Fear of Image : FIMAGE

"As soon as you worry about looking stupid, that's when you get stupid."

 

When we are babies, we learn constantly and we do it without caring about how we look. Babies almost never look cool. In fact, they look ridiculously un-cool most of the time. But we all love babies. We find them entirely entertaining. We are fascinated with their ability to explore everything. They are fascinated, baffled and excited about things that we all take for granted. They can spend an hour just playing with a rock.

 

Remember when learning was fun? When you did things without worrying about looking cool in the process?

 

Well, unfortunately for most of us, those days are over. Most of us now have this little critic that lives in our own head. This critic pops up anytime we are challenged, anytime we are in a new situation, anytime we are around new people...all these situations cause us to consider the possibility of not looking cool. These challenging situations make us worried about making mistakes, failing, looking silly and all of these fears are amplified if those things happen in front of other people! Nobody likes to make a fool out of themselves in front of others. We will do almost anything to avoid that.

 

Unfortunately, this fear of looking stupid and making mistakes actually stops us from participating in activities that could lead to learning. This fear, called the fear of image, is the enemy of learning. This fear is natural and must be overcome to ensure that learning continues as we age. So, we have nicknamed this fear. We call it FIMAGE and it must be conquered!

 

Here are a few ways to blast through your FIMAGE and experience learning the way that babies do:

 

Everyday it is important to challenge your FIMAGE. Do things that push you out of your comfort zone. The more you challenge yourself, the more your FIMAGE begins to evaporate.

 

Keep participating in your learning. Be involved in the classroom.

 

Be willing to look silly while learning. Making mistakes is a necessary part of the learning process.

 

Support others when they take a risk. Be extra supportive when others make a mistake.

 

Do these things and you will be learning constantly, having fun and role modeling what it takes to be successful.

 

 

Integrity

The foundation of great leadership.

 

The word integrity is used often in discussion of world and local leaders. People talk about whether a particular person has it or if it has been compromised. The challenge is defining what integrity is and how it affects peoples relationships and ability to lead.

 

Looking at two triangles that are identical in size and shape the participants identified them as congruent. When placed on top of one another, they are a perfect match.  When participants think of one of those triangles as their values and the other as their behaviors they are better able to think about their own integrity.  Participants began to consider matching their values and behaviors.

 

For example, if someone had a stated value of being on time, they would match that with a behavior of being prompt or even early for their appointments. If the stated value was a  great relationship with family members,  they could match that with spending more time at home or increasing their interaction with their kids.

 

Once participants understood the concept and how it applied to themselves, they had an opportunity to put it to action.  Participants stood in the room and listened to a variety of statements that required a value judgment. Quietly participants moved around the room to demonstrate their belief through action.  At times one or two participants would stand alone while the rest of the group was in another part of the room.

 

At the end of the activity the group discussed what was challenging about the activity.  Participants commented that their values had changed as they grew older.  It was difficult the make a quick decision in some cases.  Some participants talked about the little voice in their heads as they wondered what their peers would think of them for holding a certain belief. It was agreed that it is not always easy to be congruent with behaviors and values, but that integrity was and essential element for personal character and leadership ability.

 

 

The Keys to Motivation

Lessons from the SuperMaze.

 

Leaders must learn how to master the element of motivation. All change requires energy and both individuals and groups struggle to maintain that energy over time. We used a simulation activity called the SuperMaze to demonstrate some of the finer points about maintaining motivation.

 

The goal of the activity was go from one side of a maze to the other. There were a series of obstacles that made this very challenging. Students had to draw on the resources of their team, develop a communication strategy, support one another and move through adversity.

 

As groups progressed through the activity, the level of difficulty rose and the teams were challenged to keep their focus.

In the end all of the groups were successful.  The success was magnified as they continued to learn from each other in the group discussion that followed. The 6 Key Motivators were introduced during the dialogue:

 

Clear Short-term Goals

Break larger tasks into small pieces. Each time you complete a piece, the confidence builds and the momentum increases.

 

Celebrating All Wins

Every little thing that helps you to succeed should be celebrated. Make a habit of getting excited about even the smallest successes. Every win is a step toward the larger goal.

 

Enrolling Others

Success is a team sport. Don't try to do it all by yourself. Surround yourself with talented people and get them involved.

 

Support

Give specific support and maintain that support even if mistakes are made.

 

Calling Time-Outs

Even when things are going very well, take time to pause and reflect about what is working and what needs to be improved. This will keep everyone enrolled and on the same page.

 

Acknowledging Others

Make a habit of pointing out the positive things that people are doing. Let them know that you appreciate their supportive behaviors. People will be drawn to this positive energy.

 

MISTAKES = Learning Opportunities

Learning cannot happen without mistakes. Stop wasting time and make choices. No matter what happens, use the results as information or feedback.

 

Great leaders understand the importance of these motivators. Practice these behaviors and you will become an irresistible leadership force.