Playing safe in today’s competitive and accelerated world is a recipe for static or downwards growth. The path of taking risks and stretching beyond our comfort zones is the only way to reap results so that we can uncover new ways to improve processes, and develop products and services. It also helps us become more self-confident and more engaged and grow as individuals.
Stretching in the simplest terms is diving into your area/s of discomfort. These are spots that we find challenging or have limited knowledge about. Therefore, stretching into those particular spots results in immediate reluctance from the brain because it requires going beyond the boundaries of what we know or are comfortable doing. Stretching to our maximum potential is something the majority of us find difficult to embrace.
An effective leader knows how to work with the ingredient of creating the right amount of stretch to drive results. When creating and moving towards stretching yourself it is important to see yourself in terms of your potential and not your limitations. To create this stretch, what inspires you has to come to the forefront and your fears have to take a backseat.
A simple way to drive this concept home is through an example of an actor.
No two movies can be the same, which means every time an actor ventures into the creation of a movie they are stepping beyond their comfort zones.
It requires a whole new understanding and exploration when moving from a romantic to thriller to a biography. It’s not only within the domain or category but even the area of cinematography within each individual film.
This isn’t easy, it requires the actor to embrace the character physically and mentally to enable them to portray the role as effectively as possible. The character has to become second nature to the actor for that that limited period. Success at the end of this route is never guaranteed. The movie in its own right despite the effort and risks of exploration may be a flop or a mega hit. But the fear of failure or having even tasted failure does not push an actor to work in one genre of movies.
The same applies to each one of use in our individual and professional lives. The first thing our brain is tuned to do when encountered with a situation to change is to give up. This comes from the fear of failure and the anxiety of the unknown. The only way to overcome it is to redefine ourselves by pitching ourselves as our highest potentials which aren’t circled by our limitations.
The right amount of stretch will reflect growth, confidence, passion and engagement which are priorities for achieving effectiveness and performance in any role. We have to stretch our possibilities and challenge our limitations and the results from thereon are infinite.
To master the art of stretching yourself and your team beyond the comfort zone to achieve your biggest goals, enroll for the Neuroscience program today.
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