Well, it's 2012, a new year. Many people decide to make
resolutions for the new year, things they want to do, like exercise
(health club memberships go way up in January although many people don't
follow through and actually USE them for long), lose weight, etc.
Dorie Clark, who writes a blog for Harvard Business Review, takes
another approach. She recently went on a month long vacation and
fretted about how she could be away for that long. What she
learned was surprising. Rather than make resolutions about what
she "should DO", she discovered five things she could "stop doing". She
shares her story in a blog post called "Five Things You Should Stop
Doing in 2012".
They are:
-
Responding like a trained monkey
-
Mindless traditions
-
Reading annoying things
-
Work that's not worth it
-
Making things more complicated than they should be
All of those five things resonated with me and I discovered I have some work to do!
What would you like to stop doing in 2012?
To read the blog, click
here.
Warmly, Pat
Thoughts for Leaders
Leadership From the Inside Out
There are many books on leadership on the market. Some authors
approach the subject of leadership from an external perspective. They
define leadership as qualities, traits and skills. Other authors
approach the subject from an internal perspective. In his book
Leadership from the Inside Out, (to read a review or order, click
here),
Kevin Cashman takes the second approach and defines leadership as a
reflection of what lies inside the heart of the leader. He says
that leadership is "process, an intimate expression of who we are.
It is our being in action." Cashman reminds us immediately that
"we are the CEOs of our own lives" and we are on an ongoing journey to
express and unravel our inner selves to make a positive impact in the
work we do and within the world we live.
Leadership from the Inside Out is intended to be a journey of
self-discovery. In the first chapter Cashman begins to explore three
essential questions to enhance our leadership effectiveness. He presents
these as
1) How authentic are we as a leader?
2) How deep and broad is our self-expression? and
3) How much value are we creating?
In this book, Cashman tells the story of working with an executive who
said that he had his purpose all worked out. When asked to
describe his purpose, he confidently said, “To make a difference.”
He was a bit disappointed when Cashman said, “Well, that’s a start, but
a drug dealer makes a difference, too – it just happens to be a life
damaging one.” Struggling, he said, “You know what I meant.”
Cashman responded, “No, I don’t know what you meant - That’s the point,
your meaning is absent from your purpose.
My own copy of this book is covered with notes, full of book marks and
well used. I'd highly recommend it, not just for reference but as a
guide on your own leadership journey.
Some questions to ponder as you begin the new year:
How authentic are you as a leader?
How do you make a difference in your organization?
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