LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion." Jack Welch

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

We've been talking about VISION for a couple of weeks, and when I saw this quote from Jack Welch, the former Chairman and CEO of General Electric, there were some words that just jumped out at me.

Read the quote again... Do you see the words?

He's talking about what leaders must do when it comes to vision:

• CREATE a Vision

What do you see that nobody else sees? Where do you want to go?

• ARTICULATE the Vision

Explain it so that other people can understand it and get a grasp of it.

• PASSIONATELY OWN the Vision

You don't pass vision off, but you own it, it's yours.

• RELENTLESSLY DRIVE IT TO COMPLETION

Achieve it, pursue it, move towards it... RELENTLESSLY.

Powerful words when it comes to vision.

What do these words mean to you when it comes to the vision you have for your business? Your organization? Your family? Your life? This is what it takes to get from HERE to where you want to be!

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision" Helen Keller

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

Last week I shared a Steve Jobs quote on VISION and the power of vision, and I received some interesting notes about the importance of always working to SEE where we're going and to anticipate what is coming.

I read this quote from Hellen Keller, and was reminded of how easy it is to get busy focusing on TODAY and forget to think about TOMORROW.

We're busy, there's pressure, there's a never-ending to-do-list, and in some cases, we're just trying to survive.

Hellen Keller was blind, but she didn't let that keep her from great accomplishments. She was not only blind, but she was deaf as well. READ THIS LIST of her accomplishments and then tell me why you're not able to do something?

The challenge of every leader is to not only focus on what you're doing today, but to determine where you're heading, to define your vision for tomorrow.

I asked this question last week, but I'll ask again: Where are you heading? Personally? Work? Community? Family? Take some time to envision what that vision looks like.

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don't have to be pushed. The vision pulls you." Steve Jobs

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

Years ago, while attending a coaching training session, the idea of vision was shared this way.

Imagine you're standing on top of a mountain, and you see the peak of another mountain off in the distance, and you decide that this is where you want to go, but there's a valley between these peaks, and you need to get from here to there. This is called VISION.

Vision can be described as:

• The DESIRE to get from where you are to where you want to be.

• The PLAN to get from where you are to where you want to be.

• The EXECUTION to move from where you are today to where you want to be tomorrow.

It's not enough to just see that other mountain top, but there needs to be a plan to get there.

I like this thought from Steve Jobs when he says, "...The vision pulls you."

When you can articulate where you're going, you are pulled in that direction. Every decision you make either moves you closer or moves you further away.

What mountain peak are you looking at or looking for? Can you see where you're going or where you want to be? Does that vision "compel" you forward or do you feel like you're stuck?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Take a break and give your soul what it needs." Audrey Kitching

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

The quote above is my response to a pretty hard run over the past number of months.

Last week, Gina and I spent 5 glorious days unplugged, sitting on a beach, and just getting a break.

This was in response to a pretty full season that included a couple of our kids weddings, some health challenges post-Covid, some work transition, a large global leadership Summit and lot's of other things that felt like they were piled on top of everything else.

I remember back in October of 2021 saying to myself that when we arrived at April 10th of 2022, we would have gotten through a pretty crazy season.

We made it, and we took a break and recharged our souls.

It's amazing how good it feels to simply STOP.

When was the last time you just STOPPED? Sat still, read a book for fun, slept in.... just STOPPED? If you're having a difficult time remembering, you need to get some STOP TIME on your calendar!

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Stop setting yourself on fire to keep someone else warm." Penny Reid

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

I'd like to ask you to think about this quote and then to tell me what it's saying to you in the comments.

I've shared a couple of quotes about pouring into other people, then I saw this one and it forced me to stop and think.

I think there are 2 options...

ONE: You are so giving and sacrificial that you constantly put others before yourself and think of others needs. This is noble, this is valuable, this is important, this is what Jesus would do.... Put others first.

or

TWO: You are a mess because you think about other people and you don't take care of yourself... in fact, your life is "on fire" and out of control and you've got to STOP. This is important, this is valuable, this is noble, this is what Jesus would do... Take care of yourself so you can then care for others.

Which one is it?

Are there other interpretations?

Share your thoughts by clicking HERE and commenting on the blog post.

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"My fruit grows on other people's trees" Bob Buford

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

I recently published this quote from Adam Grant:

"The most meaningful way to succeed is to help others succeed."

My friend Connie then sent the quote from Bob Buford in response to that, and I love the word picture of this.

Outside my office, I have a Kumquat tree. You might not even know what a Kumquat is, but it's a small bite-sized citrus fruit with a real tart/tangy taste. When these are ripe on this tree, I'll eat one each time I walk past the tree.

When Connie shared the quote, I just looked at this tree. I looked at the amount of fruit hanging from the branches. Some of the Kumquats were ripe, others were still green and getting ready.

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"The most meaningful way to succeed is to help others succeed." Adam Grant

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

I read this quote from Adam Grant and it pushed some crazy memories into my head...

• I thought about how rewarding it was to watch my kids play sports or perform, and how fun it was to celebrate their success.

• I remembered the times when younger leaders had the opportunity to speak or train, and instead of looking at their presentation critically, I got to just enjoy their growth and the power of their impact.

• I thought back to my first full-time job where I thought that the only way I would have success is if I did everything by myself. I didn't value my team, I burned myself out, and I was very ineffective.

There is so much truth in this quote, yet as leaders, we struggle to find that balance of showing and leading with our strengths vs. investing into others and helping them lead.

What I know now is that the success that comes from helping others succeed is so much sweeter! I can't explain it, but it's different. When I do something really well, for a moment, I shine. When I help someone else do something really well, it's not just me that shines, but we ALL SHINE.

Think about the last time you truly helped someone else experience success... What did you do? How did it feel?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"We have all known the long loneliness, and we have found that the answer is community." Dorothy Day

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

I was reminded this week of the power of COMMUNITY in a number of tangible ways...

• Some of our friends gathered together to celebrate our daughters wedding and the depth of COMMUNITY was vibrant.

• Community Members gathered together to pray for some of our friends in need... there was power in those prayers.

• I watched my kids community come together around their wedding and was inspired by the depth of love, friendship and support.

Community is all around us, but sometimes we choose to remain isolated and disconnected from others, and today I simply want to tell you that you're missing out on so much.

We need COMMUNITY....

• It FILLS us and REPLENISHES our soul

• It brings JOY and LAUGHTER to our lives

• It challenges us and reminds us that we're NOT ALONE

• Community CHALLENGES us and reminds us that we're ALL on a journey

We need other people in our lives, and over the past few years, many of us have gotten too comfortable with being alone, or too content to connect with people virtually and not in person.

It's time to get back to your community.

Define what your community is and what you value from it, what you contribute to it, and what you're doing to strengthen and enrich these relationships.