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Archive for December, 2013

Intentional Leadership — D2, W3, M12 — Belief

Posted in Leadership, tagged , , , , , on December 3, 2013| Leave a Comment »

As we are talking about Belief and how it relates to, or empowers, our mission, let’s spend some time today thinking about our personal missions.

Before we get into the mechanics of developing a personal mission statement, here’s mine:

I am on a mission to make the world a better place, one encounter at a time, by beaming rays of light (helping them to see themselves and others with greater clarity) into their lives.

To get started, ask yourself these questions:

What do I want to achieve, for myself and others?

Why do I want to do this?

Specifically, what behaviors do I need to demonstrate, or what actions do I need to take, to achieve my mission?

Here are three questions you can ask yourself, to test your mission statement:*

1. Is it connected to my most deeply-held values?

2. Does it inspire and motivate me to act?

3. Is it simple, straightforward, and easily understood by others?

If you can say yes to these three questions, you are off to a good start.

So, get started today. Don’t rush through it. Be sure it feels true to you at the heart level. Give yourself permission to refine it over time. This isn’t a one-time exercise.

I hope you’ll share your personal mission statement with me when you have it written.

*From the Intentional Leadership booklet, by Giant Impact. 

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Intentional Leadership — D1, W3, M12 — Belief

Posted in Leadership, tagged , , , , on December 2, 2013| Leave a Comment »

History is filled with the stories of people whose beliefs in their mission were so strong, they were prepared to die for them. Surely, it’s not something I’m encouraging you to do, but to be thinking about belief can empower you and your mission.

Consider these examples:

Our forefathers who so blatantly went against the British Crown, essentially signing their death warrants when they signed the Declaration of Independence, knowing full well that if the American Revolution failed, they would all be sentenced to death.*

The first astronauts in the American space program. Yes, they had all science and physics behind them with the brightest minds in aeronautics, etc., designing and driving their mission. But, if something went wrong (and we’ve certainly experienced those moments…), they would surely perish. Yet, they went forth to explore our universe.

The same can be said of underwater explorers. Science, technology, and engineering are making it possible to travel to greater and greater depths, and yet, there is no fail-safe guarantee any of these expeditions will be fully successful.

How many years have climbers been trekking up Mt. Everest…even before oxygen and other technological advances were available to hedge their bets against the elements?

These may be pretty extreme examples, and far from what you’re working to accomplish in your teams and organizations. The point is, belief will empower you to keep forging ahead, even when it’s hard.

As we start our third week in our focus on Belief, I encourage you to spend some time today thinking about how your beliefs are guiding and shaping your current mission. Specifically, focusing your energy on the small steps that will move you forward, over time achieving the big steps that bring you ever closer to your big goal. Write them down…

Now, how passionate are you about your beliefs and your mission?

What hardships are you willing to endure on your journey?

 

*From the Intentional Leadership booklet by Giant Impact. 

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