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Live. Learn. Lead.
Whatever tomorrow brings, I’ll be there with open arms and open eyes. — Incubus, Drive I was given the suggestion that you hire passion and train skill. Passion. Curiosity. Engagement. These are qualities that seem inherent to an individual nature. While a leader can influence their growth, they tend to either be present or not. I’ve learned this the hard way. We’ve all seen the reverse of such encouragement as well. People who have had their joie de vivre drained out of them. How does it happen? Start by them being shown no appreciation for their unique talents. Add some measure of uncertainty around their role or value in an organization. Implement processes that inhibit…
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Other Duties As Assigned
Life happens. Unless you own your own business, the details of your resume are subject to change without notice or permission. This is particularly true large organizations. Decisions are made that affect individuals’ lives without input of those that are impacted. Sometimes it’s referred to as a realignment of work (rather sterile). Other times, it’s the more generous “opportunity for development”. Regardless of how it’s packaged, apple carts are upended. We can go from being an expert to a novice with a mouse click. Our initial reaction is fear. We wonder how we will learn it all. Will we look foolish? Can we perform to the level that’s expected by others? By ourselves? Some of us are plagued with self-sufficiency. Like perfectionism, self-sufficiency is a deficit…
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Different Is Good
In a presidential election year, a year when we have been bombarded with racially-charged national tragedies, the word diversity has gotten a lot of air time. It is established in our lexicon. The meaning shifts however when we set aside political agendas to consider the merits of diversity on a personal level. Diversity of thought. In this context, diversity simply means different. Existing in a state of unlikeness or of being different from something or someone can trigger all kinds of responses. Fear or curiosity. Attraction or repulsion. But before we can truly encounter and engage the nature of someone’s otherness, we are obliged to concede on one essential point…the possibility…that we don’t know everything. A…
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Relevance
“I’m just trying to matter.” – June Carter Cash From the habits of favorite pets…to tales of audacious entitlement…to sharing existential beliefs, there is nothing like a 5-hour car ride to fuel a lively conversation. On a recent trip home from volunteering in Louisville, KY at the SkillsUSA National Leadership Conference, my travel companion and I wandered into a conversation about the underlying need that all humans have to be relevant. He started it, stating matter-of-factly, “Of course, everyone has a need to be relevant.” As though it was the most basic of common knowledge. And while I agreed with the premise that we all want to be relevant, I had not though of it in…
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Why and How
Constitution – the aggregate of a person’s physical and psychological characteristics. Growing up, now and then I heard references made to a person’s constitution. Having a “strong constitution” was considered praise amongst the sturdy, Midwestern farm stock from which we had descended. It meant that someone was physically strong and emotionally resilient. With that point of reference, I came to believe that a person’s constitution was mostly driven by their physiology and most certainly determined at birth. Not unlike a litter of puppies, there were alphas and runts among us. As time passed, my perception changed. While we certainly have some predetermined physical characteristics, there is much over which we have influence.…
