Over the next few days I will share some of the results of the Leadership Perception Survey I posted recently on my blog. Just so you know, there is no hidden agenda here. Several have asked. I simply believe perception of a situation matters, sometimes as much as reality. In leadership, we must always be aware of another person’s perception and realize that not everyone thinks as we do. That doesn’t mean perception has to alter what we do, certainly not if we are doing the right thing, but perception can play a factor in success and may alter the strategy we use to accomplish our vision.
Cheryl and I are on vacation in the Southwest. First stop was Albuquerque, NM for the annual balloon festival. We spent Saturday looking at hundreds of beautiful hot air balloons and returned this morning for another look. We left in time to catch the middle service of a great church, Sagebrush Community Church. Pastor Todd Cook was ending a series called “Heart” and shared a message that encouraged us to be encouragers. It was exactly what I needed to hear.
Earlier this week I was looking for an old file and ran across some notes from a “Dream Big” planning retreat we did as a staff in August of 2007. We were almost 2 years old at that time and the assignment was to brainstorm about “the sky is the limit” and “money is not an obstacle” dreams the staff at the time had. It was amazing to look at the list today and realize that much of the list is being accomplished or could be in a short amount of time. I realized it is time for us to dream big again!
I spent most of my career in the business world. I was always extremely active and in leadership roles in church and other civic activities, but I earned my living in a for-profit environment. During those years, as an outsider looking in, I believed non-profits had so much to learn from the world of business.
Are you bringing new ideas to your organization, church, or the place where you work?
I love Southwest’s magazine. I always find interesting articles to kill time during flights. This month was no exception. I am glad that let you bring these magazines home. (They do, don’t they?)
Do you harness the greatest power in your organization? The best assets of your church, business or non-profit never appear on your balance sheet.
There is one incredibly important characteristic of a successful team or organization. It is inherent and cannot be trained or programmed. With this trait a team can weather the storms of life together. When this is an attribute of an organization, regardless of the struggles it encounters, the vision can be accomplished.
I have taken a lot of personality profile assessment. This is a new one. Here’s what happened when I took the Personality Pattern assessment:
Recovering after a mistake or a fall is what keeps a lot of people from ever accomplishing much in life. Failure does not have to stop you from achieving your dreams and goals. A lot of bouncing back depends on your response to the fall.