One of the most profound learnings I had on my own development journey is the power of “Getting on the Balcony!” It is a metaphor that was first introduced to me by my mentor and professor Ron Heifetz in his groundbreaking class “Exercising Leadership. The Politics of Change.”
The idea is simple – but the practice is hard.
We all get caught up in the busyness of our roles and jobs. The action of the dance floor. That’s where the music draws us. That’s where the energy is - and the sweat. But in order to see the bigger picture, it is essential to step back and get on the balcony.
In my own leadership practice, I often go on walks, I journal, I talk with close friends. In my practice as a coach, I hold space and help clients find new awareness, new perspectives – to listen to the song beneath the words.
These are all balcony practices – and they are typically personal and private.
We need more public balconies. That’s why I’m inviting you today to listen to our new podcast “On the Balcony,” where we slow down, have meaningful conversations with allies and confidants, do deep reading and reflection, and practice coaching.
We start this season by exploring Ron Heifetz’s groundbreaking book, Leadership Without Easy Answers (1994) – the book behind the most provocative leadership class at Harvard Kennedy School, which has impacted generations of change agents, executives, and people who care about developing others.
In the almost-30 years since the book was published, the world has gotten even more complex. Collectively, we face a lot of really messy challenges.
KONU’s mission is to develop change agents to address systemic challenges. This podcast hopes to make a contribution to supporting individuals on their leadership journeys.
Each episode corresponds with a chapter of the book. Episode 1 focuses on the introduction and chapter one, and what makes the adaptive leadership framework so unique in the conversation about leadership.
We start by inviting a guest to share their experiences practicing leadership and we make meaning of a piece of text that stood out to them. In the first episode, leadership coach and facilitator Rosi Greenberg helps us explore the roles of identity and silence in practicing leadership, and how to think about the “messes” we create.
Then, stemming from KONU’s deep-seated belief that everyone can grow their leadership practice, we hold vulnerable space… in which I get coached on air!
The purpose of this public coaching is to put a spotlight on the power of coaching in helping people – yes, including me – make leaps in our development. For the first two episodes, Andy Cahill, a transformational coach I am honored to call a KONU colleague, serves as my on-air coach.
I invite you to listen to the episode, available now where you get your podcasts. As you do so, consider sharing and discussing the episodes with your teams and colleagues as part of your balcony practice.
Find On The Balcony on your favorite streaming service
What’s coming up for you? What are you learning? How can you apply this to your own leadership practice?