I’m going to have to pray on that
I encourage my clients to stand for something.
I'm a stand for being boldly authentic and fiercely you.
What are you a stand for?
A clue to what you stand for can be found in the things that frustrate or trigger you.
One of my frustrations is when people use their faith or prayer as an excuse to stand still and stay safe.
I grew up in the church, and my Dad was an ordained minister. I'm not saying church, faith, or prayer are bad things.
What I am saying is to be aware. If you pay attention, you can avoid falling into the trap of stillness and safety. Again, these are not bad things, but overuse is dangerous.
This morning, I received permission from a client to share something I coached her on. We will call her Tarini.
Tarini is on a mission to eliminate generational curses for black people. She wants to impact 1 million lives positively.
She was very clear and solid when declaring this to me. I told her what was coming up for me - Launch a not-for-profit organization.
She paused and said, You know Shermain, three other people told me the same thing recently, and I'm going to have to pray on that.
At that moment, I thought about how often I had repeatedly heard those words from my church sisters and brothers - even when they already had confirmation from multiple sources.
In my experience, this is one of the many phrases used in and around the church. Over time, these phrases, if not careful, can be repeated because of conditioning, losing their effectiveness. This behavior can trap people.
I'm sure you can also think of some of the common workplace phrases.
Tarini was scared as hell about launching the not-for-profit, and saying I'm going to have to pray on that gave her an excuse not to take any action.
She decided to use God as her excuse. I mean, that's a great excuse to use, isn't it?
I reminded her of something she had forgotten.
She's here for a purpose. God placed her right here, right now, to impact 1 million lives positively. She's here to eliminate generational curses for black people. He is guiding her steps, placing things into her path, and removing things from her path that she can't see.
Her job is to continue to trust and to move forward - one tiny step at a time.
This is where the learning occurs, and it's the only way to build confidence.
Your job as a leader is to do the same. Trust, move, and learn.
If you're a leader who wants to be more masterful at this, I've created a group program, the Courage to Impact Campfire. Our next cohort starts on January 2nd.
https://www.shermainmelton.com/campfire
I'm a stand for being boldly authentic and fiercely you.
Be More You.
Shermain
