In the past few days I saw a simple truth about the language of leadership. Ned and Nancy were trying to get their son to get into the pool. Their son, Niles, was scared of the water. "Do you want to get in the pool?" asked Ned. "Do you want to try to stand on the first step?" Niles froze at the decision point. He was anxious and uneasy. His answers came non-verbally. Niles stopped and backed away from the pool's edge. Parents are leaders. The leaders were putting the child … [Read more...]
Wish in one hand and Sh***d in the other?
June 28, 2011 by
There's an expression that conveys the powerlessness of wishing. "You've got 'wish' in one hand and 'sh*t' in the other." You can wish all you want. Until you do something you won't produce anything. 'Should' is worth less than wish. 'Should' is like 'wish' dressed up in intention. It doesn't lead to much either. I hear people use should all the time. They use it more often than wish. It's usually in the form of "I should start that project to change the world" or "I should … [Read more...]
Who do you think you are?
June 2, 2011 by
"What if I turn into one of those really happy people who I can't stand?" My mom replied "What's it matter? You'll be happy!" I had a hard time with that. I was thinking about buying a self-improvement program that promised extraordinary happiness. I was 19 or 20. I was angry. I was depressed. I wanted to change. I didn't know how. I resisted the very change I claimed I wanted. What a mess ... I wanted something different for myself. But I wasn't willing let go of something to … [Read more...]
