We need to reclaim our growth and ownership of it
I've seen many amazing and smart people in their careers ask, "what do I need to do to get to the next level?" In some ways, I'd argue that is the wrong question to ask.
Hi all,
I've seen many amazing and smart people in their careers ask, "what do I need to do to get to the next level?" In some ways, I'd argue that is the wrong question to ask.
To explain, let's go back to our education system. How often have you heard our children ask, "will this be on the test?"
That question in itself is alarming. The education system has conditioned our children as such that what they want to know is what they need to remember to pass the “test.” That doesn't develop our children to be curious about learning.
Can you see a relationship between the education system and the original question, "what do I need to do to get to the next level?"
We have created a culture where getting to the top is the primary goal. To get there, people want to know which "test" they need to pass or which certificates they need to hold to get there.
They want to know because they are afraid of doing it wrong or want to get there as quickly as possible. It stems from the school system where it's all about following the process, checking the boxes and doing what you are told. In the end, when you pass the test, you know you are on the right track.
A better question might be, "what can I learn and do that will inherently challenge me and help me grow?
This question might be scary because you don't know if you're on the "right" track, and that's okay. We need to reclaim our growth and take ownership of it.
Suppose you ask any great leaders or contributors if they ever asked what was expected of them? I believe the majority will most likely tell you that they used their curiosity to guide themselves, and they dove in, learned and ended up adding an immense amount of value to their organization. And that is how they got to the next level.
We need to rediscover the curiosity we had as children before going through the education system. Curiosity can help us become better critical thinkers. We need to make learning and growing part of our culture for our sake and the sake of our children.
A few favourites this week
1. The wasteful fraud of sorting for youth meritocracy: Stop Stealing Dreams: An article from Seth Godin, which introduces his 30,000 words essay called Stop Stealing Dreams. This article in question is short but gives you a good idea of the problem he's seeing.
2. STOP STEALING DREAMS: Seth Godin at TEDxYouth@BFS: Seth's Stop Stealing Dreams TED Talk. It's a little easier to consume than his 30,000 words essay, and it's great.
Quote of the week
It is not change that causes anxiety; it is the feeling that we are without defenses in the presence of what we see as danger that causes anxiety.
From Robert Kegan, Lisa Laskow Lahey in Immunity to Change
If you've enjoyed reading these as much as I've enjoyed writing them, consider sharing it with your friends and family. I would greatly appreciate it
Have a great Sunday and a wonderful week.
Miguel,
Sparknotion – Think Differently.