The Guardian Bell and Leadership (How to use a Metaphor to foster growth )
Metaphors can be helpful when working on your growth as a leader. So can shifting your frame of reference.
A mind stretching exercise that I use is to imagine and describe a connection between two things that on the surface seem completely unrelated. I exercise in multiple ways – I try to connect parts to wholes, objects to qualities, or concepts to behavior.
I wrote this post because I wanted to see if a motorcycle guardian bell can be connected to leadership. I ride a motorcycle, and I know that one of the greatest gifts that I have received from a friend is a Guardian Bell. No larger than an inch, it attaches onto a motorcycle to ward off gremlins and other evil spirits.
“Legend has it that evil road spirits have been latching onto motorcycles for as long as bikes have been on the road. These spirits are responsible for mechanical problems and bad luck on a journey. Legend goes on to say, that by attaching a guardian bell to your bike, the evil spirits will become trapped inside the guardian bell. There, the constant ringing will drive them insane, making them lose their grip until they fall to the ground. “
This definition alone still does not make a connection for me. So I need to put some framework or context around the thing I chose to make the connection. This usually requires a short story. Real life example:
Almost five years ago, a friend was riding his motorcycle on I-4 in downtown Orlando. About 1000 feet in front of him, an unsecured load of kitchen cabinets suddenly fell out of a truck in front of him. They bounced and broke into bits of shrapnel. His mind was watching the trajectory of the cabinets, wood and other things, and the car immediately in front of him. He was preparing his route to survive. Without warning, the car driver in front of him slammed on her brakes, sending clouds of blue smoke up into the air. He slammed on his brakes and prepared for the inevitable tuck & roll. To the right side was a sharp embankment so that was not a means of escape. He steeled himself to hit the back of the car, and prepared mentally for the roll. At the same instant the motorcycle fairing hit the car, the car driver released her brake. The car moved forward about 10 feet. The motorcycle stopped in place. He gripped the handlebars of the motionless bike and rolled right over the top of the fairing down onto the highway. Other car drivers stopped behind them, keeping traffic from going over him and the motorcycle. He stood up, and his cell phone made a pocket call to me.
No motorcycle rider walks away from an accident on I-4. Some miracle had occurred. That bell on his bike had created an air bag cushion. His fairing was unbroken, although the car trunk was dented in about 8″. He walked away on both feet with only a bruise on his back side where he hit the pavement. And his bike was actually repairable.
But what does this have to do with leadership and how do I draw the dots of the connection? I shift my frame of reference around the scene and find some answers:
Be as clear as a bell with your goals. People do what you expect them to do. They may not take the same path that you think is best to get there. I have learned that if I, as a leader expect someone to succeed, then they will. On the other hand, if I expect others to fail, then they will get frustrated, and ultimately they will also meet my expectations. People do what you expect them to do.
Be the bell, not the clapper. Clappers create noise. Clappers fill silence. Clappers don’t listen. If my leadership style is to be bossy, and talk, and attempt to direct all specific outcomes, then I can’t possibly hear what my peers, trusted advisers, customers or anyone is saying. On the other hand, if I imagine that I am the bell capturing sounds, then I hear lots ideas that harmonize within the outside of the bell and eventually come out as a new, beautiful solution. A solution that holistically includes thoughts from many contributors.
Create the cushion. The guardian bell created an invisible cushion that enabled the miracle to occur. Create boundaries to guard your employees from politics. Real boundaries. Give them clear objectives, and the tools to get the job done. Tools mean people, process, technology, funding. Get them what they need – the cushion – to get their job done
So – if this metaphor helps you become a better leader, then by all means steal it. There is probably more exercise in this metaphor left also – change your frame of reference to the clapper, or the bell, or the chain holding the bell and see what I mean
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!
“Every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings”
Christi