The University of Life
Learning is an uncomfortable process…
Any time I have learned anything that REALLY makes a difference, whether it is growth, wisdom or healing, the process has never been easy or comfortable.
Let’s differentiate here between the kind of learning many of us are familiar with, where we consume huge amounts of knowledge, but it does not affect what we think or what we do.
Consuming information is not learning. The learning that really makes a difference is achieved only when we do the work to apply what we are learning. This takes reflection, deliberation, design, intention and action.
Many of us, in the pursuit of tangible rewards, financial or otherwise, have become so busy that we started thinking that learning is like ordering a Happy Meal.
Fast.
Cheap.
Easy.
Low Nutrient Value.
The University of Life is a little different; my good friend, Linnea Andersson, RN and LaLeche League leader, said, “The tuition is free and the the lessons are priceless”.
Many of us are overwhelmed, frustrated, confused with the crisis we have all been facing throughout the pandemic. Systems that would otherwise have worked have become too slow for the volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity of the changing reality under our feet.
We have choices. We can either be swept away, as a victim of our circumstances, or we can throw away our Happy Meal idea of what it means to learn.
This is more like learning the process of cooking prime rib in your favourite smoker.
Commitment to the outcome and the process are essential.
There may be some “failures” or less than optimal results as you explore, but the process is worth the outcome.
Not instant.
Not simple.
Delicious.
Leadership is enrolling in the University of Life.
Step One is taking responsibility first, for the one thing you can control: yourself.
Effective leaders are people who have learned that they are consistently enrolled in the University of Life because Happy Meal Learning doesn’t work for them or the people they care for.
Reflection, exploration, relationships, commitment to growth and responsibility are about creating the best outcome for the organizations and the communities that they love.
If you are burnt out, you might need a break; long enough to explore the idea of trying a new learning style. Letting go of how we have done things requires courage and a commitment to being an explorer.
If you want to try new ways of exploring the swirling reality, to shift from expert to creative, from Happy Meal to Prime Rib, I would invite you to explore the possibility of finding a thinking partner who understands the shift.
Prime Rib dinner is waiting for you.
You are worth it.