Last week I had the chance to present at an overnight leadership retreat at Bishop Manogue Catholic High School in Reno, Nevada. I’ve been super spoiled with my student audiences and this group was no different. Really fun. Really committed. While I’m doing several leadership and trainings for ASBs this year, this was my only overnight event. Night time opens up a few more activities and I was able to facilitate a few I haven’t done in quite some time including a Trust Walk.
The Trust Walk is nothing new. Many organizations do it, and I’m a huge advocate of this taking place at night. Bishop Manogue has a gorgeous two story indoor campus, allowing some great opportunities for the activity. Since there was an odd number of participants, I took part in the walk as well, pairing up with a student.
During the first part, I was the “eyes,” providing relevant details about our location on campus, the upcoming obstacles, and reassuring safety measures. I keep calm. I continue to talk to let the person know I’m nearby. I reassure. I’ve lead the activity several times over the years, so I know what (most people) like to hear during the time in which their eyes are closed. I’m biased–I did a good job.
But then it was my turn to close my eyes. To be honest, I hadn’t done THIS part since high school. Okay, I’ve done it a bit, but in a large gym during a mini-walk at a leadership day. Now I was on the second floor of a building I barely knew with an understanding that I’d soon be walking six or so minutes back across the campus and also down a staircase.
I don’t want to fault my partner. She actually did an INCREDIBLE job of providing specific instructions. She kept calm. I didn’t bump into anything. I didn’t get hurt. I didn’t fall I knew where the stairs were (and she even counted steps down to the floor for me). But I have to admit, I was still a little scared. When I was the eyes, I was able to provide details about the campus, naming specific artwork or room names. She did the same, but I don’t know the campus, and so I really didn’t know where I was (even though she was giving really good directions).
So I walked slower. I was more hesitant.
And it made me think about beginning something new.
First, I think that if we are the more “experienced” people are on campuses, it’s time for us to step up and get ready for all of the new students to join us. What can we do to welcome them in? How do we welcome them in? How can we help them open their eyes? I’m a huge fan of schools that utilize Link Crew for their high school or WEB for their middle school. Both of these programs are excellent “eyes” for new students and empower leaders to truly mentor new students.
Second, I think if we recognize our eyes are closed, we need to be open to trust. It took me quite some time, but when we finally got to the last hallway or so, I picked up my pace just a bit and trusted. I didn’t know exactly where I was (or perhaps as well as my partner who regularly walked the hallways), but I began to realize she wasn’t going to let me fail. Even then though, if I had failed, the worst thing that would have happened would be that I’d walk into a wall (the stairwell was way behind me). At this point, it’s a matter of me being willing to walk. In other words, don’t delay your success simply because you might have a minor failure.
Just some quick thoughts. I hope you all are able to open your eyes this year and help others see their possibility!
(ps–many thanks to the student leaders at Bishop Manogue)