The Next Step Is Possible

My daughter got to speak with Wynton Marsalis last night in Nairobi and something happened I didn’t expect.

Earlier in the day, she was given the opportunity to ask the whole Lincoln Center Jazz band a question. It was honest and relevant to any leaders and aspiring leaders reading this. Her question?

“I was wondering if you’ve ever had a mental block where you just thought that you were never good enough and that you would never be good enough?” 
(Boom! This on her own initiative, I swear I didn’t tell her to ask the band a deep coaching question designed to uncover inner blocks.)

Admittedly, the 14 member band gave a quiet and stunned pause when my 12-year old dropped that onto their stage. A brave trombonist decided to meet the moment. In short, he shared how each of us see people who are the leaders in business, sports, music, you name it. We can quickly think that they are better than us, that they must have something we will never have. Nah. 

What they have is:

• The time that they put in to get that good.

• The cumulative advantages that are given to those who demonstrate commitment and potential.

• The preparation for their big break in the fleeting moment when it came.

They have what we all could have. They have the work they put in and what they got for it.

Want to lead and succeed? This musician near a peak in his field would say: put in the time, the repetitions, build the skills. In the surprise moment when opportunity knocks, you will be ready.  Further, my daughter’s question sat with the band all day and after the evening concert she was asked back stage to speak with Wynton Marsalis and another member of the band. 

This time she got a deeper answer.

A different band member shared that he overcame his own deep self doubt in the dark moments by remembering that he had come this far. He had come to the edge of the next step. If he got this far, his next step was possible. He saw it in spiritual terms where his purpose, calling, and divine intervention had given him all he needed to come to this edge, why wouldn’t they support him as he crossed over the chasm? 

Why wouldn’t he stand up for what he knew he wanted?

There is no reason why we should stop now. 
We deserve to keep on going. 
This is another step, similar to the many we have taken towards what we want.

Yours,