I am a morning person. It is not that I roll out of bed each day with a smile on my face and a song in my heart, or that I am overflowing with enthusiasm to begin each and every day as early as possible. I tend to be a quieter, more Midwestern morning person. There is nothing quite like the feeling of a new beginning, the sense that a good night’s sleep has helped me resolve and settle some... Read more
Leadership is an intimate relationship. Leadership is not about telling people what to do. Leaders do not live on a separate plane from the people they lead, sending them directions and motivation from a safe distance. Leaders do not manipulate people into doing what they want them to do. Leadership is not about image, or mindset, or theory, or check lists. Leaders are intimately connected to the people with whom they work. Leadership is a relational act. It is impossible... Read more
I am a fairly focused person. Focus is one of the traits that personality tests usually identify as one of my strengths. I tend to be good at following directions, taking the specific steps in the specified order to get the desired result. Some people think I have a version of Attention Surplus Disorder. My ability to pay attention can be a very valuable gift. I have learned a lot by paying attention. I did well in school and in... Read more
I spend my life supported and shaped by spiritual community. It has grown and changed, as I have, and has been with me as long as I can remember. My spiritual community has taught me a great deal. It has given me precious gifts, including opportunities to struggle and work my way through my own part in the community. My spiritual community has usually been based in a group of people I can spend time with face to face. There... Read more
More and more, I need to listen before I know what to say. Sometimes I am listening to other people, to myself, to the world around me, or to silence. Being open to receiving is a prerequisite to being open to share. A friend of mine told me that I am practicing to be an introvert. I hope it is about becoming a better listener. I am discovering the power of listening. Listening is more than hearing. Listening is not... Read more
Leadership is about not being defeated. Being a leader is about how I perceive challenges. Are they obstacles that threaten to derail my leadership, or are they opportunities to learn and grow? The leaders who inspire me are people who embrace challenges. They see them not as obstacles to be overcome, but as experiences that have lessons to teach them. Their leadership, and lives, are not about getting to the right answer, but about the character and wisdom that develops... Read more
I belong to a liturgical church. Liturgical churches are very good at appealing to as many of our senses as possible to remind us of our story. People stand and retell it to us so we can hear it. We use special music, and even ring bells, to remind ourselves of the story. Our buildings tend to be filled with pictures that reflect parts of the story, some of them painted on canvas and some of them made of stained... Read more
I wanted to learn more about my friend Beth Slevcove, who is a spiritual director in San Diego, and she agreed to answer a few of my questions. Here is the second of two parts: When do you feel most present to God? When does God seem most transcendent? When I’m in nature, particularly near water–a stream, lake, the ocean. When I’m quietly holding one of my little ones, breathing them in, feeling their soft skin. When I’m reading something... Read more
I wanted to learn more about my friend Beth Slevcove, who is a spiritual director in San Diego, and she agreed to answer a few of my questions. Here is the first of two parts: Beth, How did you become a spiritual director? is there a dramatic story that lead you to that? In my 20’s I worked just enough to pay the bills and spent the rest of my time in coffee houses reading books on Christian Spirituality, theology,... Read more
Leadership is about accepting responsibility. Leaders are responsible for keeping core values and vision in mind, and translating them into specific steps forward. It is as true for people who are leading themselves as it is for people who are leading organizations. When I live in ways that are not consistent with my own core values and vision for myself, I am responsible for finding new ways to act in which they fit together. When the values and vision of my... Read more
Strategic Monk
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