Are you listening to your own being?

"If you do not express your own original ideas, if you do not listen to your own being, you will have betrayed yourself. Also you will have betrayed our community in failing to make your contribution to the whole."-- Rollo May (1909-1994), American psychologist, from The Courage to Create

This is one of my favorite quotes. If you are like me, you will want to read it 3 or 4 times to make sure it sinks in and to ponder your own response and self evaluation. I believe that each of us feels at certain times in our life, a spark of ideas, intuition or creativity that seems to call to us unrelentingly from with in. When we do not listen and ignore that inner wisdom, the results are usually not favorable. What I have experienced myself, and what I have seen from those I know and have coached is an ensuing state of discontent. The things that once fulfilled us, do not. The thing that was okay for years, is suddenly simply not okay. This is because, in the moment we chose to ignore our inner voice, we betrayed our path and the path we are on however safe, however justified, becomes inwardly unbearable, as we find ourselves out of integrity with what needs to happen to bring us toward fulfillment.

What we may fail to recognize in that discontent, is not only have we betrayed ourselves, but as Rollo May suggests, we have failed our community by never letting them hear or be apart of something that could have been and needed to be.

Think of the many times you have been in a meeting when someone finally spoke up and told the truth, finally popping the blister in the room which allowed the meeting to flourish. Now, think of the many times that has not happen and ask, how is that not a betrayal for our whole community?

Think of the times we choose fear over faith and belief and stay stuck on a path that only brings growing resentment and stagnation. Self-betrayal is a most deadly poison. There is nothing like choosing courage over fear to unleash new possibilities and realities.

What thoughts and feelings does May call up for you? I look forward to your thoughts and insights.

The Three Persistent Challenges of Our Time

Last week I attended the World Business Forum. It is always a great conference and Bill and I enjoy it very much. This year, former President Bill Clinton was the closing speaker. He articulately presented three persistent challenges for our day in the world. I believe they are critical to the leadership conversation and challenge as well.

The World is Inter-dependent. Inter-dependent is not just "global in nature", but truly tied to each other. This can be viewed as both good and bad – in terms of consequences. However, divorce is not an option. We have to strive for a world where we share benefits and accountability's to create healthy inter-dependence.

The World is Incredibly Unstable. The inequality in the world and the nature of shared vulnerability is a constant threat. He used a couple examples of the economic downturn and its ramifications throughout the world suggesting that any country that was highly leveraged lost unforeseeable fortunes due to the domino effect around the world. Even China that had significant cash reserves and thought they were in the clear, soon found that the customers dried up and found themselves in a situation where they had 35 million unemployed factory workers! Bottom line: There is no such thing as a solution without an unintended consequence. This is chaos theory and a real quantum physics reality we are seeing play out.

The "How" is Unsustainable. The climate change issues worldwide and the way in which we use energy and resources currently are simply not sustainable. President Clinton discussed this "how" question and its importance. At this time large amounts of his life now are about proving that it is good business for us to find ways of operating that are sustainable.

Implications. This leads me to implications for the new leadership required to meet these challenges in our own lives, communities, organizations and the world. Learning and knowing how to operate in a interdependent universe is about understanding systems much more deeply and knowing how to influence in a whole new way; we cannot succeed in an old style of command and control or by disengaging through passive distance. We must view "control and safety" in a completely new way.

It also requires the ability to maintain personal stability in instability. This requires personal grounding, agility and adaptability unlike we have previously had to demonstrate. Lastly, it requires that we look at how we view sustainability in our own jobs and careers, in our organizations and utilizing a higher order “how” in our criteria for achievement. It may well be that sustainability is not about year over year incremental returns, but about creating completely new ways of operating, new visions and new markets. In times of crisis, markets never return to their previous state. Understanding what that means when choosing a degree, looking for a new job, or staying in business is critical. Understanding what it means for the planet and our stewardship, even more critical.

At Maxcomm we work with leaders to evolve their current leadership operating system (internal and external) to a higher order system. After listening to Clinton, it became clear to me that leaders will need to evolve even more quickly than they have before if we are collectively going to meet the enormous challenges of our day.

As always, I look forward to your thoughts and discussion!

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!
.
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!

Yes to Life!

