The Bell has Rung!!!
I am very familiar with the term “The Bell has Rung” in the context of major life learning opportunities those “Crucible (Teachable) Moments” - transformative experiences through which an individual comes to a new or an altered sense of identity-. The bell ringing informs us that it’s time to adopt the changes and move on with a renewed sense of self.
Crucible Moments, which occur many times throughout our life journey, are meant to stimulate new ways of thinking and being so that we become present and mindful when responding to them. These moments can be filled with new opportunities, ways of thinking or enlighten us to how we view others and situations. Ideally, we will choose to make the shift welcoming the renewed sense of who we are. Once the shift occurs it never serves to revert to the old way, habit, or way of thinking. Hence “The Bell has Rung”!
During the early years of my career I tested these opportunities many times, because dammit I was going to be right about it all. On certain occasions it was my judgement about not knowing exactly what to do to shift my life that I chose not to step up to the plate. So, when a learning opportunity arrived, I immediately gave permission to my EGO (my arrogant self) to take over. I will tell you it was not pretty. Have you heard the term “What you resist persists”? Well, more and more opportunities would present themselves until the point of great adversity. Only at that point did I finally get the meaning of “The Bell has Rung”… “Grow through what you Go Through”!
I have come to learn that life presents us with everything we require to grow, learn, be and ultimately live abundant lives filled with opportunities to self-actualize (Maslow defines self-actualization… where personal potential is fully realized and Carl Rogers defines it… an individual’s tendency to actualize themselves, to become their potentialities).
Personal potential is not about the money we make, the accolades we receive or the endless hours we put into our work. It is the epitome of our destiny our intrinsic (inherent) ability to Be, Do and Have all that we desire. So, the more we are willing to be open and allow ourselves to be in a place of “Learn and be Curious”, especially during those Crucible Moments, the more we set ourselves up to step into responsible self-discovery and actualization.
Learning Agility:
I’d like to introduce the notion of "Learning Agility". Simply put it is about knowing what to do when you don't know what to do. It is the ability and willingness to learn from experience and subsequently apply that learning to perform successfully under new or first-time conditions.
Leaders who are Learning Agile remain open to new ways of thinking and stay in a constant place of learning new skills. Learning Agile Leaders learn from their experiences, their adoption proficiency is high... 1) They know what to do when they don't know what to do, 2) They excel at absorbing information from their experience and then extrapolate from those to navigate forward and 3) Ultimately, they learn from every experience and then subsequently apply that learning to perform successfully under first/new experiences.
The major difference between successful people and those whose careers falter is their ability to make meaning from their experiences. When leaders are mindful and look for meaning and/or 'teachable moments' in every situation they are considered learning agile.
Five Facets of Learning Agility:
"Learning Agility" is a mind-set with a corresponding collection of practices that allow leaders to continually develop, grow and utilize new strategies that will equip them for the increasingly complex problems they face. The five facets of "Learning Agility" incorporate four enablers and one derailer.
Learning Agile - Enablers:
Innovating: Not afraid to challenge the status quo.
Performing: Remaining calm in the face of difficulty.
Reflecting: Taking time to reflect on their experiences.
Risking: Purposefully put themselves in challenging situations.
When leaders rate high on the Reflecting scale, their peers and direct reports rate these leaders as more effective.
Learning Agile - Derailer:
Defending: Being open to experience is fundamental to learning. It is no surprise that individuals who remain closed or defensive when challenged or given critical feedback tend to be lower in learning agility.
When leaders rate high on the Defending scale, their bosses rate these leaders as less effective.
In Summary:
The more self-aware and learning agile you are the more resilient you will be when “Crucible Moments” arrive (even during moments of great adversity), especially those that require risk, refection, and transformation.
Defensiveness or as I like to say when choosing the path of “DENY-DEFEND-DEFLECT” rarely does the individual realize or are conscious to the life learning lesson within the “Crucible Moment” before them.
I will end with this thought... heed the guidance from “learning agility” Take the Leap…Stay Agile… And more importantly…. Grow through what you Go Through!!!!
The Bell has Rung!!!
My book "It was ME all Along, the Path to FREEDOM" is available on Amazon in paperback, Audible and Kindle formats.
