The Leadership Lesson I Didn't Expect

A month ago, I came to the UK to house/dog sit for a couple of months. 🇬🇧🐾

People have asked me why.

I wanted a new perspective. I wanted to step outside my comfort zone and experience life differently.

What I didn't expect was how much it would stretch me.

The part that surprised me most?

I didn't think I was stressed.

I kept telling myself, "𝘐'𝘮 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘦."

"𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘥." "𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦."

But underneath those words, my nervous system was working overtime.

Every day required just a little more mental energy than I realized. Looking the other way before crossing the street. Trying to understand English words that somehow meant something completely different here. Figuring out transportation, grocery stores, customs, and routines. Relying on the kindness of strangers.

None of those things felt overwhelming by themselves.

But together...they were.

The hardest part is, I couldn't even admit that to myself.

I just kept pushing through because that's what I've always done.

Then one morning, while walking the dogs, I looked up and realized there was another footpath running right alongside the one I'd been walking every day.

I'd been here for three weeks.

The path had been there the whole time.

I had just never seen it.

So I took it.

As I walked, I noticed the dogs stopping to sniff every new scent. I paused to watch a bee buzzing around a flower. I found myself drawn to all the shades of purple growing along the path. Then I spotted a tiny feather hanging from a dried flower.

None of those things were new.

They had been there all along.

𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝.

As my nervous system settled, I finally had the capacity to see them.

It made me wonder how often this happens in leadership.

How many of us tell ourselves, "I'm fine. This is just the job." We adapt to carrying more and more until it feels normal. We don't even admit to ourselves how much we're carrying because we just keep going.

And I wonder how many leaders are walking right past paths they can't yet see—not because they aren't capable, but because they're carrying so much that their brain is simply focused on getting through the day.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤? 🌿