In transformational leadership, challenges arise just the same as they do everywhere else. However, a transformational process begs a question that a “figuring it out” process doesn’t: What am I being asked to trust?
Conventional wisdom says that when a challenge arises, we must try to figure out how to get around it or past it. Furthermore, we push hard to try to get past the challenge as quickly as possible, not noticing that the challenge might actually have a gift for us. What if the challenge was actually there to bring us a message? What if the challenge was actually there to show us that we’re on the wrong path or we’re pushing too hard or we’re missing an important piece or… What if, when the challenge came up, we stopped and trusted that there was a reason that it was here? What if we treated the challenge as an important messenger or teacher? What if we trusted that the fact that the challenge even showed up at this particular time was important?
In essence, there is learning here about trusting a process. This takes us back to trusting that our goal itself can actually show us how to reach it if we will only listen. If we are in alignment with “what wants to happen” in a bigger picture, then the project itself is inspired by an “evolutionary intelligence” that is leading the way. Sometimes the challenge arises to show us that, in fact, this is not what wants to happen. If we can be open to that, letting go of our attachment to a particular outcome, and trusting that there is a greater potential trying to unfold, the whole process can start to flow again. And we can discern whether this project does, in fact, want to happen but in a different way, or if now is just not the time.
One of our first jobs in transformational leadership is to get in touch with what wants to happen in the bigger picture and align ourselves with that potential. Our next job is to listen to that potential and trust that it can show us the way–that it can actually communicate with us every step of the way. And then our job is to follow the energy–keep listening and taking the appropriate next steps.