I See You

One of my favorite movie quotes of all time is, "I see you," from the movie Avatar. It's easy to assume, while watching the film, that this phrase is a simple greeting. But it's actually derived from the traditional Zulu greeting, "Sawubona," which literally translates to "I see you," and means, "I bear witness to your person and humanity." The greeting recognizes another person's presence, worth, dignity, and individuality—their experiences, passions, strengths, and weaknesses. One of the responses to this deeply meaningful greeting would be "Sikhona," which means "I am here" or "I am here to be seen."

By recognizing me, you brought me into existence.

This everyday equivalent of “hello, how are you?” and “Good, thanks” exchange is so poignant because the Zulu greetings literally mean that until you are seen…until you are known…you don’t exist.

What if we applied this approach to all our relationships? What if we looked at each other with a filter of truly knowing the other—their emotions, experiences, motivations, etc.?

I used to be COO of an international company, and our temporary receptionist was exceptional. In a simple, “Good morning, how are you doing?” conversation, I learned she was going to school for accounting. That her mom owned a sporting goods store where she did all of the accounting growing up, she didn’t just like it—she loved accounting. It just so happened that we had a recent opening in the accounting department. I called my HR manager and had our receptionist upgraded and transferred to our accounting department that day.

The reality of being seen.

Taking a few minutes to acknowledge her story allowed this young woman to emerge into her own existence fully. Now, this doesn’t always happen, but if we don’t at least try to inquire and care about people’s lives, we will never know the fullness of their potential. Helping people reach their full potential…that’s the power of really seeing somebody. That’s the power of leadership.

What kind of employee do you think she was? If you said, “a rock star,” you’d be correct. Every person has the power and capacity to excel. But how often in our lives and careers are we actually exactly where we are supposed to be, doing what we love to do?

The reason Quest2 Connect does assessments and takes time to understand individuals in our workshops and masterminds is that we want to help every person thrive. We want individuals and couples to see the disconnects and gaps that may exist so they can adjust and resolve them.

Because if you’re not looking, you’re not going to see anyone. Imagine the impact seeing can have on your life.

And if you can’t, don’t worry. Quest2 Connect can give you sight.