People always ask me why do I include Fire walk in my Leadership Trainings? And what gives people the courage to actually walk on fire? Well it’s not a short answer so get ready to read 🙂
When organizations call me for Leadership trainings, they don’t need leadership theories. They need results, they need their employees to demonstrate leadership behaviours immediately after the workshop. Seems like an impossible objective right!
Well that’s exactly why I include many (seemingly) impossible activities like Fire walk in my leadership trainings. Activities like Fire walk gives people the emotional experience to face impossible challenges like a leader.
But don’t take my word for it, imagine yourself, if you just finished walking on fire yourself how would you feel? Seriously take a few seconds and Imagine this: you just finished walking on a 6 feet long bed of burning charcoal with flames coming up to your knees, how would you feel? Here is a picture to help you imagine:
I have asked the same question to my participants after walking on Fire in my leadership trainings and here are some of the answers you might relate to:
- I feel like I can do anything in my life now
- I feel like I can achieve extraordinary goals which I thought were impossible
- I feel like I can truly go beyond my fears now, I feel unstoppable
When participants leave the trainings with such experiences, they are truly ready to face any kind of leadership challenges. This is the real purpose of doing fire walk in leadership trainings; getting leaders ready for the real world challenges, which are no less than fire walk.
Now to the second and more important question which you might be interested in: What gives people the courage to walk on fire? Here are 3 specific principles from my workshop which help people to face fears like walking on fire with a smile on their face:
- Take control of your State of Mind – Your actions are controlled by your state of mind, so take control of your state of mind in order to take control of your actions.
- Manage Pressure Willingly – Most people run away from pressure but leaders need to practice to manage pressure willingly. Pressure is not just natural but its essential for growth, so if you have to face it, might as well face it willingly.
- Practice Blind Faith – In leadership you have to do things which you have never done before, in-fact sometimes you have to do things which are never done by anybody before. With no past experience to help, leaders must practice blind faith to move forward.
But again don’t take my word for it, ask yourself. If you start taking control of your state of mind, if you manage pressure willingly with a smile on your face, if you practiced having blind faith in crisis, wouldn’t you be able to face challenges like fire walk! I bet your answer is Yes!
Well then, take this hint and use the above 3 principles in your life NOW! Because I know you have your own fire walk challenges in your life. So come of the negative state of mind and take control of it, stop crying about the pressure and face it willingly and have some faith. Remember that even God helps them who help themselves.
Smile, listen to some inspiring music and be a leader and you know what, I have Faith in you 🙂 I know you can do it!
P.S. Share this article with many others who need inspiration to face their own fire walk.
Your Leadership Partner!
Mitesh Khatri
Leadership Trainer & Best-Selling Author
