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| January 2003 edition – Ivy SeaZine
Greetings and Happy New Year, Ivy Sea Online e-zine subscribers! We hope this month's tips and musings provide inspiration and food for conscious and inspired enterprise, livelihood, thought and action as you look for ways to get a new year off to a great start. Ivy Sea Online — and this e-zine — feature tips for more effective communication, inspired leadership, meaningful work, and positive mindset. In this issue of Ivy SeaZine: * Inspired-Leadership: Mastering the "little ways" of great leadership [Ivy Sea's complimentary monthly e-zine is a "opt in, by request" subscription. If you've received this issue, you subscribed at our web site or someone else has subscribed using your email address. You can subscribe or unsubscribe at any time; just follow the instructions at the end of the e-zine.] Inspired Leadership: What are some of the "little ways" that distinguish true leaders from the lesser ones? Inspired leaders strive to master the building-blocks of their areas of responsibility; they do the many small things with above-average attentiveness; they attend to the ordinary details in an extraordinary way. That doesn't mean they're perfect, though. Indeed, their humanity is evident. However, it doesn’t require perfectionism to stand out amidst the mediocre. How does this skillfulness show itself? In many ways, with the end result being that people always feel better — more challenged to be their best selves — after having interacted with these leaders. Though the list of attributes may be longer, here are a few key traits that true leaders demonstrate, regardless of whether their leadership role is formally recognized or not. In other words, these are traits they cultivate and demonstrate as a matter of choice, not title or job role. Leaders who are effective in the "little ways" strive for the following in their interactions and their work: * They're present No matter where you are in the organizational hierarchy, or whether you're at work or working at home, you can develop competency in the "little ways" of leaders. Your reward? A sense of purpose, confidence and meaningfulness no one else can give you, and no one can take away from you. Better yet, the rewards of "little way" leadership get passed along with every interaction you have throughout the day. Read the full version of this article at Ivy Sea Online's inspired-leadership portal Wisdom and Personal Mastery: I was reminded recently of a valuable lesson, both from an interpersonal perspective and a spiritual one, thanks to an interaction with someone — a stranger — that started with what seemed to me to be an unprovoked and unfair attack. The communication I received was, from my perspective, full of innuendo, misrepresentation, and inaccurate judgments. And by reacting instead of responding, I made my first mistake. Tired from a week of travel and care-giving, though I had welcomed and enjoyed both of those opportunities, I started my day without my usual hour of reflection. On most days, I aim to start with an hour, preferably, or fifteen minutes at a minimum, of spiritual reading, reflection, prayer — whatever seems to suit the day. This helps me to feel grounded, calm, focused and efficient as I move through the day. For whatever reason, perhaps feeling a bit behind, I leapt right into my office and started combing through email and voicemail messages that awaited me. The provocative communication from the stranger was among these. Reading through it, with what seemed to be its arrogant language and accusatory tone, I felt the heat rising. My inner voice told me to turn the computer monitor off, return to my "reflection space" with my cup of coffee, and review and reply to the message later that morning. Making the second mistake of the day (and it was still very early!), I ignored that wise message from within, and, driven more by the heat than good sense, pecked out a response. As I hit "send," I once more ignored that inner warming. What could have been a simple message and a single reply turned into a flurry of messages volleyed back and forth. But then grace intervened, somehow, in some way, transforming the conversation from an empty and unproductive one into an interesting, dynamic, refreshing and highly productive dialogue. As I observed what had occurred over the course of the dialogue, as irritated strangers developed a more aware, more, thoughtful, more accurate acquaintance, I felt both gratitude and awe at what's possible when we're either more mindful in our communications from the start, or when we persevere through the irritation and "re-action" to find the fruitful dialogue that is always there waiting for us to find it. With this interaction, I had gotten hit in the head with a piece of coal, only to be reminded that each piece of coal is a potential diamond in the rough. Find similar Ivy Sea Online articles in our Wisdom and Mastery portal. Interpersonally Skillfulness: Are you authentic or just plain rude? Increasingly, people complain that others are impolite, self-absorbed, uncivil or just plain rude. News headlines and a multitude of academic studies seem to indicate this is the case. But is it possible that many people simply think they're being honest or authentic, not realizing (or not caring) that their behavior is experienced as unpolished and rude? That they're actually being jerks or boors instead of mindful citizens making a more positive impact on their community? Tip. All great changes start within. As Gandhi said, "Be the change you wish to see in the world." And as Jesus, another great wisdom teacher suggested, "You see the splinter in your brother's eye, but overlook the plank in your own." The truth is, when we point fingers at and make judgments about others' behavior, it's a great idea to scrutinize our own to ensure we're acting in the way we expect others to act (or criticize them for not acting). You've probably been criticized by someone and found yourself thinking, "Look in the mirror, Bubb." Perhaps