Crisis, loss and change of any kind, such as the current economic downturn, accompanied by all of the ramifications, while difficult and frustrating, can be an opportunity - a wake up call - to create a new path that may not have been explored otherwise. Crisis of any kind is always scary, mostly because of an innate fear of the unknown that naturally ensues and discombobulates our confidence.

History provides some powerful examples of those who endured tremendous crisis and chose to call upon a deeper well than fear; the resilience in the human spirit to fight on and create space for hope. I am always particularly struck by some of the World War II stories of Jewish prisoners stuck in the most evil and depraved conditions a human being can ever know. Most of us have heard of Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl, yet his stories are but only a few of those who chose to call upon the will and nobility of the human spirit to make a difference.

Fritz Lohner-Beda, was one of the most sought after librettist and lyricists during the 1920's and 30's. He was arrested immediately after the Nazi annexation of Austria in March 1938. He immediately sent Buchenwald, one of the largest and first Nazi concentration camps on German soil. It was there that along with composer Hermann Leopoldi he wrote the camp anthem, the "Buchenwald Song". It was sung by prisoners as a gesture of defiance because the lyrics expressed hope for freedom beyond the barbed wire. In October 1942 Lohner-Beda was transported to Auschwitz III in Monowitz, Poland. Too old and ill for forced labor, he was either beaten to death or sent to the gas chamber in 1942. His wife and two daughters died at other camps. When Buchenwald was liberated by US troops in April 1945, surviving inmates spontaneously sang the "Buchenwald Song" as free men. With the promise of Lohner-Beda's lyrics fulfilled, the song remains a tribute to his gift and ability to keep hope alive for many that survived.

O Buchenwald, I can’t forget about you,
because you are my fate.
Who leaves you, only he can appreciate
how wonderful freedom is!
O Buchenwald, we don’t cry and complain
and whatever may be our destiny,
even so we shall say “yes” to life
for once the day shall come when we shall be free!

Surely none of us will ever face such dire circumstances and yet, it caused me to wonder:

How are we responding to our current circumstances? Are we calling forth the best in ourselves and others? Are we simply complaining and not doing anything about it but dragging others down? Are we living our opportunity and calling to inspire ourselves and others, saying "yes" to life?

I believe that saying "yes to life" means taking personal responsibility to shape a life that expresses the best of our talents, values and positive influence. It is making the most of our abilities and daring to follow our dreams. Steve Jobs has always been an example, for me, of someone that says "yes" to life. He knows that to go after what you want, to change your circumstance, to live a dream, you have to be willing to sacrifice, to see life as the precious commodity that it is, take risks, have faith and create opportunities.

In light of saying "yes" to life, this excerpt from Steve Jobs’s 2005 Stanford University Commencement Speech:

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.
You have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.
The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.
Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful, that’s what matters to me.

I would love to hear your stories about saying, yes to life. As always, I look forward to hearing from you.

Extreme Management

This is truly worth the read. The article, entitled Extreme Management, hits businesses squarely in the heart:
"Your sales are down. Your operating costs are out of control. Your cash flow has slowed to a trickle. Your bank won’t give you a loan. Of course you blame the economy. Everybody is suffering, so it’s no wonder your business is in trouble, right?
Wrong. Don’t blame the economy. Recession or no recession, if your business is failing, it’s your fault."

Wanna read more? The New York Enterprise Report

Let me know if you find this article painfully accurate or fatally flawed!
As always, I love your reading your thoughts and comments!

What does Self Esteem have to do with Productivity?

As we work to adapt to economic conditions, many companies are now expecting fewer people to accomplish more without a lot of hand holding, and with fewer resources. For organizations to survive the “more with less” tactic, they must be staffed with people who can think, learn, adapt and demonstrate flexibility. Regardless of the streamlined processes used and the up to do technology embraced, people are at the heart and soul of every business. Studies suggest that those with low self-esteem tend to be higher maintenance and perpetuate lower levels of productivity in an organization. In an era where intelligence, creativity, passion, resiliency and a willingness to make mistakes are critical, low self-esteem organizations will find it much more difficult to rebound.

