Every person, every leader, has a bubble.
The question isn’t whether you have one. The question is what you’re doing to step outside of it.
No matter how successful your business is or how long you’ve been leading your team, it’s easy to fall into routines. We talk to the same people. We attend the same meetings. We solve problems the same way because those approaches have worked before.
There’s comfort in that. But there’s also risk.
If we’re not intentional, we stop exposing ourselves to new ideas, different perspectives, and maybe even better ways of doing things. Growth doesn’t usually happen when we’re doing the same things we’ve always done. It happens when we’re willing to look outside our own world.
Last week, I stepped outside the Chamber world and spent the week at the National Dance Honors Competition and Convention in San Diego with my daughter. Throughout the week, I found myself paying attention not just to the dancers, but to everything happening around them. I watched thousands of dancers, families, teachers, judges, volunteers, and staff move through an incredibly complex event. I watched customer service in action, communication between teams, scheduling, technology, and logistics.
What surprised me wasn’t how different it was. It was how familiar it felt.
Strip away the costumes and choreography, and it looked a lot like any successful organization: logistics, communication, customer service, problem solving, teamwork, big highs, big lows…just with a few more tears than usual (to be clear, the tears were mine).
It reminded me that most organizations, regardless of industry, are trying to accomplish many of the same things. We all want to create a great experience. We all want strong communication. We all want people to feel valued. We all want our teams to succeed.
I came home with a few ideas I’d like to explore at the Chamber. No, they don’t involve dancing, but they do involve thinking differently about how we engage our Members and our community. Sometimes the best ideas come from watching how someone else solves a problem you’ve been looking at for years.
So I’ll leave you with a challenge – How can you intentionally step outside your bubble this month?
Visit a business outside your industry. Call a business owner in another community and ask how they tackled a challenge you’re facing. Attend an event where you don’t know anyone. Read something that pushes your thinking instead of simply reinforcing it.
We don’t have to come up with every great idea ourselves. One of the best parts of being in business is having the opportunity to learn from one another. Let’s use those relationships to challenge our thinking, share ideas, and help each other reach our goals.
And when we do reach those goals, let’s celebrate them.
My daughter’s studio was honored with several awards at Nationals, including Honored Studio of the Year, the competition’s highest recognition. It was an incredible moment and a reflection of years of hard work, commitment, and consistency. The award itself was exciting, but what it really represented was the opportunity to pause and recognize the people who made it possible.
Recognition matters.
Not because of the trophy or the title, but because it reminds people that their hard work is seen and valued. It gives us a reason to celebrate the long hours, the quiet dedication, and the behind-the-scenes effort that often goes unnoticed.
As you look for ways to step outside your bubble, don’t forget to recognize the people inside it.
Nominate someone on your team for an award. Celebrate a milestone. Say thank you publicly. Take a moment to acknowledge the people who help make your business successful.
The people inside your bubble deserve recognition. The ideas outside your bubble deserve your attention. And your bubble itself has an important role. It keeps you focused on your mission, your values, and your people, afyer all your bubble should keep you grounded, not keep you comfortable.