Leadership is getting out of your own way. I used to think that being a leader meant being up in front, telling people what to do. Leaders were powerful and important. I believed that having the right answers was one of the most important things in life, and leaders had the right answers. Being a leader was a lot of responsibility, but it must feel wonderful! I met and worked with leaders. I learned from each of them. Some leaders... Read more
For me, this Lent is about changing the way I understand and relate to fear. The first step on my Lenten journey is recognizing fear. Another step toward giving up my fear is appreciating it, becoming more friendly toward it. Another step is letting go of fear. The next step for me is being authentic. To be deeply authentic, I need to both recognize what is true and to share that truth. Authenticity grows out of recognizing what is true, knowing my deepest self, discovering... Read more
There are times when I do not feel like being open. Sometimes it feels so much easier to keep my eyes closed, keep my mind closed, keep my heart closed. I may be tired or hurting, I may be discouraged, it may seem like it is just not that important. It may feel like I have been trying to break through a brick wall head first. It may feel like other people do not really deserve my being open... Read more
It is true of your life, your work, and your relationships. It is true of organizations that have been around forever, and of start-ups that are created in a flash of creativity. It is a lesson I am learning from the craft brewers I know. Good things take time to ferment. You use the best ingredients you can find. In craft brewing, you combine good water, grain, yeast, and hops. In an organization, you recruit the best people who share... Read more
Leadership is telling the next part of the story well. It is not necessarily knowing the ultimate end of the story, and it is not reworking the story that has already been told by others. It is moving the story forward by getting other people each to tell their own part. Leadership contributes by creating opportunities for everyone to contribute. Leadership gets to listen as each person helps tell the whole story. Each person can add something that helps the... Read more
For me, this Lent is about changing the way I understand and relate to fear. The first step on this journey is recognizing fear. Another step in giving up my fear is appreciating it, becoming more friendly toward it. The next step for me is letting go of fear. This Lent is showing me more clearly how tightly I cling to fear. Fear is my lifeboat, and I hold onto it with everything I have. I have a vise-like grip locked... Read more
I pride myself on doing the extensive research it takes to prepare for each stop on my Craft Brewery Pilgrimage. That research will ensure that our visit to PackingHouse Brewing Company in Riverside on Saturday, March 24 is a rewarding experience. Research of a slightly different kind highlights yet another example of the pivotal role that brewing beer plays in the history of our civilization. A memorandum in the Huntington Library describes that a Committee of the House of Commons... Read more
I spend time listening for patterns. When I am working with people and organizations, my work generally begins with listening to appreciate the existing patterns of relationship and expectation, the patterns of trust and responsibility, the patterns of anxiety and joy. I listen for patterns that people may not remember, but recognize as we sort through what is happening. Telling their stories helps people find the core values they share and explore deeper ways to move forward together. When I... Read more
Some days I feel life is a series of “just one more thing.” There are days I remember because they are the spark of creative ideas. They are the beginning of a string of days that stretch like a bridge to the future. The day I thought of that, the day I read the article, the day we had that conversation, the day I first saw this. Those days are cornerstones that motivate me to keep building. Other days I... Read more
The liturgical season of Lent began three weeks ago on Ash Wednesday, and culminates in Easter three and a half weeks away. For me, this Lent is about fear. One of the challenges for me in working on fear is finding the boundary between not being afraid and being foolish. I do not want fear to hold me back. I do want to exercise common sense. I would like fear not to be an obstacle for me while learning the... Read more
Strategic Monk
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