Creating Glorious Space for Reinvention
Baggage barricades your future. Leadership baggage includes past:
- Disappointment with others.
- Unresolved conflict.
- Broken relationships.
- Personal failure.
- Failed plans.
- Financial frustrations and business setbacks.
Releasing baggage is like cutting sandbags from balloons. In, “Leadership and the art of the Struggle,” Steven Snyder explains how to see baggage clearly and expose it wisely.
Embracing the struggle enables reinvention.
Glorious space:
Clinging to baggage weighs down, clogs up, and produces victims of persistence.
Refusing to let go empowers baggage
and assures repetition of the past.
Embracing the struggle rather than rejecting it creates space for new opportunities. Listen to Steven and me talking about letting go of my personal baggage (1 min. 34 sec.):
Positive Baggage:
Success seduces and convinces leaders that what worked in the past works today.
Leadership baggage includes success as well as failure.
Frustration over the changing workforce, for example, indicates baggage. The inability to adapt because past strategies don’t work today indicates you’re clinging to the past. Those who learn and adapt rise and reinvent themselves and their leadership.
Longing for the good ole days indicates baggage.
Frustration over the present suggests you’re hanging on to the past. Accepting “what is” enables transformation. Rejecting realities, frustrates.
Bill Gates and Baggage:
Steven Snyder personally watched Bill Gates reinvent his leadership. Early in Microsoft’s history every manager was more technically savvy than their direct reports. That approached worked for ten years.
As Microsoft grew, Bill adapted his leadership model. Microsoft began hiring managers with more management expertise than technical savvy.
Past success didn’t become baggage for Bill Gates.
Steven Snyder on Bill Gates and the inverted hierarchy (2 min. 32 sec.):
Your approach to baggage, both positive and negative, is pivotal to leadership effectiveness, business success, and personal opportunity.
***
“Leadership and the Art of the Struggle,” by Steven Snyder is recommended reading.
Leave a comment on today’s post for a chance to win 1 of 25 copies of, “Leadership and the Art of the Struggle.” Selection on 3/18.
How can leaders release baggage?
How true regarding holding on to “the good ole days”, bemoaning this to motivated, newer employees diminishes confidence and respect in the manager’s ability to lead, guide, inspire and develop them them in the here and now.
Fabulous Post! Glorious space…………what a concept! We need to embrace this concept to propel forward.
I like this post a lot. I’ll reblog it, but leave a comment here as I haven’t quite figured out how to get a reblog to look good.
I think that risk assessment on projects tends to be baggage based. “What went wrong before so what can go wrong now?” Focusing only on what can go wrong accumulates baggage. I think that when I look for “opportunities” as part of risk assessment, it tends to free people from baggage. Opportunities are more about what’s happening now and what can we take advantage of. The same is true of considering strengths as well as weaknesses. That’s why I like doing a SWOT assessment instead of a risk assessment.
Baggage from past success – what an eye-opening concept!
Learn from the past, long for the future, live now. It’s important to get these “L’s” in the right order. Wishing we didn’t make a certain turn isn’t going to help us find our destination. We are where we are and that will always be the place from where we will start any jouney. Stay safe, Paul
Interesting. I just sat down at my desk to start my first day of work in almost 2 weeks. I have been off to be with my mom as she finished her battle with cancer and to have her funeral. Since I have had this space from work I have been thinking about some of the things that I need to do to be better at what I do. Tossing some baggage along the roadside (or in my case just not picking it back up as I go to work) may just well be a great place to start. Thanks for the post.
I think fear creates a lot of baggage. No matter how good or poor your leadership is; somewhere down the track you will get hurt. Learning to forgive is key.
This blog is filled with wisdom! Thanks for bringing to light what leadership baggage is and how embracing the struggle produces freedom from both positive and negative baggage. Patti Dence
What this blog calls for is a high level of maturity from leaders. I know leaders right now that are not successful because they are very insecure with who they are as an individual, and it shines through in their leadership. Often times, we feel pressured to have all of the answers, do things right the very first time, and that somehow, that will make us respectable by those we influence. But, people see straight through that facade. We have a saying where I work that says, “Transformation occurs when we embrace a healthy dose of “It is what it is.” Seeing the realities is similar to looking in a mirror, and is necessary to know whether we need to change, lose some baggage, etc. So true. Great stuff.
