Moving Towards Safer Uncertainty with Matt Lock
Season 1, Jan 14, 2021, 09:58 AM
Matt explains that as humans we tend to confuse safety with certainty. Believing that to be safe we need to be certain of things. Yet by recognising that uncertainty is part of the fabric of the universe, we can live our lives whilst being safe and uncertain.
In today’s episode we are joined by Leadership Coach & Developer Matt Lock, whose career spans education, sport and business in the UK and New Zealand. We talk to Matt about an article he wrote in the Learning Scientist Magazine on Towards Safer Uncertainty. It’s a topic that has never been more relevant than in the world we find ourselves in today (as the UK enters a third national lockdown).
Matt explains that we tend to confuse safety with certainty. Believing that to be safe we need to be certain. Yet by realising we can be safe and uncertain, we can move into the domain of growth, exploration and learning. A fascinating territory for leaders to thrive in, and one that leads to more useful and appropriate ways forward. Matt argues that moving towards safer uncertainty is essential for next tier leaders - the leaders our businesses, organisations, and planet needs now.
Discussion Points:
Why the default position of 'It depends’ is a powerful place to start conversations.
To live a meaningful life we must Grow Up. Wake Up. Clean Up. Both as individuals and as organisations.
That when, as individuals and cultures, we recognise vulnerability as courage, we will make greater progress.
Accepting that things are always going to change, and that doing so leads to creativity and possibility.
How leaders can move Towards Safer Uncertainty using a framework for practice:
Matt explains that we tend to confuse safety with certainty. Believing that to be safe we need to be certain. Yet by realising we can be safe and uncertain, we can move into the domain of growth, exploration and learning. A fascinating territory for leaders to thrive in, and one that leads to more useful and appropriate ways forward. Matt argues that moving towards safer uncertainty is essential for next tier leaders - the leaders our businesses, organisations, and planet needs now.
Discussion Points:
Why the default position of 'It depends’ is a powerful place to start conversations.
To live a meaningful life we must Grow Up. Wake Up. Clean Up. Both as individuals and as organisations.
That when, as individuals and cultures, we recognise vulnerability as courage, we will make greater progress.
Accepting that things are always going to change, and that doing so leads to creativity and possibility.
How leaders can move Towards Safer Uncertainty using a framework for practice:
- Staying curiously awake
- Consciously creating safety
- Embracing uncertainty
- Learning from life
- Connecting to the wider system
Learn about Matt’s three Leadership Essentials and why they are so important to leadership success.
- Humility
- Courage
- Curiosity
Links from the show:
- Matt’s Blog on Towards Safer Uncertainty. http://mattlock.co/article29.html
- Matt Lock Associates: http://mattlock.co/
- Matt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattlockconsultancy/
- Can we work with complexication? Complicated and Complexed. Can we be curious enough to get into “complexication” even if it doesn’t give us convenient answers? Transformational Presence: https://alanseale.org/