Have you ever watched a child on a playground come across the swaying bridge of the play structure?
As a toddler, my son was scared of it. He would be running along with a friend then stop dead in his tracks at the first planks of the bridge. His toes would hang on the edge and then he’d shrink back. “It’s scary,” he’d say.
As an adult, with more experience and knowledge, it seems silly.
Of course it’s safe, there are bolts and railings. You know your child won’t fall. But to your child, they take one step and the entire world moves. They feel unstable, out of balance and uncertain on their feet. They feel safer on the solid ground they know. They know it’s just a few steps across, on uncertain terrain, to get to the other side. To them, the fear of the known outweighs the goal of reaching the other side.
It’s our role as a parent to guide your child across.
First holding their hand, talking them through, maybe even showing them the underside of the bridge, how it works mechanically, asking them to try to crawl over by themselves, then try it on their feet. Teaching them to gauge the sway, how to find their balance on the teetering planks. And then eventually, they will move across, screaming in glee at how fun it is, the noise it makes, how silly it is making it move for other kids.
It’s the same way for teams and leaders.
Walking across the bridge, even just looking at the bridge can be scary and uncertain for your team members.
It’s your role as a leader to guide your team across.
Some people, just like certain kids, have it within them to race across the bridge with out fear or assistance. Others, you can lead to the bridge, share how it works, attempt to guide them across, and yet they never want to cross it on their own. Let them be where they are. Focus your attention on the people who do want to cross the bridge, who long to be on the other side, but just need a bit more guidance (some figurative or literally hand-holding) to get there.
If you reach this bridge, on your own, with no leader there to help you, then hold hands with a friend, partner, or even your child, take a deep breath and cross together.
I’ve crossed many bridges this way myself. That’s how leaders are made, reaching a bridge with others and finding the courage to set aside your own fears in order to help them across.
You know we aren’t really taking about bridges, right?
What bridge can you help guides others across?
What bridge are you at in your own life? How are you going to get across?