Anchors Aweigh

A few months ago, the President of a successful company reached out to me. He shared the following, “The ship is sinking. We need help!” He told me their industry was rapidly transforming but his people were not onboard with doing things differently. He wanted guidance from a neutral, outside party, and he was hoping my skills could be of use.

After listening to him, I asked a very direct question, “What will happen if your company doesn’t change?” 

There was a long pause, then he sighed and said, “If we don’t change, we will have to close our doors.”

They were at an impasse. They could choose to grow, or they could go down with the ship.

I wasn’t sure what I would discover in working with his group, but I quickly noticed they were lovely people, with a great spirit of teamwork, and they genuinely loved their work. However, their biggest barrier was not something external – a lack of capital or a poor marketing strategy – it was their internal limiting beliefs. They were holding tightly to a narrative that you have likely heard before; “This is the way we have always done it.”

Amid a tumultuous storm, their limiting belief had become their anchor.

As we processed this reality, I shared this story with them:

The 4-minute mile had never been broken. Suddenly, on May 6th, 1954, Roger Bannister did what many people believed was physically impossible. He ran a mile in 3 minutes and 59 seconds. The impossible became possible, but for me, what happened after he broke the record is where the story gets interesting.

This had never been done before and many people doubted this would ever be done again. To the surprise of many, just 26 days after this record was set, John Landy of Australia, set a new record by running a mile in 3 minutes and 58 seconds. And then, just a year later, three more runners broke the four-minute mile in the very same race.

So, we have to ask, did something change at that point in history? Did they learn a new training method? Were shoes modified to enhance speed? Was there a new supplement designed to maximize endurance? The answer is no. Instead, one person did what had never been done before and that opened a world of possibility for others.

Over the last half-century, more than a thousand runners have broken a barrier that once was considered impossible.

After sharing this with the group I asked, “Why were other people able to break the four-minute mile so quickly after Bannister?”  The answer was simple; they now knew it was possible.

This transitioned us into unpacking all the limiting beliefs that were holding them back.

The challenge for all of us – in our personal and professional lives – is to unearth our limiting beliefs. Once we name those beliefs, we must then discover who is doing what we believe to be impossible, model their behavior, and trust that we can do the same. This is why I intentionally surround myself with leaders who have done what I have yet to do. Deep within my soul, I need to know that my hopes and dreams are possible. I want to be connected to others who have done what I strive to do.

However, let me be clear, I will never run a sub-four-minute mile! While I know it is humanly possible it isn’t possible for me because I have not committed my life to that task. Instead, I have committed to helping people move from where they are to where they want to be even if they think it is impossible.

I have worked with plenty of difficult groups who are engaged in a painful process, and I have seen first-hand that is possible to change. Each time I enter a new space I hold tightly to that truth.

Leaders who name limiting beliefs and then do the hard work to overcome those beliefs are a gift to those they lead. In doing so they give us permission to do the same.

The hard truth is your limiting beliefs may be your biggest barrier to success.

It is only impossible until it’s not.

Anchors aweigh.

Get your “Lightbulb Moments!” Your email arrives every other Wednesday filled with insights I ONLY share with my private clients … and YOU!