Leading with NLP

Starting the Journey 17

Does it seem more achievable? Does it seem that you

will get it any sooner?

How do you feel about it?

Explore whether you experience a threshold effect –

a point beyond which your picture loses any attrac-

tion. Also find the point where it is ‘too close for

comfort.’

Move your picture back to the most comfortable

distance. Was that where it started?

Play with these distances. You will find them interesting.

If a goal ever seems unrealistic or not attractive enough

it may be too far away. The further away, the less clearly

you can see it.

When you plan your goal, begin by making a picture

close to you and then move it to a suitable distance. Any

time you need to ‘get in touch’ with it again, pull it

closer.

Leaders make their goal seem possible however far into the
future it may be. One way to do this is to create a sense of
movement, for example:

‘The day is approaching...’
‘We can reach out and grasp...’
‘Hitting a moving target...’
‘We can reach it together...’
‘It’s within arm’s length...’
‘Headlong into the future...’
‘Nothing can stop us...’

leaders in perspective

Mental perspective influences how leaders are perceived too.
Some leaders seem more accessible than others and this may
have to do with how closely we imagine them in our mind’s
eye. Take the saying: ‘A general commands, a good leader