Aliveness over trances

The biggest pitfalls of training are what we call teaching trances.

When we become too comfortable with our position of authority, we can become attached to giving explanations and answers. In turn, the surprise of discovery, learning new ideas, and tapping into other resources can all come to seem like threats. Stepping out of the teaching trance allows discovery, rather than information, to be at the heart of learning. As David Rock and Jeffery Schwartz say in their article, ‘The Neuroscience of Leadership’:

For insights to be useful, they need to be generated from within, not given to individuals as conclusions … Human brains are so complex and individual that there is little point in trying to work out how another person ought to reorganize his or her thinking. It is far more effective and efficient to help others come to their own insights.

By avoiding the trappings of expertise, we make ourselves more vulnerable. But we also create a more exciting and engaging atmosphere in which we, and others, can learn.

Photo by Ben White on Unsplash