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Posts Tagged ‘Change the World’

Intentional Leadership — D1, W2, M2 — Relationships

Posted in Leadership, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on February 18, 2013| Leave a Comment »

This week we are going to explore the potential we see in others.

How familiar are you with the story of Helen Keller?
She was unable to see and hear, and consequently, to speak. As a child, her parents brought in a tutor, Miss Sullivan, to teach her.
Miss Sullivan turned out to be most creative, perhaps even unconventional, in her methods for teaching Hellen to learn letters and words. She tried to “sign” a pattern of letters into Helen’s hand, but Helen failed to grasp their meaning.
Finally, Miss Sullivan took Helen out to the water pump in the yard, and held her hand under the running water. In her other hand, Miss Sullivan drummed out the patterns of the letters of the word “water;” Helen stood transfixed, feeling the water run over one hand while he focused on the pattern of the letters being tapped out in her other hand. It was ingenious!
Helen’s progress in learning was quite accelerated; she mastered a complex vocabulary, eventually learning to write — both the standard alphabet and in Braille. She even learned to speak.
She went on to graduate from college, wrote fourteen books, traveled to numerous countries, met a number of world leaders and served as an Ambassador for the American Foundation of the Blind.
It’s a miraculous story; one that would never have happened had Anne Sullivan not been brought in to tutor Helen, and had she not recognized Helen’s potential. The moral of the story: When we see the value in others, we have an opportunity to help them achieve great things.
Think back over the course of your life. Who believed in you?
What did they do to encourage you to stretch and go farther than you may have thought possible?
How did they demonstrate their belief in you?
Had they not believed in you — or didn’t demonstrate that belief — what impact would that have had on your life?
Who have you seen unrecognized potential in?
What did you do to nurture its growth?

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Intentional Leadership – Month One – Vision – Wrap-up

Posted in Leadership, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on February 9, 2013| Leave a Comment »

We’ve just spent the last four weeks together, focusing on the visions we have cast for our teams/organizations. How did it go for you?

In West Virginia, we’ve had a lot of snow off-and-on over the last couple of weeks, which can create hazardous driving conditions. When I’m a passenger in the car, I can enjoy the beauty and magic of the snow. When I’m the driver, I have other concerns – and being able to see, clearly, where I am going is critical. I must be ever vigilant paying attention to the snow coming down, the road conditions, other drivers, and the occasional critter that decides it must also use the road I’m on. It would be lazy and reckless of me to do anything less.

The same can be said of leaders. It’s critical that we are able to cast a compelling vision in a simple and clear manner, so that our teams and organizations can easily understand. If we do it well, and are able to inspire them, they are likely to commit to helping you achieve it, knowing it’s an opportunity to be part of something much greater than them.

I encourage you to dream big. Find that thing that drives you, that fills you with passion. Paint a vivid picture of it for yourself and others. Determine the path you must start down in order to reach it…then take action.

It’s been said that everyone dreams of something. For some, the dream is so real you can almost reach out and touch it, for others it’s just a passing fancy. For some it’s a wish, for others it’s a belief. If you are the vivid dreamer, and you believe in your vision, you will succeed, but you must get started.

If you’re still following this blog – joining me on this intentional leadership journey – I suspect there is some longing within you, some stirring within your soul that has you excited about the future.

What is it?

What do you long to do, be, or have more of?

What do you want to create in the world?

Whatever it is, grab hold of it, nurture it, bring it forth into the world…do not let it fade away, for we will all miss out!

On Monday, we will begin Month Two of our journey, focused on relationships. “See” you then!

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This is not a dress rehearsal

Posted in Food for Thought, tagged , , , , , , , , on February 4, 2013| Leave a Comment »

YOLO. Surely you’ve heard this before today – You Only Live Once.

This simple fact is something that has been resident in my mind for some time, and I am fortunate to be reminded of it by others at varying intervals.

Take the chance meeting I had with a gentleman last August at the West Virginia State Chamber of Commerce Annual Business Meeting at the The Greenbrier Resort. There was an ice cream social on the agenda on the first day of the meeting.

