The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off

“The Truth Will Set You Free, But First It Will Piss You Off”

— Gloria Steinem

This quote already hit home a couple of times in my professional life. The most vivid memory is when I traveled to Boston 🇺🇸 to provide a PSM II class at Scrum.org. This was about 5 or 6 years ago.

When I arrived at the customs, I was interviewed quite rigidly and harshly. It was far from a warm welcome. During the interview, I had to explain what Scrum was about (which was already a struggle 😅), and why I was flying all the way from the Netherlands to the US to provide a class.

Wasn’t there someone else in the US who could teach this class? 🤷‍♂️

Initially, it pissed me off 😡. I felt treated unfairly.

Together with Christiaan Verwijs, I designed the class. The purpose of teaching the class at Scrum.org was to teach other trainers how to provide the class. So, NO, there wasn’t someone else who could do this!

However, a seed was planted… 🌱

Slowly, I started to question why I was traveling (and flying ✈) so often. At one point, I visited 3 or 4 different countries in one month, sometimes hardly being aware of where I was.

Despite my valid reasons for visiting the US, many other trips were mostly motivated by ego. I was flattered by the invitations to do keynotes at big events and provide training at supercool companies. I liked the spotlight 🔦and becoming known in our community.

This wasn’t necessarily wrong, but I did start to have 2nd thoughts about it. Mainly because I often talked about servant leadership. Helping other people to shine. And here I was, consuming all the limelight.

What if I create space for others to step into the limelight? 🤔

Do I really need to travel (and fly) to spread my message? Or can I also spread my ideas in other ways (content, material, products) to help others become the best version of themselves? 🤷‍♀️

Over time, I started to enjoy this approach way more.

I still travel. Mostly by train, and occasionally I fly (although I can’t remember the last time anymore). I still do presentations (ideally workshops) at events, but not frequently and mostly around the corner or online. It saves me lots of time. Time I rather invest in our community and the teams we support using our product.

I like to believe that I moved from talking about servant leadership to actually practicing it. That’s obviously something for others to judge.

In the end, it’s a continuous balancing act. It feels like I’ve found a good balance at this point in my life. All thanks to the seed that was planted at the US customs. 😄

What is an example of a truth that set you free, but first pissed you off?