They say: An apple a day keeps the doctor away. -Have you ever looked at the pips in an apple?
I mean really looked at them and realized that in every little seed there lies enormous potential....
Everybody has potential.It is something we are born with. The inherent ability to become more than we are and be all that we were intended to be. You are definitely not there yet!
One little apple seed has the ability to produce a tree full of beautiful apples, which in turn could produce more trees full of apples.... One can actually say that within one apple seed lies the potential to produce an orchard full of apples trees!
When it comes to us as humans, the possibilities are equally endless. You never know before the time what potential you, or someone else really has. When you buy a packet of seed, the name of the flower or vegetable, as well as a photo of what you can expect, normally gets printed on the outside. With humans, we have no clear picture and no description of possibilities before hand. We have no way to know for sure what we could become.
There is a limit to our potential, but why do we tend to limit ourselves? Why do we look at others and compare ourselves with what they have accomplished over the span of many years?
I remember sitting in the office of the leader of a big and successful organization in Singapore many years ago: He was explaining the structure and function of this institution to a small group of young leaders. While I sat there, listening eagerly and taking notes, my heart sank in my shoes as I doubted my abilities, wondering how I ever will be able to lead and develop something similar to what he was describing to us.
Just as I felt really down and discouraged, it dawned on me that what I was looking at was the product of many years of planning and growth! There is no way that I could start where this man was at that point!! He did not start there and he was not the same man that he was ten years ago when he started out either. I realized that your ability grows, according to your function and the level of responsibility that you are willing to take.
You need to take responsibility for your own abilities and possibilities. Only then will your potential be realized. If we do not take responsibility for our abilities, potential eventually dies - like a seed squashed, or thrown into the dustbin.
"The death of a seed, is the burial of a forest."
-Myles Munroe.
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Thursday 17 May 2012
Strength(s)
There is a lot of people who generally believe that we should focus and work hard on improving the areas in which we are not strong. Be that our organizing or strategic planning skills, our ability to think ahead, or manage and do administration well.
While there is merit in trying to improve one's abilities, (we all could do better in whatever we are doing) -to mainly focus on your weaknesses and aiming at improving them, will most certainly lead to a situation where you are quite average in everything!
Should we not rather focus on determining and developing our strengths? -Without ignoring our weaknesses completely. How will our lives look if we would spend most of our time building it around our God given abilities and talents? Many of us do not know what out real strengths are.
Some are deluded by what we think our strength(s) should be. Others are blinded by a false sense of humility that leads them to believe that one should never acknowledge the things that you are good at. In the process many of us find ourselves doing things that we really are not good at. Many time we are either too proud, or just plainly too stupid to ask someone whose strength that particular ability is, to do it!
That is part of the whole team concept, (the direction that leadership seems to be moving) where like the different members of a body, each part fulfils a particular function that the other was not made, or equipped to do, but together they lead the body to be and do what it should effectively.
It is no use to spend time (like we sometimes do) worrying about who we're not and the abilities that we do not have. You should rather get to know who you áre and what you cán do and start living and working from that paradigm.
How would the world look like, if we all should focus and spend our time and energy to excel in the things that we are good at? How would that impact the organization/s that you are functioning in?
What do you have to do and to whom do you have to talk, to determine what your particular strengths are? -a Strength is the ability you have to do certain things exceedingly well over time.
Just remember: "Strength is not for status, but for service."
While there is merit in trying to improve one's abilities, (we all could do better in whatever we are doing) -to mainly focus on your weaknesses and aiming at improving them, will most certainly lead to a situation where you are quite average in everything!
Should we not rather focus on determining and developing our strengths? -Without ignoring our weaknesses completely. How will our lives look if we would spend most of our time building it around our God given abilities and talents? Many of us do not know what out real strengths are.
Some are deluded by what we think our strength(s) should be. Others are blinded by a false sense of humility that leads them to believe that one should never acknowledge the things that you are good at. In the process many of us find ourselves doing things that we really are not good at. Many time we are either too proud, or just plainly too stupid to ask someone whose strength that particular ability is, to do it!
That is part of the whole team concept, (the direction that leadership seems to be moving) where like the different members of a body, each part fulfils a particular function that the other was not made, or equipped to do, but together they lead the body to be and do what it should effectively.
It is no use to spend time (like we sometimes do) worrying about who we're not and the abilities that we do not have. You should rather get to know who you áre and what you cán do and start living and working from that paradigm.
