October 23, 2017
Clear Confident Leader Weekly Observer, Issue #54
From the Greenbelt of Boise, Idaho, Leaves piling up
We live in a fantasy world, a world of illusion. The great task in life is to find reality.
– Iris Murdoch
An arrogant person considers himself perfect. This is the chief harm of arrogance. It interferes with a person’s main task in life – becoming a better person.
– Leo Tolstoy
If leaders effectively organize and execute to accomplish tasks, and establish great relationships, they will be effective.
– Bob Anderson and Bill Adams
Late one Sunday afternoon I had one more task to complete. Returning from the hardware store, I wanted to finish planting garlic. I’d dug the rows and spread some bone meal for fertilizer before I left. Focused on planting the cloves, I reached over to move our dog out of the way, and she snapped back, taking a bite out of my index finger.
Eight stitches, an infection, reaction to the antibiotic, worst sore throat of my life and two weeks later I’m getting back to normal.
What happened?
Tired after hours of working, I slipped into driver mode. Focused on getting the task done and arrogantly assuming I was in control, I totally missed the interest our dog had in the situation. Unaware, I overstepped boundaries in our relationship. She thought the bone meal was her food, and I was the one getting in the way, and thus the conflict arose.
I was operating within the illusion that I was alone in the task. She reawakened me to the reality that in most situations we have different perspectives and interests that need to be understood. When I over focus on what I see to be done, I easily miss others’ interests and intentions.
When it comes to our families, teams, organizations and communities, the bite from over focusing on tasks isn’t always so overt. That doesn’t mean the relationships haven’t been hurt. Becoming a better person, and better leader means balancing our focus on both tasks and relationships to create better outcomes.
I suggest consciously considering the importance of relationships and the tasks when the drive to get things done arises.
I assist people to evolve their conscious practice of leadership for themselves and their teams, groups and organizations.
Let’s cultivate our leadership capacity to create a better future today!
Clear Confident Leader Weekly Observer, Issue #54
From the Greenbelt of Boise, Idaho, Leaves piling up
We live in a fantasy world, a world of illusion. The great task in life is to find reality.
– Iris Murdoch
An arrogant person considers himself perfect. This is the chief harm of arrogance. It interferes with a person’s main task in life – becoming a better person.
– Leo Tolstoy
If leaders effectively organize and execute to accomplish tasks, and establish great relationships, they will be effective.
– Bob Anderson and Bill Adams
Late one Sunday afternoon I had one more task to complete. Returning from the hardware store, I wanted to finish planting garlic. I’d dug the rows and spread some bone meal for fertilizer before I left. Focused on planting the cloves, I reached over to move our dog out of the way, and she snapped back, taking a bite out of my index finger.
Eight stitches, an infection, reaction to the antibiotic, worst sore throat of my life and two weeks later I’m getting back to normal.
What happened?
Tired after hours of working, I slipped into driver mode. Focused on getting the task done and arrogantly assuming I was in control, I totally missed the interest our dog had in the situation. Unaware, I overstepped boundaries in our relationship. She thought the bone meal was her food, and I was the one getting in the way, and thus the conflict arose.
I was operating within the illusion that I was alone in the task. She reawakened me to the reality that in most situations we have different perspectives and interests that need to be understood. When I over focus on what I see to be done, I easily miss others’ interests and intentions.
When it comes to our families, teams, organizations and communities, the bite from over focusing on tasks isn’t always so overt. That doesn’t mean the relationships haven’t been hurt. Becoming a better person, and better leader means balancing our focus on both tasks and relationships to create better outcomes.
I suggest consciously considering the importance of relationships and the tasks when the drive to get things done arises.
I assist people to evolve their conscious practice of leadership for themselves and their teams, groups and organizations.
Let’s cultivate our leadership capacity to create a better future today!