This week, we have been binge watching the new series on Netflix, called School of Chocolate. In the show, there are 8 professionals studying under the mentorship of Amaury Guichon, a famous chocolatier. The pros go through a series of challenges where they learn a new skill and then apply it immediately, alternating individual challenges with group challenges. Not only was I amazed at what they were able to create with chocolate and pastries, I am absolutely fascinated by the human brains of the participants as well as the leadership skills of Chef Amaury.
If you simply step back and focus on the thoughts and feelings of the participants, you see an entire range of mental self-sabotage happening:
- Comparing themselves against others, sometimes criticizing others in an effort to retain their own worthiness
- Avoiding tasks that are difficult and may end in failure
- Displaying impatience, anger, and criticism when things aren’t going in their favor
- Rejecting and resenting feelings when they are perceived to get in the way of producing their desired results
- Waiting and planning for something bad to happen as if anything good never lasts
- Prioritizing the need to be accepted by Chef Amaury and/or their peers over the task or the learning environment
- Feeling constant frustration with themselves because they aren’t living up to their own high standards
- Experiencing feelings of being overlooked and dwelling on comparisons
These are all very common ways that our brain can sabotage our success. Add in a high pressure competition and the TV cameras and it’s no surprise that these behaviors came out. It’s the nature of the human brain to respond in this way. This same dynamic shows up all around us, every single day, interrupting our interactions with loved ones, co-workers, even the cashier at the coffee shop. In fact, given the pressure that COVID has added to the environment, we are seeing them more often than ever as we each get pushed to the limits of our mental fitness. Think of it this way, in terms of physical fitness, the average person could probably go out and take a walk with very little issue. But if you asked them to hike a steep mountain, that would challenge the majority beyond their comfort zone unless they took some time to train their bodies for the stress of the climb. Mental fitness works the same way. The more you train, the more adversity you can handle without allowing negativity to work against you. Without mental fitness, when you add the general strain we all feel on our lives currently during the pandemic, to everyday pressures at work, it starts to challenge our ability to do our best work. Instead, our own mental clutter follows us around and constantly interrupts the daily activities of ourselves and everyone around us.
While he didn’t win, the contestant that stood out to me the most was Daniel. Although he was the youngest contestant and largely self-taught, he appeared to have a natural ability to manage his mind. He led from a place of curiosity and learning, getting excited about each new lesson and the ability to apply it throughout the challenges. Throughout the season, Chef Amaury gave him constructive feedback about his pastry skills, challenging him to improve the taste and textures of his creations. Instead of making self-deprecating comments or treating himself as a victim for not having as much experience, he went to work. He opened himself to the feedback and reaped the benefits by continuing to improve. While being honest with himself, he didn’t make it part of his identity that he was a “bad” pastry chef when he was told his creation was lacking, he simply took it as a next step in his development, ending the season by telling Chef Amaury that for the upcoming months, that would be his primary focus. While he too had moments of insecurity, his ability to quickly switch back into seeing the gifts of this experience and take action from a clean, drama-free place was unmatched by the other contestants. If you were to ask me who appeared to have the most fun in the process while learning and absorbing the most, my guess would definitely be Daniel.
The other person that fascinated me most was Chef Amaury and the strong leadership skills he displayed on the show. He seemed to read each individual and their unique mental challenges very well, while also pushing them past their comfort zone. He continued to verbalize his belief in the contestants throughout the season, while still challenging them to reach for more. He met them where they were at vs. where he wanted them to be. Although some of the contestants interpreted his feedback in different ways, he delivered it very matter-of-fact and drama-free, stating it as something that was just simply a math equation. You did X, it resulted in Y. If you did it differently, you might get a different result. He didn’t expect anyone to show up as mini replicas of himself and allowed them to be their own person, although he did suggest ways of doing things that might be easier or produce better results. He gave just enough assistance for them to succeed while still allowing them space to own the overall project. We should all be so lucky to have a leader with these traits, and by aspiring to be a leader who shows up in this way, we can all improve the work environment for those around us.
Do you have the appropriate level of mental fitness to succeed in the work environment you are in right now? Are your days fueled by negative thinking that is dragging you forward or positive thinking that is propelling you to a new level of success?