Bubble

I was reading an article from a colleague, Dan Rust about How Leaders Become Liars and there was a section that really resonated with me. In Step 3 he talks about how The Leader Works and Lives in a "Bubble" and how the bubble that surrounds them transforms their reality. My goal here isn't to elaborate on Dan's article. I do encourage you to read it for yourself though. But I always do like to give credit to those that inspire me each week.

bub·ble /ˈbəb(ə)l/

Used to refer to a good or fortunate situation that is isolated from reality or unlikely to last.

My dog, Abby had surgery during the pandemic due to a torn ACL. During that time I basically kept her in a bubble so that she could heal. She lived in the most enormous fence in our living room, slept on the floor with me for four (very long months) until she finally was cleared by the doctor to move about the cabin. As much as sleeping on the floor was hard for me, it was harder to let her out of her protective bubble. In order for her to truly heal I needed to let her walk around, jump on beds again, and be a real puppy. Basically I needed to pop that protective bubble eventually in order for good things to happen.

Last month I went to visit family where my eldest niece is graduating high school. She has grown up in a very small school, close knit community and her parents are amazing and supportive and just some of the best people I know. But in the fall...she will be leaving the nest to attend college. As I visited we discussed that process (I even forced them to watch the episode of the Gilmore Girls where Rory goes to Yale). I was very proud that they decided to pop that protective bubble over the next few months instead of on move in day. My niece did her first flight alone to visit a new friend and got to have some of those firsts in before the official move in day.

It made me think about business though. How often do we put people in new roles and just push them out of the nest and expect them to fly? Often when we hire people we expect them to come with a certain degree of capability, we expect them to have flown before. Often we simply pop the bubble on arrival and hope they figure it out. What if we kept them in the bubble a little while longer, slowly letting some of the air out over time to ensure they were successful. In my new role I have an opportunity to start again as a manager. I'm enjoying bringing all my lessons learned to the table to support my new team members and ensure they are successful. Giving them a protective bubble for a short period of time is one of the best things I can offer to them.

But the real best thing I can offer them is popping my own. Back to Dan's article - sometimes leaders surround themselves with people who boost them up, agree with their decisions and in that bubble they lose touch with reality. I'll be honest - I've made my career being a bubble popper. I have no qualms about walking up to anyone of any rank and making my opinion know, particularly if it can help the greater good (even if it's not good for me). As a leader one of the best things I can do is to create an environment that supports bubble poppers. Tell me when I do something wrong, tell me when I need to improve, express your opinion. Help us be better together.

It's not always the easiest conversation but let's face it, it's the only way we will grow. My dog cannot live in her giant fence, my niece must leave the house someday, my team members must one day fly on their own, and I must continue to listen to others opinions to keep me honest and keep me growing.

How thick is your bubble? Are you in a bubble or are you a bubble popper?