Freedom is quite obviously a good thing. Everyone wants it, and I think most would argue that we all deserve it. We deserve to be free.

The most common story about freedom is of an oppressed group struggling for, and finally attaining freedom, so in general I think we view freedom as some sort of victory or end point. It is the destination we seek. When we finally achieve freedom, THEN we can relax and celebrate.

I suppose there is some level of accuracy to that, particularly if you are looking at the very big picture involving very large groups.

But when you look at freedom at the level of individuals and organizations, it's not so much about large group oppression. Freedom means lack of constraints, lack of external control. Freedom means you have to figure out what to do and what not to do. Freedom means being responsible and intentional. Freedom is uncharted. Freedom is risky. Freedom is hard work. Freedom is an ongoing and changing state, not an endpoint (sounds a lot like leadership, doesn't it?).

So as much as we love and want freedom, it also scares us. That's why we trade it in for security and comfort so often. And that's okay. Anything at an extreme is not going to work, including freedom. But the dominant myth of freedom as victory sometimes causes us to ignore how we manage the critical balance between freedom and commitment or control. We hit moments of discomfort and withdraw, when sometimes that is just the discomfort of freedom and it is precisely when we need to push through. It is frequently a fine line between choosing the right path and choosing to avoid discomfort. This is why self awareness is so important to leadership. It helps you to make clearer choices. It helps you to be free.