I have long thought “the good old days” were more old than good! We can be trapped due to successes as well as failures – not sure I had heard that before, but I see its accuracy. Sadly, some have no idea how they would function if they didn’t carry their baggage – seems to be a “safe” scapegoat for some failures. Thanks for thinking, writing, and sharing!
Love the glorious space. Focusing on the wins youv’e had in the past blocks you from seeing what needs to be changed today. I have seen many leaders stuck & glorifying what success they had back when & totally missing the boat now!
Hey Dan how in the world did you know how I spent my day yesterday?????(1-6) LOL
Remember I said the other day, “resentment is our number one offender”?
Took me YEARS to come to the understanding resentment means re-sensing past events over and over again whether they be positive or negative.
Grew up for a LONG time with the wrong definition of that word. Clear understanding of what words REALLY mean is pretty pretty important. Has a whole lot to do with the quality of the communciation I have with my bad self, and my good self for that matter. hehe
Getting clear as the Scientologist call it is important cause it enables me to be present in the present. That is where I have a conscious choice to respond and not to react to what comes next.
And no I am not a Scientologist, just know that they call getting the wreckage of the past cleared away. What does your group of people call it? Same dealio, different name to identify it.
If that intrigues you I recommend Varities of a Religious Experience….William James.(of course referenced in the AA Big Book) short version for the lazy or time limited but still curious…..same stuff happening in all cultures, just folks use different words to describe what they think is happening to them.
Tip for the day…..same stuff……different words!
Have a good one.
SP OUT ps by the way diamonds made out of extreme pressure so proceeding through struggle don’t turn out all that bad if you see it through. ps 2 once again all just my opinion the way I see things right now, subject to being wrong or to be changing by lunch, just my view from where I sit right now!
Dear Dan,
I agree and appreciate that frustration over present means baggage. I see baggage as obstacle. And obstacle could be stepping stone for success. It depends upon our belief, determination and goal. Baggage becomes real bottleneck for those who expect more but effort less. For others who believe opposite, it could be launching pad. So, leaders can release baggage depending upon what is their goal, their values and what they are going to compromise or sacrifice with releasing baggage.
I think baggage could be anything that hinder, block and divert us from our focus. And I appreciate your concept that those who embrace baggage hinders their growth. I would like to quote one example here. One of my friend left secured job and went to pursue higher management degree in order to achieve better position and prestige. However, things turned opposite. After one year, he was not in a position to get the job he left. And he struggled a lot but finally got job, that was better paid but on different location where he was away from his parents. Now, he is still living with baggage. And he cling with present even though he is financially better than before. Now, if we analyze his cycle of expectation and reality, he broke the barricade of baggage to embrace better progress. Though he struggled and got better position, but he still cling the past. He still cling over his previous job, living away from his hometown and of course parents.
I think baggage connotation here is more of model of our belief, emotions, expectation, determination, compromise, sacrifice and finally derived outcome. The derived outcome (expected) influence our model of belief. And in fact, it makes a virtuous cycle.
Enlightening!!! Thanks
Dan,
Thank you for your daily incite. Having changed a leadership style of meeting with individuals only when there was a problem and or when it was time to “warn” them of an issue to one of doing 5 minute meetings with each staff person and monthly one on one meetings has distinctly rid me of ongoing baggage and frustration.
More importantly, it has redirected and put our team on task and addressing the good and the bad in real time.
It is very hard to release baggage to focus on the new. It’s natural to be impacted by positive or negative experiences from our pasts. The residue resulting from these experiences somehow blurs our vision of the future and may even impact our perspectives. The question is: How do we release baggage and use it to strengthen our confidence and perspective on the future? I think that one way of doing that is to try to reflect on the learning we gain from every experience we encounter. Also, although it’s important to learn from our pasts it’s equally important to approach our future with no preconceived thoughts or perspectives. This way we can focus on effective strategies for bringing our vision to life.
I’ve heard myself say ” today’s generation doesn’t……..”, how un-inspiring. I must better encourage, rather then tear down today’s generation, for they will not remember my baggage.
Letting go of the past is where your breakthroughs can be released… Great post!
Dan,
First the leader must be self-aware enough to recognize they have baggage that is weighing them down. Then they have to be willing to change and let go. Baggage is comfortable because it is a known entity and letting go means opening up to new experiences.
To let go:
1. Be aware of baggage
2. Seek feedback to help identify baggage
3. Say goodbye to baggage
4. Embrace new ideas and opportunities
5. Get feedback on how new approach is working
Leaders must be constantly looking at what works and what could be done differently. This is an on-going, never ending activity that ultimately leads to learning and growth.
