A friend, a Senior Executive with a passion for the development and growth of people, and I were talking recently about coaching and mentoring.  The focus of the conversation at one point went to helping people see beyond their potential. He mentioned that in his coaching he uses the metaphor of a ladder to describe a career journey.  The rungs are the progressive steps of growth.  The metaphor is not new, but he brought his magic to it … his ladder went into and out of clouds as it rose.  There were places where the next rung could be seen, and others where it seemed to stop and go no further.

There are many rungs on each person’s journey that are obvious to growth and development and need to be climbed.  There are those rungs along the journey, however, that are not as clearly visible – the cloud.  When some people come to the cloud in their ascent, they hesitate and worse, stop, because they see this rung as the end of their ladder.  They end their climb.  Great leaders see the cloud and extend their hand to find the next rung.  It takes great courage to make that step and extend beyond the limits of what we see and know.  It takes strong belief in self to see what is and can be possible within ourselves. 

My friend’s message is profound in its simplicity:  Don’t let the clouds get in your way; don’t limit your perception of what is possible be hidden by a lack of courage. Be brave; be bold. The ladder is yours to find its top.  Lord Byron, British poet, tells great leaders:  “Be thou the rainbow in the storms of life. The evening beam that smiles the clouds away, and tints tomorrow with prophetic ray.”  Teach courage, vision and belief in self that those you serve will grasp the next rung in the clouds that they will see the stars and find their destiny… with passion and incredible joy.

Have a beautiful day and a magnificent week!!!

Mike

（Permitted to share by Professor Michael M. Reuter ，Director, Center for Leadership Development

Stillman School of Business， Seton Hall University; Title given by http://weibo/houshengtian）