A good friend of mine is on a twenty day guided trek through the Himalayas – ending at Mount Everest base camp at over 18,000 feet.  She has no mountaineering experience. She hates the cold.  The conditions are anticipated to be harsh and primitive.  She is simply going in order to learn about herself and the world.

The obvious ripple effects have been a host of well-wishers on Facebook: lots of smiley faces, heart emojis and “likes.”  The less obvious and more substantive effects (on me at least) have been part pressure and part permission.  Pressure to challenge current comfort levels and permission to think about possible personal growth opportunities.  My sense is I am not alone in this response.  I am calling it the Intentional Intrepid Effect.

Models are like that.  They push us to lift our sights, take a new perspective and set new levels.  Modeling is one of the “big three” of leadership. As leaders we can only really lead by telling, guiding or modeling.  The last happens whether we will it or not.

What are you modeling today? What positive inputs are you letting in to promote your own growth?

 

Photo by Siriwan Srisuwan on Unsplash