Tag Archives: growth

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Who sees further a dwarf or a giant…?

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“Who sees further a dwarf or a giant? Surely a giant for his eyes are situated at a higher level than those of the dwarf. But if the dwarf is placed on the shoulders of the giant who sees further?

This quote was the inspiration for a virtual community called Lead With Giants It is made up of people from all over the world that are passionate advocates of uplifting leadership.

Lead With Giants is one of five virtual leadership communities that I frequently connect with and learn from.  (This particular group is highly engaged, collaborative and as the quote indicates each member has had the benefit of being the dwarf and the giant.)  You are welcome to connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+!  

Each month leadership articles that have been written by Lead With Giants Members are compiled to create The Best of Lead With Giants.  

  • These articles are written to refresh you, to encourage you, to help you, and to challenge you.  
  • This month 17 articles are included.  

So grab a cup of coffee, pull up a chair and enjoy!

We hope to see you in one or more of our community hangouts soon!

~~~

If you are new to virtual communities check out this link to learn more about why I value them so much!   

 

 

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Is Your Authentic Self: A Clark Kent or A Superman?

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Your Authentic Self, A Clark Kent or a Superman

Do you remember watching Clark Kent jump into a phone booth and then emerge as Superman?  Kal-El was Clark’s real name, but because he was an alien and thought he would not be accepted, and at risk, if he allowed others to see who he really was…   He adopted an alter-ego to protect himself.

When we watch him on the silver screen we wait in anticipation for him to jump into that phone booth and emerge as his authentic self!

Bringing passion, strength, justice and intense awe to everyone that he come in contact with!

After reading a recent post by Terri Klass emphasizing the need for leaders to take off their masks, a previous co-worker came to mind. 

She had been hurt many times throughout her life, so much like Kal-El, she had come to the conclusion that she needed an alter-ego to protect herself.  (She just reversed the process…)  Instead of jumping into the phone booth to unleash her greatest gifts she would jump into her phone booth before she came to work to cover them up.  When she got to work she struggled to understand why she could not connect with her peers.

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Throw Yourself!

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I discovered this quote this morning…

“The only way that we can live, is if we grow. The only way that we can grow is if we change. The only way that we can change is if we learn. The only way we can learn is if we are exposed. And the only way that we can become exposed is if we throw ourselves out into the open. Do it. Throw yourself!” ― C. JoyBell C.

It beautifully emphasizes the heart of a message I shared in the Lead Change Blog last week….  

“I recently spoke with a friend that has an extraordinary gift, and an opportunity to use that gift at a much higher level.

  • If she chooses to pursue that opportunity she has to push through whispers of doubt that her mind is already generating about all that she is not.
  • She must push through her own comfort zone and perhaps the comfort zones of her friends and her family.
  • And then, she will have to risk being vulnerable to the people that will decide if her gift is what they need right now….”

Click here to read the full post!

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Thankfulness, Beauty and Struggle ~ In a Foreign Land

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fearIn my first two days in the midst of the foreign land that I struggled to move to, and as I began to wear my “cloak of invisibility” each time I left the compound ~ I met a family that had lived outside of Paris for a few years.  (That is a destination I would have preferred!)  The mother of this family shared how much more thinking and planning she had to do to get her two children around while they were there with no car.  Planning transportation routes, figuring out how much time it would take, preparing snacks before they would get on the trains, having to go to multiple stores to grocery shop.

Countries and flags

Wow, what a perspective change! 

Immediately I felt a wave of thankfulness for all the things that are easy about my new world.

  • I can either ride a bus that is provided by the compound to shop, or hire a driver that will take me wherever I need to go.
  • Most places have signs in the native language of the area AND in English, making it easier to get around and much easier to shop.
  • And in spite of my fear about living in a brown dusty desert – the compound I live in has grass, trees, and flowers.

What a powerful reminder that so many times the change we fear is not as hard or as bad as we imagined and that if we focus on “what is” instead of “what is not” – how much easier it is to find things to be thankful for! 

My treasured moments so far have included:

  • Opportunities to meet the women that I connected to virtually before my move that offered advice and encouragement.
  • Opportunities to attend brunches and exercise classes with women from all over the world – I am enjoying both the beautiful bouquet that we make together and soaking in the conversation that is filled with different accents, and different experiences, and a genuine desire to help each other navigate this place together!

The toughest part of my experience so far:  

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What special needs families taught me about comfort zones

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A few years ago my sister adopted a 3-year old little boy that was born addicted to meth.  He had been in and out of foster homes, diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome, had abandonment issues and could not speak.

That sister lives in another state and I don’t get to see her often.  When we spoke about her new son’s challenges,  the challenges the family faced, and the special moments they were beginning to experience… I found myself wanting to I understand more.

Shortly after the adoption, I moved to a new city and met a family with an adult daughter with cognitive challenges.

It was at that time that I realized that although I was always mentally supportive of families and children with special needs and nice to them, I was also uncomfortable simply because I did not know how to fully engage with them.  Was it okay to ask questions?  Or would that be offensive?  What behavior did you need to accept and love and what behavior should you coach and correct?