YWell: Balcony Perspective
Steve Patty
YWell: Balcony Perspective
In this session, we will be looking at what you don’t know about yourself. You can only see what you can see from your own vantage point. When thinking about your growing edge, what would it be like to see things from a new or different perspective? Might you be able to see things about yourself you can’t see right now? Marty Linsky and Ronald Heifetz from the Harvard Kennedy School uses the metaphor, get on the balcony. Our lives are on the dance floor and we “dance” through the day without taking time to get on the balcony and observe your life and your dance. What would it be like to get off the dance floor and get on the balcony to observe yourself? The balcony perspective can give you insight into how you are progressing in your growing edge and what you can be doing differently.
How do you get on the balcony?
Practice some form of mindfulness that will allow you to pull back and think about how you are showing up in your life in regards to your growing edge. Learn to gain perspective on yourself as you reflect from your own vantage point.
Get someone else’s perspective on you and learn from their vantage point. Look for someone who is close to you and regularly observes you but also has a reliable perspective.
Before the next session:
Spend time practicing mindfulness and reflect from your vantage point about your growing edge. Next, find someone in your life with a reliable perspective about your growing edge. Ask them to get on the balcony with you and provide you with insight on your life and how you can progress your growing edge. Ask them how am I showing up in my growing edge? Tell me things to encourage and challenge me about who I am and how I am showing up.
In partnership with the YMCA of Canada, Dr. Steve Patty is producing a Leadership and Personal Development Series, taking viewers through seven parts on how to grow and nurture your personal leadership. How do you maximize your ability to move forward on the things that really matter in your life? How do you lead yourself? In each of the seven episodes, Dr. Patty will walk you through one key idea and invite you to try an action step.
This page will help you think through these key ideas and action steps in order to get the most out of the series.
Start the Series from the Beginning
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