Something In The Corner Of The Shower Caught My Eye...
When I stepped into the shower, I felt exhausted.
I'd just finished cycling 40km in the middle of an Australian summer day.
In the last few kilometres, I'd been so tired I'd walked my bike up hills.
I arrived home with sweat pouring from my helmet, my shirt was drenched and my calves ached.
There I was, in the warm shower just letting the water pour over me.
I spent a few minutes humming some tunes and standing there.
Then, something in the corner of the shower caught my eye...
There was a massive huntsman spider.
He was sitting in the corner of the shower getting wet.
I froze in fear.
Was he going to scurry towards me? Crawl up my leg? Climb up a wall and jump on me?
Neither of us moved an inch.
Then, I pulled myself together.
I carefully stepped over him and out of the shower.
From there, I got the large soap dispenser and prodded him towards the middle of the shower.
And I... 'dealt with him'. (Sorry to those who love spiders!)
We have huntsman spiders quite regularly here in Australia, so it wasn't that big of a shock.
But it still took me a bit to catch my breath again.
Then I went back to enjoying my relaxing shower.
It got me thinking about leadership...
For the first few minutes of that shower, I was oblivious.
I stood there relaxed.
Humming at the top of my voice.
Enjoying the warm water washing over me.
Little did I know one of the scariest things on earth was inches away from me.
I don't know whether you've kicked off the year with a 'humming a tune' happy start.
Or if you're already petrified, holding the biggest shoe you can find stamping on spider after spider.
But I do believe we all have 'huntsman spiders' hiding in the corner of our shower in leadership.
Maybe you know there's a huntsman spider hiding in the corner of your shower, right now? You know it's there deep down, but you just haven't had the guts to attack it yet? (Or haven't known how!)
Maybe you're sitting there shaking your head at your screen thinking, "You don't know me and my team, Jonno! There are no spiders hiding in corners here!"
Or maybe you're feeling down because you've spent the past weeks, months or years stomping spider after spider but they somehow keep coming out from somewhere?
Wherever you're at, I want to challenge you today.
I appoint you Sherlock Holmes.
I can't remember where I first heard this idea, but it's helped me in my coaching and I love it for leaders.
I want you to go to your team and organization tomorrow and take a 'Sherlock Holmes' approach.
Grab your magnifying glass and get down on your knees to find those critters in the corner of the shower.
You know those crevices other leaders have been too scared to really look into?
Start putting your magnifying glass right there.
Leadership is hard.
I won't promise that you won't find anything.
And I won't even promise that you won't get bitten in the process!
But this is what sets great leaders apart.
This is how great leaders build championship winning teams...
They find the spiders other leaders aren't willing to look for
They do the hard things required to squash them (even if they get bitten in the process)
They flush them down the toilet so they're gone once and for all
Find them.
Squash them.
Flush them.
Come on Sherlock. It's time to do some detective work.
Your team and your organization will be better for it.
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