Yesterday was a hectic day. I started the day with 185 high school students in Shamu Stadium at Sea World. I am part of the teaching team of Student Leadership University. Every Tuesday, for 8 straight weeks we are at Shamu Stadium for a session on building trusting relationships at 7:00am.
Hello, 7:00am, are you kidding me? At 7:00am, I'm looking at these students like the movie line "I see dead people". But the minute they see Shamu and the other 3 whales come out of the back pool and jump in the large pool in front of them, they come alive.
It's fantastic to see the transformation. I do the same thing. Like a little boy, every week, I am thrilled to see those killer whales perform. It's very cool - you can't make a killer whale do what it doesn't want to do...And you can't make people do what they want to do either! These extraordinary trainers at Sea World build trusting, meaningful relationships with the whales and the lesson learned is that we must build trusting, meaningful relationships with those around us as well.
Yesterday, in the middle of the Shamu show, the whales stopped doing "the show". The trainers didn't beat them, shout and scream at them, taser them or speak of them as losers. These trainers simply explained that something in the whale pod was emotionally or environmentally wrong. As a result, they stopped and cancelled the show. The students came back for the 12:30 show and everything was great, perfect synchronization between whale and trainer.
Another lesson learned. What if we lead and encouraged those around us in this manner where we are sensitive to their surroundings and their environment and their emotions? We might have an opportunity to succeed at greater levels because we have intentionally built a trusting, meaningful relationship. I think that is the expression of great value, that someone would want to, and then actually attempt to build a trusting, meaningful relationship with me, of all people.
May you be that kind of leader; Building trusting, meaningful relationships day after day-starting today!
Just a thought....Peace, Chuck
