Some people believe leadership is about driving people to see how far they can go. We sometimes assume leadership is on the cutting edge, pushing the boundaries of the envelope. We see leadership moving us in a straight line upward, outward, forward. We expect leaders to motivate us toward the frontier, boldly going where no one has gone before. Our first reaction is often to jump into action, striving to make progress and get something done. We have a plan to put into... Read more
Spiritual life is more than we expect, more than we imagine, more than we need, more than we might want. We think we have spiritual life figured out, we can grasp and understand it. We believe if we are nice and polite then spiritual life will become stronger in us. We know what we need to do to earn or deserve deeper spiritual life. We have been told spiritual life is about wearing certain clothes, going certain places, acting certain ways. We think... Read more
Nice to meet you, Greg. Did I hear you say you are a strategic monk? Yes, I am the strategic monk. I do not think there are many others. How long have you been a strategic monk? My strategic senses developed pretty early, while the monastic in me has been getting stronger lately. Well, what does a strategic monk do, exactly? I work with people as they explore the deeper truths of their lives. For some, I am a spiritual life mentor. For others I am... Read more
Like the tallest skyscrapers, leadership is built in stories. Each next act of leadership we take depends on the stories underneath it. Our stories are important because we believe what they say about who we are. Three stories in particular are essential to the foundation of our leadership. The Story of Why Your leadership story of why is an essential element of understanding you as a leader. You may be a leader because you respond to suffering or injustice. You may be a... Read more
It can be difficult for us to remember. We fill our lives with distraction. We have so many things we need to do, to achieve, to accomplish. We have a list of things that must be finished today, this week, this month. We need to check Facebook on our phones. We hear information or see a video, and we do not pay attention to the people and values that inspire us. We forget. When we ease our grasp on what is real... Read more
The work I do, with either a person or a group of people, often includes inner work. People ask me to help them discover and explore their deeper, true selves. Inner work can be reflective, each person getting to know themselves in new ways. Some people are drawn to a deeper appreciation for the sacred truths in the world around them, and in other people. Inner work can be one person seeing themselves in new ways, in solitude and stillness. Inner work is significant and... Read more
Leadership is one of those familiar words we hear all the time that can be hard for us to define. What makes one person a leader and another person not a leader? What is leadership potential? Do people become leaders because of the job they have, or their personality, or through education? How do leaders know they are leaders? How much do we really understand about leadership? What does leadership mean to us? Many people define leadership in basic terms... Read more
Leadership is one of those familiar words we hear all the time that can be hard for us to define. What makes one person a leader and another person not a leader? What is leadership potential? Do people become leaders because of the job they have, or their personality, or through education? How do leaders know they are leaders? How much do we really understand about leadership? What does leadership mean to us? Many people define leadership in basic terms... Read more
We do not grasp spiritual life at first sight. We cannot take spiritual life in with a quick glance, a quiet rustle, an initial sip. Spiritual life needs to be savored and held on our tongues. We need to take time for our eyes and ears to adjust, for what is beneath the surface to register. It takes time for people to talk honestly about spiritual life. We listen, looking into their eyes as they open their hearts. They begin on the surface,... Read more
We have heard it over and over again: “Follow your passion!” “Do what you love and the money will find you.” “Passion is energy.” We appreciate the significance of passion. We find ourselves passionate about things and become relentless in pursuing them. Passion motivates us to take action. The challenge for me has not been what passion urges me to do. My challenge is finding my passion. I am a fairly analytical person. Some people would say that being analytical is one of my main... Read more
Strategic Monk
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