Page 103 - Fearless Leadership

90 FEARLESS LEADERSHIP

sonal and organizational context and how it defines the difference between
playing small and playing big.

DEFINING YOUR PERSONAL CONTEXT:
PLAYING BIG OR PLAYING SMALL

The first step in transformation is to move beyond denial. Many leaders
argue that there are no significant behavioral or cultural issues in their
organization. Others deny that their behavior is a primary contributor to
organizational performance.
When you are in denial, the problem will either not appear on your
radar screen or it will appear as the fault of others or circumstances. With
this limited view, you lose the ability to act, and you are left only with the
ability to react. Denial not only impacts decision making, it slows the
organization to a snail’s pace. But when you acknowledge that there is a
problem and you are part of the problem, you can take action.
If there is a gap between what you have and what you want, you can
do something about it—that is, if you are willing to take accountability
and change your behavior.
If you have a voice inside your head saying, “I like myself just the way
I am and I’m not changing,” tell it to pipe down. Your internal voice—
the one that argues, defends, and justifies—keeps you stuck playing small.
That’s what your automatic behaviors are designed to do. But you have a
choice: commit to playing big or remain stuck in old behaviors that hold
you back.
If what you have read so far applies to everyone else but you, it is time
to let go of your need to be right and investigate how you limit yourself
and others. To be a fearless leader, your attention must shift to your locus
of control—what you can do to powerfully influence change, how you can
make significant choices, and how you can take decisive action.
In order to play big, you must (1) move beyond denial and (2) expand
your personal context or framework for how you relate to yourself, others,
and your company. Here’s what is essential to understand:

1. You have a personal context—a framework of thinking and
beliefs—that defines whether you play big or small and
determines your capacity to succeed.