a bit of advice we can take to heart ourselves! Big-Vision Small Enterprises: Regardless of what else is happening in the world, there are things things that we can do right now to start the year with a sense of forward-momentum (and positive momentum, at that). Rudyard Kipling wrote that one crucial attribute of a successful person is the ability to keep your head about you when all around you people are losing their heads, and some are even blaming it on you. His point is not to be underestimated. So instead of allowing yourself to be carried away by the more dastardly events of the past few years, you might choose instead to keep your wits about you and focus (and act) in a positive, forward-moving manner that pays homage to all who have worked diligently, and persevered in the face of challenge. though the results may not be exactly what you had hoped for the short-term, perseverance does have its rewards. Grab a pad of paper (or your laptop), close the door, and turn off the ringer on the telephone. Here are eight steps for beginning your journey into the coming year: * Take stock of your situation While you can add other categories and exercises to your list, the ones above can help give you a start as you launch a new year, and will provide an anchor and resource as you check in each month and quarter to assess your progress, identify new resources and opportunities, or upgrade your goals for the year. Find the full VIP article, with more discussion on each of the eight steps. Organizational Communication: Over the past ten or so years, organizational communication became a bit of a circus — at least, when there was a communication effort at all. Think about it: during the dot-com years, thoughtful organizational communication programs were often overshadowed or replaced in many companies by investor-relations blitzes and decadent parties with vodka flowing from your choice of ten ice sculptures. In some large, more traditional corporations, organizational communication sometimes bore a greater resemblance to a kindergarten or summer camp for kids than a series of conscious, consistent efforts to distribute quality information to the talented adults (a.k.a. employees) being paid to do specific work. Amidst all of this, surveys showed that good percentages of employees were feeling cynical and angry at the shenanigans of highly compensated executives, particularly those who jumped out with golden parachutes just before company stock values took a nose-dive and employee retirement funds dwindled. Other surveys showed that employees felt ill-matched with their work, perceived a lack of meaningfulness, and seemed overwhelmed by layoffs and information-overload. That said, there's no time like the present to get back to basics. After a decade or more in the circus, can we even remember what the basics are? Of course we can. After all, in some pockets of the work world, paying heed to and striving for excellence in the basics has been a practice maintained all along. Key Rules of Back-to-the-Basics Communication * Maintain a two-way dialogue Find the full text of this article, along with other organizational communication and leadership articles in our VIP Membership Content Center and Inspired-Leadership portals (you'll find links for both portals at the top of this page). This Month's Gem: The events of recent history have reminded us about the preciousness of life, the value of liberty and democratic ideals, and the importance of taking actions in our own lives, during the course of our own days, that promote and support each of those greater virtues (and others that might be important to us). In that spirit, and because we believe that every person, every action, and every thought can make a difference, we'd like to invite you to participate in a Season of Positive Action. Our Season of Positive Action is inspired by the principles promoted by the Season of Nonviolence, which was itself inspired by the visions of Mahatma Gandhi and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Each year, the Season of Nonviolence begins on or around January 30 and continues for 64 days, during which people participate privately and voluntarily by engaging in activities such as honest communication, compassion, tolerance, courage, listening and generosity of spirit. But why stop with 64 days? Why not look at launching a year-long season that begins with the Season of Nonviolence and continues right on through the year in an enduring Season of Positive Action? Learn more, and find practical steps, tips, and links for Positive Action. Wise Words for the Journey * "At whatever straws we must grasp, there is always a time for gratitude and new beginnings. " ~ J. Robert Moskin * "Only in quiet waters do things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate perception of the world." ~ Hans Margolius * "To fulfill a dream, to be allowed to sweat over lonely labor, to be given a chance to create, is the meat and potatoes of life. The money is the gravy." ~ Bette Davis * "The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty. " ~ Winston Churchill * "I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence." ~ Frederick Douglass * "Fr. James Keller, MM reminds us that 'a candle loses nothing of its light by lighting another candle. ' So, too, the candle you light with constructive action could give life to yet another candle, while losing none of its own brilliance and reminding us of the uniqueness of each individual." ~ "You Can Change the World," The Christophers, Jan. ‘85 * "You cannot test courage cautiously." ~ Annie Dillard Ivy Sea Online is an Inc.com content partner, and has been recognized by Harvard Business School, CEO Refresher, About.com, Entrepreneur's Edge and others as one of the best resources on the internet for entrepreneurs, business owners, and organizational leaders. [www.ivysea.com] Until next month...Thank you for reading with us. Wishing you blessings and joy in the month ahead. Sincerely, Jamie S. Walters |
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