Leadership is not the same as running a race or climbing a mountain. We do not cross the leadership finish line, or reach the leadership summit. There have been times when I thought if I checked off all the boxes I could become a leader. I thought I needed to finish school, to get enough experience, to win enough votes. When I had succeeded at quite a few assignments I realized that is not how leadership works. Leadership is not about controlling people.... Read more
Wired for Authenticity by Henna Inam is a valuable tool for leaders seeking to lead from their true selves. Henna, who leads Transformational Leadership, Inc., first spells out the case for authentic leadership. On that foundation, she builds a supportive framework of practices to help people become authentic leaders. She concludes by describing how those practices come together to bring authenticity alive. Henna begins with helping us recognize the value of authenticity. Wired for Authenticity helps us explore our true selves,... Read more
Wired for Authenticity by Henna Inam is a valuable tool for leaders seeking to lead from their true selves. Henna, who leads Transformational Leadership, Inc., first spells out the case for authentic leadership. On that foundation, she builds a supportive framework of practices to help people become authentic leaders. She concludes by describing how those practices come together to bring authenticity alive. Henna begins with helping us recognize the value of authenticity. Wired for Authenticity helps us explore our true selves,... Read more
We like to think spiritual life grows deeper as we learn and gain experience. We believe spiritual life becomes stronger as we study ideas or memorize quotations. We see spiritual life as a product of what we know. When we know more, we will recognize more of the sacred depth all around us. I value and enjoy learning and thinking. I have struggled to understand concepts, even to memorize long passages. I no longer believe, though, that spiritual life is... Read more
There are people who always have an angle, or several. They are good at seeing around corners, at anticipating how situations will turn out. They may be good at reading people, or at thinking a few steps ahead. They understand where the pressure points will be, and how hard to push them. There are people who approach each person, each experience, with an eye to what most benefits them. They tend to focus on immediate, competitive benefits in the short run. If life... Read more
There are times when we just do not feel like being leaders. We do not want the responsibility. We are too tired or overstressed, discouraged or frustrated. We are not all that interested in bringing out the best in other people. Being a leader is too much work, too much bother. We want to stick out our tongues at the world and say forget all this leadership nonsense. We just want someone to tell us what to do, and go... Read more
For as long as I can remember I have been told being right is better than being wrong. We are taught being right is essential to a happy life. In school, at home, in spiritual life, being right is important. Life is about finding right answers and sharing them with other people. Our lives will be better if we make right choices and decisions. We educate ourselves, and our children, about the power of being right. We say that right makes might.... Read more
Everyone wants to be healthy. Even when we might appreciate the extra rest and the attention, no one wants to get sick. We want healthy bodies and healthy minds, healthy emotions and healthy finances. We have apps to monitor ourselves and tell us how healthy we are. Many of us work hard to develop good habits that contribute to our own health. We pay attention to how we feel. We get regular check ups to make sure nothing unhealthy slips through our... Read more
Spiritual life is a fire burning within us and in the world around us. It is energy which brightens our darkness and heats our cold loneliness. There are times when spiritual life is sparked in new ways, and times when may be reduced to embers. Spiritual life can be a torch to light our path or leave us tasting smoke and ashes. Spiritual life is a fire burning in the fireplace as we sit pondering the lessons it has for us. It... Read more
Nothing slows us down like an obstacle. We seem to assume our path will be smooth and unrestricted when we are doing a good job. We get into a zone, build momentum, and believe we can settle into cruise control. When things are working for us, everything fits together. There are no bumps in the road. We tend to see obstacles as things that get in our way unnecessarily. We are working along, doing a great job, when something begins to bother us.... Read more
Strategic Monk
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