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Chaos Theory
Dr. Sattler, Dr. Grant, you’ve heard of the chaos theory? No? Non-linear equations? Strange attractions? — Jeff Goldblum as Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park Entering Barnes and Noble, beyond the familiar fragrance of Veranda Blend and 10′ tall NOOK display, you’ll notice a table of books aimed at helping their readers improve. Regardless of the scope of improvement, personal or professional, most of these books have one thing in common–they involve a plan. Building a home requires a blueprint. Running a project involves a work plan. As students, we were coached on the Five Ps–prior planning prevents poor performance. Having a plan gives us a roadmap for the eventual completion of complex or challenging activity…
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Bloom
Purple crocuses have begun popping up in the yard. The branches of the lilac bushes are laden with buds. It has been raining for 24 hours straight, and signs of spring have sprung up all around us. Bulbs that went in the ground last fall have begun announcing themselves. It will not be long before they are more than hopeful tips of green. Soon they will bloom…where they were planted. This idea of blooming where we’re planted may seem counterintuitive in our consumptive, fast-paced culture. We have been trained to scan the horizon for the next big thing instead of focusing on what’s within our grasp. To that way of thinking, it will…
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All of the Above
Authenticity seems to be a hot topic lately. Books and journal articles about being an authentic leader cite how constituencies have grown to value greater degrees of transparency in their leaders. The subtle inference is that whatever the potentate is thinking or feeling, it is both universal and discrete. And that in revealing their true feelings, we will be able to know what kind of person they truly are. Perhaps strong or stoic? Maybe harmony-driven or expressive? Could be self-centered or generous? It would be convenient if people could actually be captured so succinctly. At lunch recently with some friends, looking at us you might’ve assumed we were all “the same”. By some yardsticks, we are. Two…
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Helpfulness
When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed. –Maya Angelou, author, poet, and civil rights activist I was preparing for a major presentation. There were people from my team that gave their time and talent. Three different mentors provided guidance. On the day of the presentation, several people texted me notes of good will. Not only did I feel prepared, I felt supported. The second scenario was a simple exchange. I met a friend at the coffee shop. After a few minutes, I noticed she wasn’t having anything. I later learned that in her hurry to leave her flat, she had forgotten her wallet. She chose not to ask to borrow the three dollars she needed. What happens when…
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Eyes Wide Open
Both my parents were trained in the visual arts. As a child, my father would sit me down, set a mug or an apple in the center of the table, and entreat me to draw “what I saw, not what I knew”. He knew, of course, that the artistic efforts of children are based on simplified elements of the object we were trying to represent. All trees resemble lollipops. The sun is the yolk of an egg in a Lego blue sky. Fast forward 35 years, as an adult problem solver, the directive is still relevant. How do we, as adults and as leaders, “open our eyes” to address the issue actually…