Not one to miss a good hot fudge sundae (for me, this requires hand-dipped hard ice cream – no soft serve!), of course I stopped by one of the serving stations. I stood there for a few minutes pondering the level of bad manners I would be displaying if I picked up the bowl of hot fudge and asked the server to put a couple of scoops of vanilla into it, rather than ask for the ice cream and put some hot fudge on it. Finally, having allowed my better manners to prevail, I started to turn away, delicious dessert in hand, when I noticed the man who had come up behind me. His name tag indicated he worked for a private university system where a good friend also works. I used the opportunity to introduce myself. Little did I know it was a divine appointment in the making!

Having someone in common, and in need of a place to sit and enjoy our sundaes, we made our way over to a table and sat down to eat and chat. Three hours later, we were surprised to be interrupted by the banquet staff, needing us to relocate as they needed to reset the room for a dinner that evening.

It was a profound and interesting conversation as he shared his dreams, his longing to do something bigger and more meaningful than what his daily work amounted to, and his realization that time was passing quickly. “This isn’t a dress rehearsal,” he said, painfully aware that each day he puts off actively pursuing his dream of writing a book, the closer he is to the day when it will be too late. We’ve spoken several times since then, and I don’t believe he is any closer to getting started.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’ve been listening to JoDee Messina this week. This morning, another song grabbed by attention as I was thinking about this concept of only living once. Here it is:

Was that My Life*

I don’t want to be the one who’s old before their time

And lose the wonder that I felt as a child

I can’t run this race believing I might lose

Still so much to see, so much left to do

Yes, I’ll fall more than I’ll fly

But no one can say I never tried

We just get one ride around the sun in this dream of time

It goes so fast, then one day we look back and we ask:

Was that my life?

I close my eyes and think how lucky I have been

To hold the ones I love and share my dreams with them

All those sunny days and all those starry skies

Good morning kisses and sweet goodnights

I can’t tell them enough just how much they are loved

We just get one ride around the sun in this dream of time

It goes so fast, then one day we look back and we ask:

Was that my life?

I appreciate these reminders, as they keep me focused on doing the things I need to each day, so I don’t need to worry about that day coming and being full of the “I wish I would have…” angst and disappointment. It’s a work in progress for me.

How about you?

What matters most to you?

What do you long to do?

What change do you want to make in the world?

Who do you need to reconnect with, make amends with?

What adventures do you yearn to go on?

Whatever it is, what do you need to do today to get started moving in the direction of your purpose, your future?

As the man said: This is not a dress rehearsal.

I encourage you to make the most of every day, knowing you will fall before you fly, but if you persist you will get there!

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Intentional Leadership — D1, W4, M1 — Creating a Guiding Vision

Posted in Leadership, tagged , , , on February 4, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Today we take a closer look at our vision. Are you an innovative leader, or more conservative? Are you ready to buck the trends in your industry?

Think back to when Phil Knight, of Nike, changed the market for athletic shoes. He focused on making athletic shoes “cool,” which was a world away from how Nike’s competition was marketing their shoes.

Leaders like Knight blaze new trails. They lay out a vision that functions as a compass, guiding the way for their organization, and keeping it from straying from the path to success.

Nike doesn’t bank on the actual attributes of its shoes. It banks on the cool factor created by the sports stars who wear them. In essence, the shoes have become a status symbol and a fashion statement.

Phil Knight is no longer at the helm of Nike, but his vision lives on. The company still invests heavily in — and banks on — sports stars continuing to wear and showcase Nike shoes, reinforced by catchy slogans crafted by advertising experts. In fact, these days, it’s really more about the attitude connected with the shoes, not even the shoes themselves.

Certainly, if I showed you the Nike Swoosh, “Just do it” would flash into your mind. This is a powerful image built by a visionary leader whose legacy continues.

Today, spend some time thinking about visionary leaders like Phil Knight; leaders who have left a powerful and long-lasting legacy.

What characteristics or qualities did that leader demonstrate that contributed to their success?

How did their organization fare after they left?

How is their vision carried forth today?

What can you learn from these visionary leaders that will ensure you are casting a compelling vision, one that will function as a compass for our organization even when you are no longer there?

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Seeing the Bigger Picture – Intentional Leadership — Week 2, Day 1 (M1) Vision

Posted in Leadership, tagged , , , , , , , on January 21, 2013| 1 Comment »

It looks like this week we are going to focus more on organizational vision than personal vision. Week two is focused on Seeing the Bigger Picture.

