[Tweet “With Great Power, Comes Great Responsibility”]
Does this quote resonate with you as loudly as it resonates with me? I think it is hard-wired into my DNA. I believe it so much that sometimes I’ve assumed it was self-evident to everyone around me. So, if someone had a title and they were not using their power to serve others I judged them harshly. (Not something I am proud of, but it’s true.)
Eventually, I had a powerful head smacking moment (visualizing the old V8 ads) and realized:
Every time I read this quote from Patrick Lencioni every cell in my body wants to stand up and cheer!
“I am convinced that once organizational health is properly understood and placed into the right context it will surpass all other disciplines in business as the greatest opportunity for improvement and competitive advantage. Really.”
In his first week, some of his new co-workers take him out to eat. Before the meal ends they tell him that they need to warn him about one particular person that he will work closely with. They go on to share that anyone who has ever been hired in a position similar to his, has consistently been bullied out of the organization by this person.
A few days later John has lunch with someone in the community that he has known for a few years, but does not know well. This man advises John that he should not trust ANYONE in the organization that he is now employed with.
(Originally posted on The Be A Leader Blog…)
Has life ever handed you a hurricane of change that took you to your knees? And every time you started to stand another storm hit? A few years ago my husband and I were hit with several seasons of hurricanes. (Some literal, most figurative.) In the midst of lots of change that we had no control over, I was desperate to be in control of something! So I accepted a marketing position that I knew would challenge me and that I could learn from, even though there was a lot about the position I knew I would not enjoy.
One of my first challenges was to learn to drive a club-cab pickup truck and a 28-foot long trailer through traffic in the 4th largest city in the United States! (Let me be clear – I am as girly as they come and I don’t get a kick out of driving a car, much less a truck!)
On the flip side, my husband is completely comfortable with that world and he knows me well. He was fully aware that this thing that I’d agreed to do had many potential downsides including having an accident! He understood that I am a visual learner and that I needed to see the big picture before details would make sense.
So he made a trip to the store and came home with a toy truck and trailer. He then grabbed some flip chart paper and drew a multiple lane road with a 4-way traffic stop and a parking lot. He put the paper on the floor, and had me drive the truck and trailer up and down the road, around the corners, and back it into parking spaces. Each time he helped me identify all the potential dangers like driving over curbs, hitting other cars, and considering how much time it takes to slow down, or stop that much weight!
When I was in elementary school I was EXTREMELY fascinated with this man’s life, and his contributions to our world. So much so that when my classmates were ordering posters of movie stars, I ordered posters of him. When my family drove to Disney World in Florida from North Dakota, the greatest event on the trip was a surprise visit to his birthplace!
As an adult, my co-workers gave me a beautiful gift from Successories with this man’s image and the quote below. Today I honor his birthday by sharing some of the lessons about perseverance, character, courage and leadership that I’ve learned from a man I’ve never met…
He FAILED in business in ’31.
He was DEFEATED for State Legislator in ’32.
He tried another business in ’33. It FAILED.
His fiancée died in ’35.
He had a nervous BREAKDOWN in ’36.
Have you checked out our new Lead Change Post ~ The Invisible Woman?
As a child, were you fascinated with the idea of being invisible? Or wondered what it would be like to see the world and not have the world see you? Have you ever played spy games and pretended to be incognito?
If you are a fan of Lord of the Rings, The Fantastic Four, Disney’sNow You See Him – Now You Don’t, The Invisible Man or any “Harry Potter” movie, you’ve probably spent some time imagining what it would be like to be invisible.
On the flip side of that is our human need to be truly seen, loved, and accepted for who we are. And to be allowed to use our brains, our hearts, and our imaginations in any situation we desire.
So what if you were suddenly cloaked?