Have a great day!
Eye opening. I had not realized until reading today’s post that I hold onto mental baggage (and it holds me down) the same way I do physical clutter; the struggle to let go of both (and sense of freedom upon letting go) is the same.
I have found that learning how not to “own” successes, failures, the past, other people’s reactions and the like, is the way to be able to release baggage. The ability to be able to walk away clean is one to be developed and treasured. this is not to say you don’t reflect on what has gone before, or what is currently happening – you have to, in order to grow – but you also need to let it go. It’s a type of mindfulness.
I learned this in a job where I could be moved in a whim – I learned to give all I could while working in a role, and then be able to leave it without regret (except for the people). This ability to walk away clean has saved my sanity on many an occasion.
I would say this is one of the most common consulting issues, though the client doesn’t often know it. The key is finding a common language to use to work through it.
Great post. Meets me right where my decisions are this month. Thanks!
Thanks Dan for this post.
Being able to reinvent ourselves is quite a humbling and needed task.
It’s about what is for the better ~ bigger outcomes driving our organizations, our communities and our families. It takes a lot of courage too but the payoff is worth it ~ by being authentic and vulnerable we are creating, what Doug Conant refers to, extraordinary touch-points.
Thanks again Dan.
A big part of leaving baggage and moving forward for me has to do with existing in the moment. The tendency to rehearse both past successes and past failures and project those both into some fantasy future weighs down. The practice of breathing and taking stock of the here and now helps me defeat fear, shed the rose tinted glasses and move onward to embrace new possibilities.
I wonder if an organization’s culture also creates baggage for a leader?
Great blog, Dan. Abandoning baggage does create space for creativity, new initiatives, and leaving behind anchors. Forgive and forget is also biblical.
You always give me a lot to think about. Thanks!
“Baggage barricades your future.” What a great line! As a pastor, this is what we deal with over and over again in people’s lives.
I saw a refrigerator magnet with pithy wisdom so appropriate for this post: Let go or get dragged. Mental baggage drains energy just as much as physical clutter. I never contemplated longing with mental baggage—but it does indicate holding on to something longer than needed. Thanks for the perspective!
Failure to adapt. Failure to change. The reasons behind the famous 7 last words of congregations…..We’ve never done it that way before….
My blog is about me embracing the struggle. It’s going to be worth it.
Thank you for this powerful reminder to lay aside the past and press forward into what lays ahead. Principle may remain intact, yet methods need to adapt.
Such a simple concept – letting go of the baggage in order to grab hold of the new way or new idea. But it makes so much sense because if our hands are full of what we’re thinking or doing or by the way we act now, we can’t embrace anything fresh or new.
I especially appreciate how you note that longing for the good ole days (something positive) is just as much baggage as resisting upcoming changes (something negative).
I’m thrilled by the rate of change towards optimism, abundancy thinking and a belief the world can be made better. Thanks for the reminder to take off my baggage filter every day.
Letting go of baggage is another way of saying forgive. Forgive yourself, forgive others, forgive the system when all of these are less than perfect. Trust that there is enough grace and enough goodness to go around and to go into the future.
Great post. Working for the feds I see a lot of leaders holding on to what worked in the past, both in the field and in DC. In addition, managers in the field and those in DC talk past each other, and that makes for a very frustrating work environment. Though not always successful, I try to focus my employees’s on issues we have influence over in our own sphere to encourage them to be creative in solving the problems we face locally. Together we’ve reduced the “We’ve always done it this way” mentality, at least within our unit.
Thanks Dan for this post! This concept doesn’t just apply to business . . . it also applies to our personal lives as well!!!
This is very timely for a project our team is currently developing. Thank you.
As always, Dan, your posts are well-done. I, too, view letting go of baggage as a means of forgiveness. I just finished a class surrounding Adam Hamilton’s Forgiveness: Finding Peace Through Letting go. It is my belief that leadership baggage limits our abilities to achieve our ambitions and effectiveness as a leader. In order to go forward, we must acknowledge our own shortcomings, assume the best in ourselves and others, and make a concentrated effort to get rid of the baggage entirely or lighten the load as much as possible.
Love the glorious space ……time for reflection and renewal. The joy is in the journey.
It’s amazing how the past does affect our future. If we never work through those difficult things of our past. We end up doing the same things and don’t adapt to the future and how it has changed. Good feedback is essential to moving forward as a leader.
It is important to let some things from the past go but it could also be very essential to remember some of the findings.
