The Open Line

Honest conversations. Real presence. Leadership people want to follow.

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A Mama's Chirps

Two inches of fluff and feathers followed a tiny beak out of the dark hole in a wooden box. A beautiful mama wood duck floated about four feet below the box, chirping away. Just barely two days old, the tiny little duckling just simply jumped from the hole, sailing alllllll the way down, landing with barely a splash on the water. And then another came to the entrance and did the same thing. And then another, and another.

I couldn’t take my eyes off these adorable ducklings who knew nothing about nothing. They were just climbing up to the hole, heeding their mother’s call and simply jumping into the unknown.

It was courage wrapped in the cutest little package, getting their guts from mama’s chirps.

Mama knew they could do it, even if they didn’t quite know how.

Chirps from my own mother definitely gave me the courage to jump several times. I didn’t know quite what I was doing, but she knew I’d figure it out and fly. She knew I had the capability, even when I may not have had the competence.

Adam Grant in Think Again makes a case I wasn't expecting: that the imposter isn't always the enemy. A little uncertainty keeps us curious, humble and open. The problem isn't feeling like we don't know enough. It's forgetting that we know how to figure things out.

Competence is what we know. Capability is what we can do with uncertainty. The ducklings had zero competence, they'd never swum a stroke or paddled in a pond, but mama knew their capability. She'd seen it before they had.

So on this Mother's Day weekend: What if you chirped at yourself the way she chirped at you? Not with false confidence, not pretending you know more than you do. Just trusting that you'll figure it out, that the water will hold you, that the jump is worth taking.

Be your own mama duck this week. Find the opening. Heed the call. Jump.

Truly,
Jackie

Happy Mother's Day to all those who mother is some form or fashion!

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Quiet Signals

What to notice this week:

• What does your self-talk sound like? Is it focused more on competence, capabiity, or curiosity as you approach challenging situations?

• What would it look like to jump before you feel ready?

• Where in your life is someone else's belief in you outpacing your own? What would it mean to borrow some of their confidence this week?

Signal Boost

Want to explore how we can be courageous in our capabilities? Check out these resources:

Hi there! I'm Jackie. I help thoughtful people influence outcomes without having to become someone they’re not. ​LinkedIn Website​