Leaders are often defined by the size and scope of their vision. If you know the story of the McDonald brothers, you will remember they were brilliant in terms of anticipating and responding to the desires of their market, and even more so at developing the assembly line process in terms of food production. They attempted to sell franchises, but the concept never took off. In fact, when one franchisee in Phoenix wanted to name his restaurant McDonald’s, the brothers said, “why, no one will know who we are in Phoenix!”

Enter Ray Kroc, a milkshake machine salesman who did business with the McDonald brothers. He could see the bigger picture. He envisioned McDonald’s franchises all across the country. He worked with the brothers, eventually buying the rights to franchise, etc., and his vision built the global corporation we know today.

He was convinced he was on the right track and confident in his ability to be successful. This is not to say it didn’t require years of hard work and sacrifice, but he saw the potential and made it a reality.

Break now to the story of Sergey Brin and Larry Page of Google fame and fortune. They started with the challenge of linking the growing data connections on the internet. As they became more engrossed in their project, they quit school to follow their passion full-time, starting Google in a garage in 1998. By 2008, Google was processing nearly five billion web searches per month. Page says he learned something in college that drove them forward; it was this phrase:

Having a healthy disregard for the impossible.

As I’ve noted in an earlier post, while there are many out there stating certain things are impossible, there all too regularly seems to be someone, somewhere who is doing the impossible. Man on the moon. Rover on mars. Printing out human kidneys on an ink jet printer…The stories are out there to be found each and every day of someone achieving something once thought impossible.

The point here, having great vision and setting the audacious goal is a hallmark of visionary leaders.

What is the vision of your organization?

Is it big enough?

Does your team see  and understand it?

Do they believe it’s possible to achieve?

Are they as passionate as you about achieving it?

Me, I’m out to change the world one person, one experience at a time. Yes, it’s huge…and for today, at least, it’s just me (I have yet to build a team). That’s not a deterrent, though. I’m fully confident in my ability to succeed.

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Breakthrough thinking

Posted in Food for Thought, tagged , on November 4, 2012| Leave a Comment »

When I was little, my mom used to bake me a chocolate-chocolate chip cake every year for my birthday. Oh, it was rich, moist, and yummy. I so looked forward to my birthday every year so I could have some (and yes, I confess to eating most of the cake myself, it was that good!). When I was in my teens, I asked her for the recipe, so I could bake the cake myself.

I was in my middle twenties, having a conversation with a friend about favorite desserts and sharing how rich and delicious this cake was, and how I couldn’t wait for it to be my birthday, so I could have some.

My friend asked, do you have the recipe? Yes.

Well, can you get what you need to make it at a grocery store? Yes.

Is there something about this recipe I don’t understand that would make it possible for you to bake this cake only at your birthday? No, it’s just…and I rattled off the ingredients.

Then she asked the key question: I guess I don’t understand, she said. Why couldn’t you just go to the store and buy the ingredients and bake the cake anytime?

This was twenty years ago, and I remember it so clearly. The proverbial light bulb went off above my head as I realized there was no reason why I couldn’t bake the cake any day of the year. I had constructed rules that said I could have that particular cake only on my birthday. The constraints were all created and enforced by me. And when asked the right question, I realized how ridiculous it was, and that I could change my beliefs and behavior about the cake at any time.

Now, this is truly a trivial and insignificant issue in the scheme of life, but it’s an excellent example of the power of the coaching process.

As a coach, my job is to ask my participants questions that will stimulate their thinking, allowing them to examine the rules, constraints, beliefs, and self-created barriers that are keeping them from achieving their goals and reaching their potential. These “aha!” moments don’t happen in every session, but they happen, and once they do, it’s amazing to watch people realize that the only thing holding them back is themselves.

That’s the moment when true, significant growth and change takes place.

Looking forward to experiencing more of these moments in upcoming coaching sessions with the amazing people I am blessed to coach.

What’s holding you back?

What’s your equivalent to my chocolate cake?

When you’re ready to experience the power of this process, call me. I’ll be waiting…

And yes, if you want the recipe, I’m happy to share. Over the past 20 years, I’ve enjoyed that cake on numerous occasions throughout the year — and on my birthday!

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I want to start a movement. Will you join me?

Posted in Food for Thought, tagged , , , on October 1, 2012| 1 Comment »

At my last corporate job, I taped Christmas cards to my office door during the holiday season. When I received a small gift in the office, I taped the gold bow that was on it to my door also. After the holidays, as I was taking down the cards, I decided to leave the bow, as a reminder of my purpose: To be a gift to the people whose lives I touch each day.

