Monthly Archives: February 2011

Fear is like a straight jacket

22 Tuesday Feb 2011

Posted by in Leadership & Management, Personal Development

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Ever worried about what people think of you? Do you find yourself holding back because others may disapprove of your views and opinions?

If so, I can relate. And it can be likened to wearing a straight jacket.

We can, if we’re not careful, place barriers around ourselves through fear of not being liked. In response we simply keep silent. Not wanting to rock the boat, we tow the line. Avoiding confrontation at all costs – even at the cost of being true to ourselves.

These invisible blockades have the potential to barricade us into a world of isolation. A place of lonely existence where unhelpful ‘voices’ become the final authority shaping our reality.

Here we find ourselves unable to function – suffocating. Hindered from reaching our potential. Restricted from living the life we’ve always wanted.

What we’ve always dreamed of. Always hoped for.

And though we continue to will ourselves to do better – and so we should – we still experience the highs and lows of these challenges frequently. Truth is, this battle will never go away. It’s one we’ll always live with.

We just become more resilient to it.

Leadership is an adventure

15 Tuesday Feb 2011

Posted by in Leadership & Management, Personal Development

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Do you love adventure and get excited at the thrill of a new challenge?

We all love great exploits and throughout our lives have thrived on them.

Whether travelling along the yellow brick road in the Wizard of Oz, or training with Rocky Balboa before his bloody bout with Apollo Creed, the idea of overcoming obstacles to reach a destination or dream appeals to all leaders.

We long for adventure. We long for significance. We long for purpose.

Leaders help others to dream

Knowing this, effective leaders are those who inspire us to look beyond the precipice of life’s challenges; to say, ‘Why not?!’ and give it a go.

They’re the men and women who win our hearts – hearts that pulsate for adventure, significance and purpose.

In articulating a vision, great leaders help us reach beyond the realms of cinematic fiction and take hold of the things that bring meaning into our reality.

They offer us an invitation to dream (again) and to be part of something beyond ourselves.

Leaders help others to succeed

But effective leaders do more than that. They also ask for, receive, and most importantly, value the contribution of those they lead.

The greatest leaders are team players who are driven by a desire to see others reach their leadership potential also – to excel them even.

Leaders who look beyond their own interests and seek to engage in, inspire and motivate others towards their goals and dreams too, will endear trust, respect and the love of those around them.

And ultimately, they, and those they lead, will know leadership success and the realisation of their dreams.

A helpful definition of Christian leadership

08 Tuesday Feb 2011

Posted by in Faith, Leadership & Management, Personal Development

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I came across this helpful definition of leadership.

“To be a leader is to be vulnerable – to meet the disapproving stares of others with the joy and certainty of God’s infinite love.

To be a leader is to be imperfect – to enjoy the enriching process of a new challenge with the hope and confidence of the master.

To be a leader is to be naïve – to believe the very best of all people in the love and acceptance of our saviour.

To be a leader is to be trusting – to disregard dire projections of gloom for the joy and creativity of our creator.

To be a leader is to be honest – to own our sinfulness with the sincerity and authenticity of the Spirit.

To be a leader is to be unique – to accept the wonderful gift of self, in the knowledge and understanding of community.

To be a leader is to be free – to welcome recurring waves of change with the awe and wonder of a child.

To be a leader is to be empowering – to share the exhilarating power of information in the establishment of inter-connectedness.

To be a leader is to be humble – to give the inestimable gift of flexibility with the grace and forgiveness of God.

To be a leader is to be whole – to know the startling reality that I am central, yet peripheral, in God’s plan for the world.

To be a leader is to be weak – to understand that I can rest in the hollow of God’s hand only in the total yielding and complete trusting of my child’s heart.”

~ Dee Bernhardt

10 things to do if you’re having a bad day

01 Tuesday Feb 2011

Posted by in Personal Development, Relationships

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We all have them. Days when everything seems to go wrong.

Someone’s finished the toilet roll and not replaced it. The printer is out of toner. The delivery we waited in all day for hasn’t arrived.

‘Why me?!’ we ask.

Here are some suggestions of things to do when all seems to be going pear-shaped and you’re having a bad day.

  1. Talk to a friend over lunch.
  2. Make someone else a cup of tea or coffee.
  3. Do the splits. This will soon put things into perspective if you’ve never done it before!
  4. Go to a store-room. Close the door and scream. Watch out for the staples!
  5. Make a list of what’s most important in life.
  6. Remember that all challenges work towards building good character.
  7. Sing very loudly, out of key, and out of tune.
  8. Repeat the alphabet 25 times.
  9. Do a cart-wheel in your manager’s office. Very liberating!
  10. Watch a funny video on YouTube or Vimeo

And remember… it could be worse!

I’d like to know your thoughts

Which of the above suggestions most appeals to you and why? What do you do when you have a bad day at work?