Small change: play dead

As a leader, it’s normal to feel stuck sometimes. All of us encounter situations where we don’t feel well resourced to cope with what’s coming at us.

At such times, the concept of the ‘transitional object’ might serve you well. Imagine for a minute that you’re not you — but are someone you admire from history. Imagine how this individual might have handled the situation you’re facing. How might their attributes, knowledge, and experience have conditioned them to respond?

Now take that energy and put it to work for you.

The secret of the transitional object is this: you didn’t know this person. But the fact that you have the capacity to imagine their behaviour means that you also have it in you to behave in this way. So, play dead. You might just find a new way to bring yourself to life.

Something to consider: how would my favourite character from history respond to this situation?

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