. But I do have to lead. And I'll probably be happier for it, especially if I can help solve some of the problems that I've been waiting six, seven, eight years for other people to solve.
So I'm cracking the stick. Er, I mean, chanting the chant. Or, sticking it to them. Sparing the rod? Raising the bar? Whatever. I'm off to lead ...
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