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Seven Steps to Intentional Leadership ©
by Kay Gilley
"Leaders believe they personally can make a difference in creating (the world) they want… (and have) the consciousness, the commitment, and the courage to see that the change they envision does occur." Kay Gilley from Leading from the Heart
The news reports another shooting by a student in an American high school. Hearts wilt with hopelessness.
A week later the same news reports the outbreak of another war in the Balkans. We sigh in resignation.
Months of tumbling stock prices portend the demise of many promising start-ups, scrambling for increasingly scarce capital. Reports of layoffs pepper the news. Retirement portfolios reflect emaciation compared to portly dimensions a year ago. Discouragement.
A "successful" professional couple have the same fight that they’ve been having for 25 years. Only their vows hold them together.
Head in hands, a distinguished executive asks despondently, "I’ve achieved every goal I ever set, and I still feel empty. Is that all there is?"
What distinguishes a leader is the ability to look at what seems an unalterable situation, to envision a more promising scenario, and then to initiate action to create the world they imagine. The leader may be a housewife who watched the human destruction wrought by abandoned mine fields or the princess equally distressed by the same conditions. What matters is that each knew there was a better way, and each set about to change "the inevitable."
Whether leadership occurs in the larger world which these two women took on, or in our local community, workplace, family, or personal life, what makes the difference is having the courage to see a possibility and then to make a commitment to act upon it. Leaders face the choice point offered in each moment with hope and promise. They question what is by asking "What could be?" Those who have the courage to ask it and then act will determine whether critical mass enabling global change will be achieved.
The recent movie Pay it Forward told the touching story of an 11-year old boy who was challenged to identify something that distressed him and to set about changing it. In four months, he created a ripple over several hundred miles. He demonstrated key characteristics of intentional leadership by envisioning a better world and engaging others to help.
Anyone can ensure a better world by following seven simple steps to intentional leadership:
Envision the world as it might be and enlist others in creating a shared vision. As Albert Einstein admonished, we will never solve a problem from the same consciousness that created it. A vision of a new world, community, business, family or personal life pushes us into the not-knowing of how, while knowing that together we will figure it out.
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Cultivate active inquiry—Ask lots of questions of many others about what could be. Questions like "What would it look like if....?" or "What would be happening if...?" color in details of our vision.
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Listen intently to your own intuitions and to each other.
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Explore eagerly—Don’t assume that because somebody uses the same words that you do that those words have the same meaning for them. Ask more and more questions. "What does that mean to you...?" "Would you give me an example...?" "What does it look like...?"
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Follow fearlessly—Our basic human survival mechanism is fear. Assume fear and ask what you fear if the project is a success as well as if it is a failure. Use what you learn to provide more information about moving forward. Then stay on the course toward your intentions, while integrating feedback (more listening).
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Risk greatness—A new path will often emerge which takes us farther and faster than seems possible, but both personal & collective risk will be required. Take a chance on greatness.
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An attitude of gratitude—Be grateful for learning in whatever results. Harvest gratitude in every situation and use it to continue moving forward.
My friend Martin Rutte (Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work) has started "Project Heaven-on-Earth." Wherever his global travels take him, each day he challenges two people to do the following:
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Envision what heaven on earth would be in their personal sphere of influence
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Undertake some action in that direction each day
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Ask two more people each day to do the same
A woman in a group I was facilitating a number of years ago observed, "A rock has no choice. Thrown in a lake, it will create a ripple." Will Martin's project create heaven on earth? I don't know, but I do know that if everyone does their part consistently, the world will be a much better place.
What can you do TODAY? I don't know, but you do. Start asking, "What can I do RIGHT NOW to build a better world, community, workplace, family, or personal life?" several times an hour. Then, follow the seven steps above. The world can change, but only if each of us does our part.
Kay Gilley is the author of several books, a keynote speaker, and a personal spiritual guide to executives and professionals. Her latest book, The Game Called Life, will be released this summer. To learn more, send an e-mail to KayGilley@earthlink.net or call
919/572-2879
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