As a sentence the behavior of stakeholders the disturbing, annoying part of it should be forgotten but the learning how to work with it, is important for the success of a new Project.
It is important to let some things from the past go but it could also be very essential to remember some of the findings.
As a sentence the
Timing for this post could not be more perfect. I’m not sure which I enjoyed reading more… your posts or all of the comments! I am currently struggling with some ANTICIPATED baggage. What? That’s right… worrying about future events, works, conversations, etc. can be a drag too.
I loved Ms. Hastings statement of “Transformation occurs when we embrace a healthy dose of “It is what it is.”” I used to live by the phrase “It is what it is.” I think it is time to revisit that perspective so things can fall back into their rightful place(s).
Great post! Thanks for the continued inspiration!
One of the previous comments mentions fear as a creator of baggage. I could not agree more. I hear, know and talk to many people who share with me that people fear change. This is not a belief I hold. It is my opinion (one I believe I may have picked up from this blog) that people actually fear the unknown of what the change might, or might not, bring, not the change itself. Change with good communication and informative leadership can, and hopefully will, allow lots of baggage to be left at the curb for you and those working with you.
Interesting post! Additionally, when we as leaders, don’t let go of our baggage, it can continue to cause hurt to those who were affected by a given situation. As long as you hold on to that baggage, those individuals may continue to feel victimized. We need to learn to forgive and allow the affected individuals to have a chance to regain our trust. This is the mark of a true leader.
“Your approach to baggage, both positive and negative, is pivotal to leadership effectiveness, business success, and personal opportunity.” Very nice. I’d love a copy of that book! 🙂
Enjoyed your insights––thanks for sharing!
Tom
This is really good. I know that I’ve been guilty of unconsciously carrying old negatives from situation to situation, killing momentum before the ball even got rolling. Thanks Dan!
Hi,
The success and failure patterns both inhibit. I like that it’s always about the fresth, new and creative action/solution/direction or move.
Thanks,
Tivo
Leadership model hit close to home. We look for excellent Customer Service representatives to mold and mentor when we should be looking at the complete package. Just because they are not cheery cheerleaders does not mean that this representative does not have the potential to encourage and develop a strong Customer Service unit.
I never thought about how success could be baggage but I can see where that can be a trap to someone who believes: just because it worked before, it will work again.
Releasing baggage becomes simple if we can manage to live in the moment. You didn’t enter this moment with you baggage, you have to reach back to the past moment to grab it. Leave it there.
Thank you for reminding us all that we are probably a little to enamored of both the past AND the future. NOW is when you can really make a difference.
If you can’t be honest enough with the results of your past, you won’t be honest enough to lead with results in the future. Love your treatment of dealing with baggage.
Awesome! Always such great content!
Could use the leadership help
Your book is a MUST have.
Working for a corporate 500 company dials in to continues change to adept to current economics. True post! Admire it with respect!
I like FREE BOOKS, but LOVE YOUR LEADERSHIP ADVICE. Thanks for doing what you do!!!!
I’m about to become a lead pastor for the first time and I could use any help in leadership…
We are in the midst of a rebranding and hope to shed baggage in the process. Thanks for a great post.
As a young leader, this post has helped me to identify the baggage that leaders carry. Almost all of my challenges and struggles as an organizational leader were identified. In 300 words I learned more about my baggage than I was able to realize on my own in 700 days. Thank you!
Would love a new book
Thank you for these powerful daily posts! I share them with my team and they make a difference in our day!
Should it be about releasing the baggage you bring or is it about recalibration baggage? Remember those baggages carry failures, they are strong course correction mechanisms
Good tips. I found creating a personal branding plan helped me move beyond personal and professional failures and allowed me to approach them a positive mindset instead of dwelling on them.
Thank you for the opportunity to win a book. I love your positive, smart and encouraging tweets.
The human factors are the main source for generating added values in any enterprise: Encouraging employees to continue their education will tacitely drop plenty of baggage withing a community by staying tuned up to changes and communicating the daily struggle in personal changes…
The Buisiness world is ever changing at an increased pace. If you want to keep up, you gota keep growing, you gota reinvent yourself just abit with each new challenge. ‘Never’ allow yourself to forget (how to learn) , the more we learn, the more we grow. Carrying baggage from the past, good or bad, clouds our vision while robbing us of our ability to problem solve with clarity. Remember: Some of our baggage from the past may be broken relationships and unresolved conflict, however putting people and the needs of others first “must not change”.
