Okay, so you don’t want ideas rooted in fear to drive you into hiding…. so how do you start to change that? Brené Brown (author, public speaker, and research professor at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work) proposes as a first step the following:
- You have to let go of who you think you should be, in order to be who you really are.
And if who you think you should be includes the person who has all the answers; who never makes mistakes; and who always knows what’s going on, that sounds like a painfully high bar to meet. Imagine what it would feel like to let go of at least some of that. Is there a different, bigger, even more fantastic version of you that would emerge if could do that?
I offer you the Challenger as one possible path forward.
The word “challenger” signifies one who is a formidable contender in a demanding competition. Challengers are often those who take a stand for something they believe in. They have a dream and a plan and they typically follow both rather boldly and resourcefully. Challengers are willing to work hard, look for the solutions, and take responsibility for their actions.
To do all of this with skill, the Challenger must be a supreme navigator. Navigating complex systems requires an emotionally healthy perspective, optimism, and most importantly, personal agency. Personal agency has to do with self-awareness, intentionality around your behavior, and a belief in your capacity to handle a wide range of tasks and situations. The CCO is geared toward increasing your capability to show up every bit the Challenger, every day.
As we move through the course, I’ll ask you to hold up this idea of the Challenger as a possible North Star for yourself. We will look at Challenger behaviors you can practice in a variety of typical workplace settings. As we do so, you’ll have the opportunity to build your understanding of what it means to be a Challenger and to design what that might look like on you.