Clear Thinking
What is clear thinking? Sometimes things seem confused, muddy, grey, complex, obtuse, and we often say "it depends". How can we find space so that our thinking can become more clear when we are constantly bombarded with information, when our time is overfull, when everyone wants a piece of us, and when we just cant think clearly. What happens when our thinking is not clear?
We start to make poor decisions. Poor decisions as a leader can derail your career; lose the respect of colleagues or your team. When we can't clearly see or think we often grab at things or just try to keep juggling and so our decisions are not based on solid, analytical, value-based reasoning or strong values.
Leaders need space and time to think, time to reflect and ensure they have all the information they need to make a right decision. As a leader you have a responsibility to ask for this time or space, to create it for yourself so that your decisions are based on clear thinking. Sometimes you only need a few minutes- take them, you will respect yourself for creating your own thinking space.
Competition and Collaboration
How can I be different? How can my work be unique? What marketing technique will let me stand out? What can I do to catch someone's attention? How can I be noticed in the world?
Do we all want the same thing? In many ways, yes. We seek this differentiation to tell us and others we not not the same, we have something better, something more valuable to offer.
We compete in sports, business, relationships, education. We award excellence. Do we reward teamwork the same way? How do we see sustainable leadership?
What if we collaborated. What if we looked for the commonness. What if we tried to find the same. What if we all pooled our resources to help each other. What if we tried to connect in our sameness. What if we actully joined together to save our planet- for the good of us all.
Is this an impossible dream? Is it against human nature? Of course not. It is our choice to compete and differentiate OR to collaborate and live in wholeness.
Leaders today can merge. Leaders today can share leadership. Leaders today can bring together the challenges, the resources, the issues and the needs. Leaders can make a difference in the world. Leadership begins with you. Challenge yourself to be a sustainable relationship leader.