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The practices of a barrier buster. Signs of a bounce mentality. There are a few reliable ways to recognize a bounce mentality. While none of these alone guarantees we have encountered a bounce mentality, stacked together, it becomes nearly undeniable. Boeing. I've even come to assign a special word to these moments. I call them Boeings. Boeing is the sound we associate with a rubber bouncy ball hitting a wall and bouncing off. On a few occasions I have even made that sound out loud when a team member began making excuses or trying to wiggle out of a task. In the middle of their explanation for why they could not or did not accomplish the assignment, I would simply interrupt with Boeing. They knew exactly what I meant. It was always good natured and usually prompted a good laugh. But the point was made. When a convenient excuse is presented as though it were a legitimate reason for not pushing through. I think I may start on this next week. This week is just stacked. I really think we need to consider all our options before we just jump in. I think it would be better if a new team member did this, just so they can learn. When a personal limitation is blamed on how the organization works. Well, if I just had well, they never really trained me. I they haven't really given me permission. I'm not sure if that's how they want it done. When a clear directive is reinterpreted simply because someone prefers a different approach, I know they said to do it this way, but I really just think I'm not sure why they are having me do it like this. I think I'm going to do it like this. This doesn't make any sense to me. I'm not going to waste my time and just have to do it again. These situations may sound legitimate on the surface, but they all reveal the same underlying mindset. Bounce. Barrier busters think differently. They understand that barriers are a normal part of progress. They expect resistance. They anticipate problems. They recognize that every worthwhile goal will require obstacles to be overcome along the way. Rather than viewing barriers as evidence that something is wrong, they view barriers as part of the journey itself. This perspective changes everything because it shifts their focus from the obstacle to the solution. Instead of saying, I can't get past this, they declare, I will figure this out. That simple shift in thinking often determines whether progress continues or stops altogether. Will and skill. One of the most important discoveries I have made about barrier busters is that they are not necessarily more talented than everyone else. They are not always smarter, they are not always more experienced. In many cases, they begin with the same limitations, frustrations, and challenges as everyone else. What separates them is often their willingness to stay engaged long enough to find a solution. Most people assume success begins with skill. They assume the person who solved the problem must have possessed some special expertise. While skill certainly matters, my experience has been that will often comes first. Before people can develop the skills necessary to solve a problem, they must first decide that the problem is worth solving. They must make a commitment to engage the challenge rather than avoid it. Seven practices of a barrier buster. Practice number one, they summon the will. Barrier busters summon the will to continue even when they are frustrated, uncertain, or tired. They may not know exactly what to do next. They may not feel confident about the outcome. They may not enjoy the challenge standing in front of them, yet they remain engaged. They continue asking questions. They continue searching for answers. They continue moving forward. Practice number two. They develop their skill. Willingness eventually creates growth. Every problem solved teaches a lesson. Every obstacle overcome expands capability. Every challenge creates an opportunity to learn. Over time, barrier busters become highly skilled, not simply because they started with more knowledge, but because they stayed engaged long enough to acquire it. Their willingness created opportunities for growth that others never experienced. This is why the relationship between will and skill is so important. Will cannot be taught. Skill cannot be ignored. People must choose to bust through for themselves. Skill, however, can be developed. It can be learned, practiced, refined, and strengthened over time. When strong will is combined with growing skill, extraordinary things become possible. Practice number three, they cultivate vision. Another characteristic of barrier busters is their ability to see beyond the immediate obstacle. They cultivate vision. This does not simply mean they have goals, it means they maintain a clear picture of where they are going and why it matters. Vision gives meaning to effort. It provides a reason to continue when the process becomes difficult. This principle connects directly to everything we learned in Clarity. Clarity creates direction. Direction creates focus. Focus creates momentum. Barrier busters understand that if they become consumed by every obstacle they encounter, they will lose sight of the destination. Instead, they continually remind themselves what they are working toward. This perspective helps them make better decisions about where to invest their energy. One of the most common mistakes people make is attempting to solve every problem with equal intensity. Not every barrier deserves the same amount of attention. Some barriers are inconveniences, others are leverage points. Barrier busters learn to identify the barriers that matter most. Practice number four, they choose the right barrier. I call this the key log principle. Think about a log jam in a river. There may be dozens of logs tangled together, but experienced loggers understand that moving the right log can release many others. Instead of exhausting themselves trying to move every piece individually, they focus on identifying the key log that unlocks the entire system. Solving the right problem often eliminates several smaller problems at the same time. This is why wisdom is such an important part of barrier busting. It is not simply about working harder, it is about working on the right things. Barrier busters continually ask themselves which obstacle, if solved, would create the greatest impact. Their ability to identify those leverage points allows them to create progress far beyond the effort invested. Practice number five, they value community. Barrier busters also understand something that many people overlook. Very few significant challenges are overcome alone. They value community. They appreciate collaboration. They understand that collective wisdom often produces better solutions than isolated effort. This requires humility. It requires the willingness to admit that someone else may know something we do not know. It requires the confidence to ask questions and seek input. Barrier busters are not threatened by the expertise of others. They are strengthened by it. Because of this mindset, they become excellent collaborators. They build relationships, they seek perspectives, they invite feedback. They create environments where ideas can be shared openly. Rather than seeing questions as signs of weakness, they view them as tools for discovery. Practice number six, they innovate solutions. This collaborative spirit often leads to innovation. When people work together, new possibilities emerge. Different perspectives reveal new solutions, creative thinking expands. What once appeared impossible suddenly becomes achievable because people are willing to explore new approaches together. Innovation is rarely the result of magic inspiration. More often, it emerges through persistent engagement with a problem. Barrier busters continue examining challenges from different angles until a solution begins to appear. They test ideas, they adjust strategies, they learn from failure, they remain open to possibilities. While others may become discouraged by unsuccessful attempts, barrier busters often view those attempts as valuable information. Every failed approach teaches them something about what does not work and moves them one step closer to discovering what does. Practice number seven, they purposefully engage. Underlying all of these practices is one final characteristic, intentional engagement. Barrier busters do not wait passively for circumstances to improve. They do not assume someone else will solve the problem. They intentionally engage the barrier standing in front of them. This does not mean they act recklessly or without thought. Quite the opposite. They are deliberate. They recognize that progress requires participation. They understand that barriers rarely disappear on their own. Someone must engage the challenge if the challenge is going to be overcome. This mindset creates a dramatic difference within organizations. Passive cultures wait. Barrier busting cultures engage. Passive cultures discuss problems endlessly. Barrier busting cultures pursue solutions. Passive cultures become trapped by obstacles. Barrier busting cultures learn from obstacles and continue moving forward. The difference is not the absence of barriers. The difference is how they respond. As you reflect on these ideas, consider your own approach to obstacles. When resistance appears, what is your natural response? Do you stop at the barrier or do you engage it? Do you focus on the problem or do you pursue the solution? Do you rely solely on your current abilities or are you committed to growing your skills and learning from others? The answers to these questions reveal the mindset operating beneath our actions. Every organization develops a culture around barriers. Some cultures teach people to stop. Others teach people to solve. Some reward excuses, others reward ownership, some perpetuate problem seeing. Others celebrate problem solving. The most successful organizations and individuals intentionally create a barrier busting culture. They cultivate a willingness to engage, learn, grow, collaborate, innovate, and persevere. They understand that barriers are unavoidable and that success requires busting through every barrier.