LEADERSHIP STRATEGY: INSPIRE YOURSELF AND OTHERS TO PERFORM “IN THE ZONE”

Inspired people can access to "the zone"

Physiologists call it being ‘centered’ and athletes refer to it as entering the ‘zone’.  There are other names for this special state of being—where a person or team thinks, feels, and performs beyond their habitual limits.  Those wishing to take the lead in an increasingly turbulent world must have the capacity to inspire self and others. With discipline, consistency, and lots of work, Zone experiences can become a habit. Inspirational leadership of self and others is the secret herbs and spices that foster the normalization of breakthrough performance.

 by LSI managing partner Art McNeil

My first experience with “the zone” was pitching industrial league baseball.  Periodically, I would confidently shake off catcher’s signals and make my own selections.  On these (all too rare) occasions, everything seemed to slow down and I would become acutely aware of miniscule deficiencies in each batter’s stance.  Initially, my mind would envision the execution of a perfect pitch, my body would access a seldom tapped reserve of muscle memory, and pitches would unwind exactly as I imagined them.  I distinctly remember seeing—as if looking at slow motion video with a telephoto lens—baseball seams of as they floated past batters.  My zone experiences in baseball, although few and far between, caused me to believe that there is untapped potential in everybody.

Every now and again, I still experience ‘the zone’—not in baseball but during a speaking engagement.  When it happens, I feel “outside of myself”—listening along with the audience to a flow of material I don’t recall having heard before.  Breakthrough moments typically herald a fresh insight that transforms and reenergizes my work.

My first book became a #1 best seller.  The “I” of the Hurricane: how to Generate and Focus Corporate Energy, came from a powerful gestalt after reading ancient writings from a source often referred to as the “ book of wisdom”. Proverbs 29:18 says, “where there is no vision the people perish, but he that keepeth the law, happy is he”.   That led me to write about the need for leaders to balance leadership (vision) and discipline (the law).  Unfortunately, I wrote several books after that  that tanked.  They were uninspired works of the head—with no integration of heart or spirit. I’ve learn my lesson and have avoided publishing brain dumps.

 Zone experiences are often life-altering when they occur.  Being prepared, informed, and open to a broad range of possibilities, is an essential trigger.  God seems to say, “OK! You’ve done your homework, you want to make a difference, you’re willing to take risks—here’s the insight you’ve been looking for”.

This post sponspred by Art McNeil keynote addresses and management team  workshops