Energy and Leadership

This blog post by Rosabeth Moss Kanter, the guru, is well worth the read.

She states, "Just plain energy is a neglected dimension of leadership. It is a form of power available to anyone in any circumstances. While inspiration is a long-term proposition, energy is necessary on a daily basis, just to keep going."

Energy is always being expended, reserved or replenished individually. We have all witnessed what it is like to have the energy in the room get sucked right out leaving it difficult to continue, and we have experienced times when the energy was truly "electric" and contagious. Yet, Rosabeth is correct, it is not generally discussed in terms of achieving tangible results.

Her article provides 3 tips with anecdotes that I found fun to read and it may be very useful to those of you looking for ways to keep the "energy" productive and optimistic in somewhat unsettling times. This of course, includes your own energy!
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http://tinyurl.com/ybrtueg

As always, I can't wait to hear your insights!

Creating A New Reality

“Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.”
Golda Meir

Most of our unhappiness comes from aspects of our life, or aspects of our self that are out of alignment with what we truly want, and at some level feel unable to achieve. Golda's advice is a critical start, trust yourself. But this trust comes from accessing our "whole" self. Part of navigating away from our "stories, reasons and excuses" is getting clear about what we really want, tapping into our inner wisdom, tuning into our intuition, uncovering our delusions by facing reality and taking the leap of faith to create the alignment we seek by deliberate "action paired with commitment."

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative and creation, there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in ones favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. I have learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets: 'Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it! Boldness has genius, magic, and power in it.” --W.H. Murray, of the Scottish Himalayan Expedition

We all have times when radical reinvention is required and others when only small tweaks are necessary. Regardless of the amount of growth and change required, trusting our self and acting upon it enables greater things to happen on our behalf.

As always I look forward to hearing your thoughts and examples!