Throw Yourself In
W.H. Auden is one of my favorite poets of all time. In one of his more popular quotes about the act of reading he states,
The way to read a fairy tale is to throw yourself in.
I love this quote because I find it entirely true. The books, movies, and dramas I am most passionate about are the ones in which I can insert myself. They are the words I get lost in when reading a book. They are the films in which I feel I am watching my own story on the big screen, and the screenwriter simply changed my name to protect me from the public’s eye.
As leaders, what do we have to learn from something so simple as a fairytale?
Perhaps part of the reason fairytales still exist is because they invite the participation of the audience and they teach us lessons about life. Think back to any playwright, film, or novel in which you were truly engaged, the characters have a tremendous ability to remind you of yourself: ordinary, but capable of doing something extraordinary or unexpected. Fairytales allow the common folk to become the unsuspecting heroes. Fairytales teach us that we will fail, and that we will struggle. They teach us that even though we discover and gain confidence in our own capabilities, it may take the rest of the world time to acknowledge them.
What is true of fairytales is also true of you and your organization. Give me a second to explain. Your organization has a story. There is a history (no matter where you work) of people, processes, and past successes and failures. These things help create the culture and current state of your organization.
And while your organization’s story exists (even if the ending seems to have been written in strategic plans and financial projections), I would argue it is not complete. The plot can take many twists because, while yesterday has been written, tomorrow has not.
What is my story and why does it matter?
Your organization’s story lies unfinished, and each day you have the opportunity to throw yourself into the plot that is being created. You are the main characters, which means that you are not only needed, but that you are the unsuspecting heroes your organization needs. Your activities and ability to use your strengths, abilities, and growing knowledge and skills within the organization, will create the unwritten ending. “Throwing yourself in” allows you the opportunity to become the author of the next chapter in the tale: tomorrow. If you want to take it one step further, I would dare to argue that the story you participate in everyday at work is a large piece of your greater story: the novel of your life.
So today I challenge you to think about your leadership story, and your organization’s story. Give yourself a role that matters, for as the author and lawyer Scott Turow says,
Who are we but the stories we tell ourselves?
Written by: Stacie Burley, Former Milestone Leadership Associate and Curriculum Designer