Nathaniel Brandon, author of Six Pillars of Self-Esteem, observed, “Of all the judgments we pass in life, none is more important than the one we pass on ourselves” because it dramatically affects the core of our existence and everything we touch. According to Brandon, self-esteem is comprised of two components—a basic confidence in facing life’s challenges and a sense of feeling worthy of happiness and fulfillment.

To achieve and maintain productive levels of self-esteem, we must be more self-aware. Will Shutz, one of the founders of the personal growth movement, suggests “high performance in organizations is dependent on individuals who are willing to be aware of self.” That requires a self-concept strong enough to look in the mirror without feeling a need to control information that may be uncomplimentary to an individual’s position. This also means not being threatened by the successes of others or gloating over their failures. This came home when consulting with the CEO of a technology firm. We conducted an employee opinion survey which included rating people’s feelings of worth and value to the company and their teams. The ratings were extremely low. When we tabulated the results, we spoke candidly with the CEO regarding the employees’ responses. The CEO’s perception was that his people had not hired anyone they felt was a threat or better than they were at accomplishing tasks or performing a function. He observed, “I have an organization where everyone is afraid of someone performing better than they do.”

The paradox is that to improve the organization, you must first work with the underlying belief
and confidence of the individual members of that organization; especially its leaders initially. My work with values-based change has proven that: individuals always undergo significant change
before the organization does. For instance, in a leadership session I facilitated, employees of the client organization indicated they were afraid to share information, particularly in the area of telling the truth. They felt “back stabbing” was so prevalent, they would allow another person to walk off a cliff rather than speak out. After the company invested significantly in personal development, one person observed, “You have to change your approach to life before you can change your approach to business.” A supervisor from another department said, “I became a better father, a better spouse and a better little league coach. Now, I bring that better
‘me’ to work every day.”

Consider these questions:

What is my confidence?
I feel competent in most settings? Unsure? I have a need to be validated and have decisions validated?
Do I feel deserving and capable of getting the job and life I want?
I walk confidently toward my goals? Never share my goals? Don’t have goals?
Do I keep my word and commitments with myself and others?
I know when I say I will get something done, it will get done; on time? I keep some commitments and let others slip? I don’t know how to say no and get over my head?

If your answer was less desirable than you want it to be, coaching and development may be a consideration for you. I also recommend reading any of Nathaniel Brandon’s books on the subject of self-esteem. I look forward to your comments and insights!

Wisdom, Emotional Intelligence and Rationalization

Wisdom is a fascinating word. To be wise is not summed up adequately by the word intelligent, or experienced, or skilled. It demands the integration of words to begin to frame it; intuitive and knowledgeable, perceptive and experienced, for instance. To come into its possession seems also to call for integration. Specifically, the integration of mind - spirit awareness before we can access the grace of its gifted moments.

"In seeking wisdom thou art wise; in imagining that thou hast attained it, thou art a fool."

Rabbi Ben Azai

Wisdom, perhaps is best integrated and described in business terms by what we now call "emotional intelligence," a concept made popular by the groundbreaking book by Daniel Goleman, and based on years of research by numerous scientists such as Peter Salovey and John Meyer just to name a couple. Their studies conclude that people with high emotional intelligence tend to be more successful in life than those with lower EIQ even if their classical IQ is average. Emotional Intelligence, Salovey states, is the ability to identify, use, understand and manage emotions. This was brought to the forefront of my mind when I read a fascinating study in Fast Company recently:

"Consider a provocative series of experiments conducted by Chen-Bo Zhong of the University of Toronto. He put test subjects into interactions with an anonymous partner where they had two options: to treat their partners fairly or to lie to them. If they decided to lie, they would gain at the expense of their partners. Before making the decision to cheat or be fair, the test subjects were given some guidance. Some were encouraged to think rationally about the situation and to ignore their emotions. Equipped with this advice, the great majority (69%) analyzed the situation and concluded that they should screw their partners. Others were primed to "make decisions based on gut feelings." Their guts were pretty trustworthy: Only 27% lied.

The implications for improving emotional intelligence and deepening the ability to be wise, described in biblical terms as the ability to not only think with the mind but with the heart, seem rather compelling in today's environment!

For the full article from Fast Company: http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/137/made-to-stick-in-defense-of-feelings.html

As always, I look forward to your insight and comments.