I know, it may sound corny, but it’s true. And, each morning, while I prepare for my day I talk to God and I ask him for the tools I’ll need to do his work, my job, and fulfill my purpose.

Several months after the holiday season, the bow was still on the door when a colleague stopped by to discuss something. As he was leaving, he asked about the significance of the bow, so I explained it to him. He laughed a little as he left, and looked back at my office once while he walked away. He appeared to be a bit uncomfortable with what I’d said to him. Perhaps it was unusual, certainly unexpected, not your average office conversation. I hope it made him think.

You’re probably familiar with the movie Pay it Forward, in which a young boy starts a movement of Random Acts of Kindness in response to a school assignment. Last year, through my Leadership West Virginia class, I was introduced to Anonymous Acts of Kindness (check out Secret Agent L, also).  I have taken on these Acts by paying for cars behind me when I go through toll booths; I also sometimes pay for the orders of people behind me at drive-thru windows. It feels good to do something unexpected for someone, and hopefully brighten their day.

A couple of days ago, I was flipping through a magazine and saw an article on this topic, with a little different slant. The author (her name escapes me) wrote about the many struggles — large and small — we all go through on any given day. She suggested, when one encounters someone in need, asking this simple–yet profound, perhaps even life-changing–question: If you could have a small miracle today, what would it be?

If you could have a small miracle today, what would it be?

Then, do something about it. You may not be able to fulfill the whole miracle, but you may be able to do something that makes an enormous difference. And the simple act of asking the question and actually listening to the answer is a gift in itself.

So, let’s start the movement. If (conservatively) 25 of us committed to asking the question just once this week, and following through, we could positively change the lives of at least 25 people.

Let’s carry it a step further. Each of us has the opportunity to influence at least four other people each day. If we shared our quest with each of them, and encouraged them to join us, potentially 100 other lives would be positively changed. If each of the four people we influenced, influenced at least four people in their lives, and so on and so on…you can see, the movement could grow exponentially.

Simple. Profound. Life-changing (for both giver and receiver). An amazing way to recognize the many blessings we already have in our lives. An opportunity to truly understand the difference between need and want.

Are you with me? Will you join this movement?

Let’s all meet back here in a week, and share our stories (use the comments section!). I can’t wait to hear of the amazing works we’ve done.

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Writing to learn what I know

Posted in Communication, tagged , , , , , , on August 14, 2012| Leave a Comment »

I have loved to write for as long as I can remember. I remember dreaming of stacks of beautiful, crisp, clean white paper and a nice pen (oh, yes — a nice pen is critical. Ask anyone who loves to write, and those who write long-hand are very particular about the kind of pen they need to be fully present in their writing, open to creativity, and able to fully channel those words and thoughts to paper) and uninterrupted time to write.

I’ve made my living for 20+ years as a communicator for a variety of companies in a variety of industries, and much of that work involved writing; “putting words in a row,” as a dear friend describes it.

I have always believed words were important. Remember the saying, “Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me!” How wrong that is. Words are powerful. They can change our lives. They can change the world.

“Words matter. Write to learn what you know.” This is a saying on a card given to me by my aforementioned friend. For years, I kept that card on my bulletin board. At some point, it was packed away for a move. I have yet to unpack it, but the physical card isn’t as important now; the words are imprinted on my mind and I remember them daily.

For years, I have used writing as a channel for other people’s messages; in a sense, in the corporate world I have functioned as something of a ghostwriter for a number of my colleagues. Recently, I have been called to fully live my purpose — change the world by adding value to others — which demands that I step out into the world with my own voice, to share with you my passion, my purpose, my thoughts, my experiences, and my questions.

This is why, today — on the 14th of August, 2012 — I invite you to join me on my journey. Welcome to Leadership & Life Potential. Welcome to LauraLines. Welcome to this exciting, energizing, thought-provoking conversation. I hope you will join the conversation and come back often; I promise to be here with new thoughts at least weekly. I intend to write to learn what I know, and further explore thoughts and ideas related to passion, purpose, personal growth, communication, and leadership.

Together let’s change the world with powerful words.

What are you writing, and what are you learning about yourself through the process?

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