Why YOU Should Own Rose Colored Glasses
I recently bought a pair of rose colored glasses. Might be the best $15 I've ever spent on Amazon.
Dictionary Definition
a cheerful or optimistic view of things, usually without valid basis
I'm sure YOU can think of many meetings...interactions or situations where everyone else seem to metaphorically be wearing rose colored glasses and...for the life of you... YOU can't seem to find YOURS!?
The Responsibility of Reality Is a Heavy Burden
In full transparency...one of my leadership challenges... among many others... too long to list here... is that I get stuck in reality. I have many examples over the years...where...for some reason... I thought I was the only one who saw things as they really were. This has led to some painful...and...in hind sight...hilarious situations as the responsibility of reality led me to take action when no one else would. It's a burden most days if the truth be told...and I bring it upon myself.
It made me smile this morning as I thought of myself as the child watching the procession of The Emperor's New Clothes . I blurt things out in a crowd where everyone else seems to be happy enough to "go along to get along".
How Come NO ONE Else Sees It?
It's taken me a lot longer than YOU would think to pause and ask myself "WHY are other really smart...capable...experienced people NOT seeing it too?" (whatever IT is)
When I did get around to asking myself the question and reflect on it...test it...and really embrace it... it turns out MANY OTHERS do see the reality too! Everyone has a good reason for letting it go in that moment... with that audience... on that topic. As Stephen Covey points out in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People...
Seek First to Understand and Then Be Understood
Go BUY Rose Colored Glasses
So I am trying to train myself...in THE MOMENT...where I am scratching my head... and struggling to look beyond reality... to take a deep breath and put my Rose Colored Glasses on.
I am finding the farther I get into my career the more I appreciate physical reminders to switch my mindset as well as to give me permission to lighten up...laugh... and move on. It won't necessarily stop me from blurting something out...it just redirects me to seek out more council or try again with someone "off-line" to figure out how the "reality" fits into everything else.
In Closing...
I used the rose colored glasses a few times since I got them to make myself and those around me laugh. It surprisingly seems to resonate with a lot of others...not just me.
We all know nothing is ever going to be perfect... and sometimes we have to SELL SELL SELL the positives and brush the negatives aside for another day. YOU have to pick your spots and let the small stuff go to save YOUR political capital for the "Big Rocks"...when the stakes are high and YOU really have to make sure those "realities" are vetted to avoid catastrophic failures.
My best advice is to test the audience for what the situation calls for. Some days it's all rosy...sunshine and rainbows.... and somedays it's pushing back to make sure something big isn't missed. It's not "one size fits all". So have your glasses close by for those key moments when they are needed. YOU can thank me later!
Leadership Questions of the Week for YOU:
Do YOU typically see the world through Rose Colored Glasses or does it depend on the topic...or situation?
Depending on which lens you tend to see the world through... what advice to you have to embrace the alternate point of view for the most productive...collaborate outcomes?
What do YOU think about having physical reminders (like actually owning rose colored glasses) to adjust your outlook or coach yourself through growth opportunities? Do YOU have another example like this that YOU can share?
Thanks for reading….and remember…YOU make a difference!
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