Wisdom in Leadership
By Les Mottosky
Freedom sounds like wide-open space. A limitless open field and the wind at your back. But without structure, freedom is chaos.
A horse minus a purposeful rider just runs in circles. It may be fast and beautiful, but it's going nowhere.
Freedom is only useful when aimed. A dream, direction or purpose gives freedom meaning. Boundaries give it power. The same is true for child-rearing, creativity and toothpaste. Kids require boundaries at home or they'll seek out a group, clique or gang that provides them. The more constraint applied to creativity, the more interesting the resulting outcome. Ever stood in front of a wall of toothpastes? You'll end up empty-handed and standing in the snack aisle. Too much freedom leads to confusion and/or overwhelm.
True freedom – the one we all seek – requires guardrails of discipline.
It's the ultimate paradox. We crave it, but it’s only through structure that freedom can express itself. The cage is clarity, not confinement. It’s that self-imposed standard, the chosen discipline, the destination you care about enough to ride toward.
Want creative freedom? You’ll need constraints. Want emotional freedom? Inner structure is the way: self-responsibility, curiosity, honesty, and the guts to say no. Want spiritual freedom? Build a defined practice and stick to it. No matter what.
It’s easy to idolize freedom as a cheat-code to avoid work, expectations, or control. But real freedom isn’t about escape; it’s alignment with your heart's desire. Choose a worthy aim and build the frame to take you there. That’s the cage. And paradoxically, that’s the only place real freedom shows up. The only place it can show up.
Because when everything is possible, nothing gets done. And when nothing gets done, we aren’t free. Rather, we’re scattered, miserable and adrift. No fun. And no freedom.
If you don't define your freedom and apply the necessary discipline, it's chaotic cousin, confusion, will imprison you.
So ride that horse. And point it's nose at a destination of your conscious choosing. That's where you'll find the sincerest form of freedom.
TAGS: #Wisdom In Leadership #Discipline #Freedom Is Our Nature #Adaptation As Innovation
Les Mottosky
Adaptation Strategist // I help organizations turn creativity into their competitive advantage by aligning leadership, culture and strategy to unlock adaptive innovations.
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