Are you a scared leader?

To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance.  ~Matthew 25:29a (NLT)

"It is not possible to commit to everything.  We must make choices.  Trying to commit to everything is a form of gluttony, being unable to say no, not wanting to let others down, scared that saying no may make you lose the one opportunity you might get.  These feelings are all about a mentality of scarcity.  Scarcity is where you think this will never come along again so you have to grab it.  Scarcity is built around a concept of being scared." (International Coach Academy, 2012)

Sound familiar?  We've probably all been there.  We like to label it as being opportunistic, but is it really a form of gluttony, being unable to say no?  If we're leading from a mindset of grabbing every opportunity, is that really another way of saying we’re running scared?

This perspective on scarcity (a form of gluttony) was new to me and hit me pretty much right between the eyes.  Grabbing every opportunity, isn't that just good business?  Isn't that what entrepreneurs do? 

Seth Godin, known as America's greatest marketer, has a different perspective.  Seth says…

In a society where value is created by the manufacture of goods or the allocation of limited resources, it's not a surprise that organizations seek scarcity.  We hesitate to share, because if I give you this, then I don't have it any more.  We erect barriers and create rules to make it difficult for some people to have access to these limited resources.   

Our new economy, though, is based on abundance, the abundance that comes from ideas and access.  If I benefit when everyone knows my idea, then the more people I give the idea to, the better we all do.  If I benefit when I earn a reputation leading, connecting and creating positive change, then I'll benefit if I can offer these insights to anyone who can benefit from them.  With an abundance mindset we create ideas and services that do better when people share.

Over the past several months I've tried to take on the mindset of focusing on what I can give away.  Not materially, but through my consulting and coaching business.   What ideas can I freely share with whoever is interested?  What services can I provide that really don't need to have an invoice attached?  Who can I help get more clients?  What can I share?  That's not the mindset of someone who grew up in the industrial age with parents who were depression babies.  For me, it's been a shift and a welcome change.

If a mindset of scarcity means you're running scared, then maybe a mindset of abundance means you're joyfully and freely sharing your wealth.

Seth calls this an "unconditional gift, one given with nothing expected in return.  It creates conversations and spreads ideas.  It opens doors and creates forward motion.  What happens to the math if when I give you something, I don’t lose anything.  Or even better, what if the act of giving something away actually gives me more?"

Let's stop being scared leaders, we don't need to commit to and grab everything and become gluttonous.  We need to use well what we have been given and share our abundance.  Let's be abundant leaders!