Lessons From A Bird
The other day I was driving in my car, in silence. It was a forced silence. In a world that constantly bombards us with content and demand, we have lost the ability to sit in silence. So I made myself do it, and as I sat there, I was uncomfortable. I wanted to make a call, listen to the music, anything to give my mind some input. But I forced myself and sat there in silence. At that moment, the traffic slowed to a standstill. I just sat there, in the silence, looking at the water and then up to the sky.
Flying about half a mile from my car was a bird, with no effort, just gliding. Curious to see how long he could glide before he would have to start flapping his wings, I sat and watched. I must have watched for at least 5 minutes. He never moved a muscle - he just glided through the air.
I decided to glance around, and I noticed that the trees were having a different kind of day, unlike the bird. The trees lower to the ground were rustling gently, and one big palm tree was nearly bending as the wind licked its leaves.
As I sat there in the silence and took it all in, a few life and leadership lessons settled on my mind:
- Silence is not easy. If we are to find it, we have to work at it by resisting our phones, tribes, and even thoughts. Resistance is required to find silence.
- Sometimes our best move is to do nothing and allow the winds to carry us vs. fighting against it.
- When you are a leader, the winds of change will impact you differently from those you lead.
Life has a way of overwhelming us and handing us the unexpected. However, sometimes, the best lessons are in the silence.
Meet The Author
Leah Dean is a coach, speaker, author, and former HR executive who has worked with leaders across the globe to build high-performing teams, aka tribes, for over twenty years. Today, Leah works with women from all walks of life but is most passionate about helping women leaders show up with confidence and deliver exceptional business results. Leah lives in Bermuda with her husband and two children. To learn more about Leah's work, her best-selling book Assemble the Tribe, or join The Tribe Advantage Leadership Program, visit www.leahjmdean.com.