How would the world look like, if we all should focus and spend our time and energy to excel in the things that we are good at? How would that impact the organization/s that you are functioning in?
What do you have to do and to whom do you have to talk, to determine what your particular strengths are? -a Strength is the ability you have to do certain things exceedingly well over time.
Just remember: "Strength is not for status, but for service."
Friday 11 May 2012
Reputation, Perception & Legacy
What the people who work, live and play with us, says about us when we are not present builds our reputation. It is from what they "report" to friends, colleagues and family that a picture is created about who, what and how you are. What they report comes from their lived experience with us, the reality of who we are and what we are striving to become.
What people report about us, is based on their rapport with us. Rather than trying to manipulate perceptions about us -we should put our energy in developing healthy interpersonal relationships and growing our own character.
Some leaders buy into the old adage that perception is reality so much, that they spend enormous amounts of resources (time, energy and money) to create a favourable image about themselves, that ultimately is not real. What a waste of time! Firstly: The only reason why you would do that, is because in reality something is awry in your character and behaviour. Secondly: Reality "leaks" from your circle of colleagues, friends and even family. -In a very short time everybody knows the real reputation from the created perception. (And talks about it.)
That just adds negatively to your reputation.
Legacy is not just about how you will be remembered one day, or something you leave behind when you die. You leave a legacy whenever and wherever you leave! We are all busy living a legacy right now. I believe that in the long run, legacy is to a great extent the sum and culmination of your reputation.
Myles Munroe once said:"Let your life write the speech of your death." (Munroe M 1992. Releasing your Potential. Destiny Image Publishers)
Thursday 3 May 2012
humility
To say that you are humble, destroys the very essence of what humility is all about. Striving to be authentically humble, is a commendable and expected characteristic of good leadership. The minute you start telling others just how humble you are, is the moment that you stop being that!
In my view humility is something that one should strive to be in thought and do in practice, but never say about yourself.
To be humble is not to think "nothing" or badly about yourself. Humility is sometimes mistaken for being the floor mat of friends, family and colleagues, or for allowing others to just walk over you, disregard and mistreat you. To be humble certainly does not mean that you have a low self esteem. -In many ways humility is the exact opposite of arrogance. (See post 11/04/2012).
Humility is a way of thinking, an attitude, a way of being with and about yourself, that reflects some understanding of your specific place and role in the bigger scheme of things. To be humble is to have a moderate estimation of your own importance, merits and abilities.
For me humility is all about appropriate smallness: -To know that you are not the answer to every problem, that you are not indispensable or irreplaceable and that you are definitely not the messiah for the situation! It is being conscious of the fact that there have been talented and sharp leaders before you, and that there will surely be other, may be even more effective and talented one's after you........... It is also about being responsibly aware of the fact that you have a role to play.
You have an unique personality and abilities that could make a real difference! You have something to add to the bigger picture. We all have. We should to the best of our knowledge and ability, diligently make the difference that we were called to make, but we should do so with modesty and in appropriate smallness.
"Let other people praise you -even strangers; never do it yourself." Proverbs 27:2 (Good News)
In my view humility is something that one should strive to be in thought and do in practice, but never say about yourself.
To be humble is not to think "nothing" or badly about yourself. Humility is sometimes mistaken for being the floor mat of friends, family and colleagues, or for allowing others to just walk over you, disregard and mistreat you. To be humble certainly does not mean that you have a low self esteem. -In many ways humility is the exact opposite of arrogance. (See post 11/04/2012).
Humility is a way of thinking, an attitude, a way of being with and about yourself, that reflects some understanding of your specific place and role in the bigger scheme of things. To be humble is to have a moderate estimation of your own importance, merits and abilities.
For me humility is all about appropriate smallness: -To know that you are not the answer to every problem, that you are not indispensable or irreplaceable and that you are definitely not the messiah for the situation! It is being conscious of the fact that there have been talented and sharp leaders before you, and that there will surely be other, may be even more effective and talented one's after you........... It is also about being responsibly aware of the fact that you have a role to play.
You have an unique personality and abilities that could make a real difference! You have something to add to the bigger picture. We all have. We should to the best of our knowledge and ability, diligently make the difference that we were called to make, but we should do so with modesty and in appropriate smallness.
"Let other people praise you -even strangers; never do it yourself." Proverbs 27:2 (Good News)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)