Sunday, June 27, 2010

If you wait until the wind and the weather are just right, you will never plant anything, and never harvest anything.
Ecclesiastes 11:4. Today's English Version.

Friday, June 25, 2010

...behavior is motivation filtered through opportunity. So if you see people behaving in new ways, like with Wikipedia and what not, it's very unlikely that their motivations have changed, because human nature doesn't change that quickly. It's likely that the opportunities have changed.
Clay Shirky. The Great Cognitive Surplus.

Monday, June 21, 2010

I know the way you can get
When you have not had a drink of Love:

You might rip apart
Every sentence your friends and teachers say,
Looking for hidden clauses.

You might weigh every word on a scale
Like a dead fish.

You might pull out a ruler to measure
From every angle in your darkness
The beautiful dimensions of a heart you once
Trusted

I know the way you can get
If you have not had a drink from Love's
Hands.

That is why all the Great Ones speak of
The vital need
To keep Remembering God....
Renderings of Hafiz by Daniel Ladinsky. I HEARD GOD LAUGHING: POEMS OF HOPE AND JOY.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Communication, both formal and informal, is the most important leadership practice. Many of the problems that occur in an organization are the direct result of people failing to communicate in ways that truly enhance understanding.
David Livermore. LEADING WITH CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE: THE NEW SECRET TO SUCCESS.

Wednesday, June 02, 2010

“Dream first, set targets later.” I like that approach to planning. We should include a time for dreaming before getting down to process and rigid goal-setting. Leadership IQ wrote an article called, “Are SMART Goals Dumb?” in which they challenged the traditional view of goal-setting: to create goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. The data shows that there’s a better way to create goals that will be implemented. Make sure they’re HARD:
  • Heartfelt – My goals will enrich the lives of someone besides me — customers, the community, etc.
  • Animated – I can vividly picture how great it will feel when I accomplish my goals.
  • Required – My goals are absolutely necessary to help this company.
  • Difficult – I will have to learn new skills and leave my comfort zone to achieve my assigned goals for this year.

Picture the end. How great it will feel. Leave my comfort zone. Not the traditional way we approach goals, but the territory of dreamers. Start with a vision of the future and then set targets toward making it reality.

The Back Row Leader. EFFICENCY VS. LEARNING