What happens after the caterpillar becomes a butterfly? How does the butterfly live with its own magnificence and glory? For a coach, it is a question of being with its own beauty and greatness. Humans have a much harder time with this than does the butterfly. What is it like to be there with its own beautiful nakedness with the entire world looking at it?
For myself, I am so aware of my own transformation and what it means. I also realize that one of the sentiments I am experiencing right now is the feeling that I can’t go back. No matter what happens next, I can’t go back to being smaller, or being a chrysalis, all wrapped up inside a cocoon. Standing in my own magnificence and beauty is so alarming. It is the embodiment of Marianne Williamson’s quote, “it is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us…”
So how does the butterfly do it? The Buddhists would say it just is. It is a butterfly. It flaps its wings and flies, showing off its brilliance and color to the world. No one questions it, in fact, we marvel at it. We notice its beauty and brilliance, how the sun reflects off the wings and causes them to shimmer. How the colors bounce and glow and blend to become one. What would the impact be if the butterfly pulled its wings back protectively afraid of what others might think and hide its colors from the world? Do you think anyone accuses the butterfly of being a show off?
Finding one’s leader voice is a similar experience to being transformed from a caterpillar to a butterfly. What is the message you have to tell the world? Once you’re out there, how will you hold yourself up? How do you inspire and motivate others to act? What are you calling them forth to? We need more leaders, now more than ever. This is the time to stand up, be counted and be heard.
If you’re interested in learning more about being a leader, and what leadership looks like for you, check out the tele-course I am offering based on the best-selling book, The Leadership Challenge, by James Kouzes and Barry Posner. I love this book because it is based off of the idea that anyone can learn to be a leader. Leaders are not born, they are made. With intention, purpose and will, you can discover and shape the leaders inside of you.