The Importance of Crazy

A HUGE shout out to my team for coming out full on for a great cause! All together we raised $6567.00 for EasterSeals in what really amounted to two weeks. Everyone participated fully even though some were afraid of heights, some afraid of asking for donations, and some afraid of costumes. (Sorry for laughing at your fear, but that one was funny) You'll notice not everyone is in the picture, but everyone did their part to make things happen and I think you'll all agree that it started with the crazy idea of your visionary leader.

Leaders aren't just meant to be corporate professionals. Sorry, it had to be said. When it comes right down to it people are people and they need to have a common goal, a common vision and sometimes that vision needs to be outside of the expected. It's not always just about the money, or greater picture. Sometimes it's just about having fun and doing shit that scares you, but knowing that your team has your back despite your fears.

I know this is why off site corporate challenges work so well for creating comradery in the office. The reason they fail, I believe, is because the leader doesn't help the team embrace their fears. Sometimes people are just afraid of looking like idiots and you have to help them embrace their inner idiot. Because, when they do embrace their inner idiot (fear), there's a connection that happens between people that wouldn't be able to happen any other way. And, when the connections happen, miracles happen. Creativity explodes, ideas pop up, inspiration and confidence run amok and it's a beautiful sight!

1. Get people together outside the office.
2. Have them work on a common goal that has nothing to do with work.
3. Be the leader in making it happen. You go first.
4. Rally up the inspiration so they know they can do it, even if they haven't done anything yet.
5. Embrace and console their fears.

You have no idea what fears keep your team from being the rockstars that they could be. Your job is to help them eliminate or embrace those fears so that they can perform in ways that you didn't even know possible.

It can be as easy as taking everyone out of the office for two-day marketing and strategy meeting or getting them to rappel down a 30 story building in a super hero costume. The choice is yours, but I assure you it's worth the effort!