Hats Off! To Wearing Many Hats!
Blogpost: Lynne Jarman-Johnson
I have a new hat placed proudly on my head. It’s the hat of Interim Director of Communication with Grand Rapids Community College. This great opportunity was presented to me like a new easter bonnet, and I immediately placed it on my head with an excitement that has grown each day.
My new hat has me attending more meetings, coordinating with more people, enjoying collaboration in a new way. It has also allowed me to take stock of where I am, where I’m going, and where I need to position hats for the most effective appearance, style and productivity.
There isn’t anyone who doesn’t wear more than one hat at once. In our personal life we may wear our parent hats, our student hats, our spouse hat, our friend hat, our sister hat, our in-law hat, our daughter or son hat.
In our business life we may wear our colleague hat, our leader hat, our committee volunteer hat, our finance hat, our boss hat, our employee hat, our solve complex issues hat.
All of the hats we wear can become thin with too much wear. We can wear out the fabric that allows us to be fully engaged. How often we try to avoid our hats falling to the ground and getting trampled.
If we put all of our hats on at once we look silly - yet that is what we do every day. We place them on our heads and bring the one to the front that is the most pressing at the time.
The only way we can stay balanced is if we embrace the hats we love to wear - and shed the ones that make us stressed and unfocused. It’s not easy to do. Sometimes we face responsibilities wearing hats that are not necessarily what we want to wear but are obligatory. True leaders wear these hats with confidence and grace. They do not complain, whine or stir up negativity. You know when you have the chance to work or live with such a person; you walk away as they tip their hat to you, bringing you more focus and passion for your next activity.
There is no getting around wearing many hats at once. Do we choose to wear them with our heads held high and our focus on the project at hand? When we do, the chosen hat will be perched where it is supposed to, it will fit well, and we will feel ready to tip our own hat to the world!
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