News Archives - Page 8 of 8

By Bradley Chisholm

My business partner graciously arranged for my wife and I to take in a Lyle Lovett show in Victoria. There were no visual distractions, no opening band and no gimics. After an 8 word introduction on the microphone – Lyle Lovett and his Band hit the ground running. They played for two and a half hours straight and from the energy of the audience at the end of the show – could have played for two and a half hours more with no protest, whatsoever.

Anyone who has experienced Lyle Lovett in concert would agree that there is something powerful going on up there on stage – he loves what he does, he always has, and along the way he found a sound that is totally unique. He is a gentleman, a charmer, a perfectionist, and a showman – the whole package. But it was something else that really shifted a mental model that I was carrying around about what mastery is. It took the idea of mastery from being about how great you ARE to how well you SHARE. What Mr. Lovett did better than anything else was to create the space and the conditions for others find and share their mastery, too.

Can you imagine being asked to go on tour with Lyle Lovett? His small band consists of 6 other performers. Over the course of the evening each member would be introduced personally. It was clear early on that Mr. Lovett does’t fear being surrounded by talented musicians – he seeks them out. His band was not just his “accompaniment” or “backup”, they were his full-fledged partners. At times, they backed Lyle up beautifully, spotlighting his incredible unique talents. At other times, Lyle would step back and accompany them as they shared an original composition of their own. Lyle created the space for these others musicians to introduce themselves and their craft to the world. The audience had not arrived knowing that they would be introduced to their next favourite artists – but this was a non-negotiable design feature of the evening.

The humility and grace Mr. Lovett displayed in creating the space for others to grow and practice made me wonder if mastery can exist without it. Can someone be a master if they are not willing to support others to find their own? Can the artist who toils away in solitude, never engaging with the world or other artists, be considered a master? Can the brilliant legal mind that shines in court but refuses to put any effort or attention to developing young lawyers be considered a Master? Is leadership actually an integral, requisite part of mastery? It certainly felt like it the night of Mr. Lovett’s concert.

Bradley Chisholm is a former partner of Roy Group now serving as the Chief Officer, Strategy and Governance for the BC College of Nursing Professionals

By Bradley Chisholm

I love watching the Olympics – mastery, commitment and human potential on international display. It was not the typical events that caught my attention this year, however. I watched the Women’s Canoe Slalom – an event I did not even know existed until it was right there in front of me.

During the first few runs I watched, I was struck by the physical strength required to navigate kayaks around markers – at times against and even directly into the powerful current. It was obvious from the clenched faces and strained muscles of the athletes that determination, effort and good old fashioned grit is required. And I admired them for possessing these qualities.

My admiration shifted to amazement when 20 year old Italian, Maria Clara Giai Pron took to the course. Her face was not clenched and her muscles were not strained. She didn’t force anything. It looked like she was dancing with the rapids. Even the commentators were speechless as she used the tremendous force of the water itself, in combination with the most discerning of movements, to rocket herself, without fault, through the course in incredible time.

As I often do, I started to think about the lessons in work and in life that I could glean from this remarkable performance. I recalled a former instructors’s advice to me when I was going through my coaching certification: “Stop trying so hard. Just use what the client is giving you.”

How often do we try to force it — to use our will, our tenacity and our dogged determination to grind down some invisible opponent and make the changes that we “know” need to happen? For me, it is often. But if we are clear about the life we want to live, if we are honest about the reality we are living in now, what things can we put in motion that will effortlessly take us to the next gate? Sometimes we believe that if it doesn’t take massive effort and fortitude, that it’s not worth doing, but how far could we get if, at times, we trusted the rapids to take us where we needed to go, with a loose but vigilant awareness of what is called for, and when?

I recall playing the game Jenga growing up (I think my mom loved the fact that I had a wooden toy that gave me enjoyment, so it was aggressively promoted). I learned early to go after the blocks that were ready to move first – to follow the path of least resistance. Easy points, limited consequences. Conserving my effort to unleash on the truly challenging hurdles.

What blocks in your life are ready to move?

What rapids can you use to get you there?

Bradley Chisholm is a former partner of Roy Group now serving as the Chief Officer, Strategy and Governance for the BC College of Nursing Professionals

Mastery in Stereo

Forcing It: Does It Always Have to Be Difficult?