Wow….give something away and the entire world posts something….anyway….great post ….after my company was sold and my position of 18 years was eliminated it took two years of struggle to get rid of the baggage and reinvent a new life….
Dan, I read your blog daily and also ask my Managers to read it. It’s always seems relevant to whatever challenges we face that day. I’ve just learned something else. If you want a lot of comments, give your readers a chance to win a book!
Please keep writing. You help us stay focused on the positive.
Baggage comes in all forms, some good and some bad … good leaders reflect on their baggage and know which bits to drop and which to keep. Good leaders also help others to identify their baggage and decide which bits to use or free themselves from. And as importantly, good leaders will identify what their business’s baggage is and deal with it appropriately.
I’m guilty if the good old days baggage.
Some days I just wish I could go back and relax with no major responsibilities other than studying and entertainment.
I’ll have to reflect more in this concept
Everyone has baggage. How you choose to handle it is what differentiates you. First time I’ve seen someone comment on successes creating baggage but its on point and I will act on things differently. Learning a lot from following.
Let the baggage go!
You’ve done it again Dan really liked the inclusion of the sound bites too. True value adding multimedia thanks!
Good idea to continue on the topic of struggle, and where best to start than by dealing with “baggage”? We need first to become aware of the baggage we carry, usually best done with some outside point of view, then it’s really important the environment supports our effort. Coworkers, bosses, or family members tend to find our changes destabilizing so the support is not always forthcoming. Let’s keep at it. Irene
I would love to win a book. As a student, I am always looking for ways to improve my leadership methods and style!!
BAGGAGE is nasty. There is so much that comes with a job and then there is the type that you bring with you into a new job. I sure could use some advice in this area because it is a difficult and lonely road.
Isn’t it amazing how so many of us would rather ignore and live with the baggage, because it is familiar, than embrace the struggles and move forward because it is unknown?! Fear is like an unhealthy addiction… you know its bad for you, but you can’t stop because you have convinced yourself you can’t live without it. Guess we just have to figure out how to live with it then…
I really need to grow in this area. This is a must-read for me! I think I’ll put it next on y reading list!
Carrying baggage can be very insidious. Without even realizing it, your baggage becomes the building blocks for a prison of huge proportions. Once imprisoned, you end up isolating yourself and possibly others from great God-given opportunities. Drop the baggage and move forward in freedom.
Thank you for this post. Identifying and releasing baggage, including old attitudes and unresolved emotions, is incredibly freeing and increases the ability of the group to adapt and creatively address opportunities and challenges without fear.
Emotion is history still unprocessed.
Regardless of any situation there is ALWAYS a lesson to be learned. Whether it be a positive or negative outcome learn to embrace these teachable moments. They mold us into the people we become. Without failure we would never understand the sweetness of VICTORY!!!
As a leader in a spiritual community, I see these barricades all the time in others, but especially in myself. I find myself stuck often in the rut of methodology rather than a higher dependence. Thanks for these words in my life.
Dan,
Another great post filled with truth. Part of ‘losing’ baggage is accepting our past. I’ve address this – and other factors – to having an authentic brand in my post of today. It may resonate with you and your readers. http://www.brandingforresults.com/2013/03/five-key-factors-to-a-truly-authentic-brand/
Baggage slows you down while BALLAST helps to control and stabilize things. You need to understand the difference and take advantage accordingly.
Thank you for the opportunity to win a free book!
It’s so interesting to me how past successes can easily become baggage. I think it not only restricts your field of vision for which behaviors you consider as successful, but it also increases stress dramatically when those strategies do not work as well as expected. It is very difficult to see when this happens to ourselves, but crucial to recognize!
Thanks for the blog. Learning to forgive is getting rid of old baggage or unpacking bags from that long vacation. I’m still unpacking:)
How true that poor relationships create baggage. In my experience unresolved conflict can derail any relationship…when situations are dealt with in a matter-of-fact manner and head on then relationships can be maintained.
I also think there might be such a thing as Good Baggage. Positive interactions, previous issues dealt with leading to positive outcomes may create positive baggage with some people. However, it is important to let go of this baggage as well, because if we rest on what we’ve done, we can begin to lose sight of the efforts and attention that gave us that positive baggage.
Thanks for the post, baggage is definitely a hard thing to recognize and probably harder to recognize. But the first step is to watch for it, thanks again. When you think you are doing things right it is probably time to look for baggage to remove.
It was great having the audio clips in here – gives a different dimension to this piece!