September 2013 Newsletter - Leadership Essential: Vision

Letter from the EditorDear Friends,

Being with what we don’t know has never, ever been easy for anyone. Yet, stepping into the unknown is the only way to learn what we don’t know, we don’t know.

Learning what you don’t know, you don’t know.

Yes, it is a huge mouthful of what could seem like double-speak. Yet, when you break it down, learning what we don’t know, we don’t know, is something we do every single day.Think about it. What is something new that you have recently learned how to do? As you were learning, in all likelihood you had moments where, after learning what you didn't previously know, you immediately had a new question. You learned what you don’t know, you don’t know!Recently, these types of Ah Ha! Moments have come to me as I learn how to use Twitter. Yes, if you haven’t discovered me in the Twitterverse yet, I am there! (@claysnelson) And, frankly, I avoided it for a long time simply because I didn’t want to deal with what I didn’t know, and I honestly didn’t think I needed to know."Could I have gone the entire rest of my lifetime not knowing anything about Twitter? Absolutely, yes! But, has my world gotten bigger, have I grown, from using Twitter? Absolutely, yes!I’ve met wonderful people. I’ve learned about different buttons, what they do, and how to use them; things I didn’t even know were possible. I learn from what other people from around the world share, and I’m making a difference for people I would not have had the chance to otherwise.Being with what you don’t know and moving forward no matter what is how we learn. It is how we grow. It is how we teach. It is how we make a difference on this planet, and our planet, neighborhoods, schools, churches, and families need a difference to be made! We can’t sit still and expect to get what we want for ourselves or others. We have to be in action. We have to be willing to be with what we don’t know we don’t know, learn about it, grow from it, and then teach others about it too. Who’s with me?Warm Regards,

Leadership Essential: Vision

A vision without a task is but a dream.A task without a vision is drudgery.A vision with a task is the hope of the world.

—Anonymous

Most of us live our day-to-day lives on "automatic pilot" without giving much thought to a larger purpose or meaning for who we are or what we do, and even leaders with the greatest of intentions can fall into this trap too. So, what’s the problem?Leadership that lacks vision can quickly lead to discouragement and financial failure. It's actually dangerous! Imagine your employees are a group of people traveling in a car, each with their heads buried in their AAA road maps, and no one, not even YOU, the driver, is looking out at the road! So, how do you avoid an accident? You, the "driver," the leader of your business, needs to look down the road and take in all the "scenery." Always stay present to where you are going and where you want to have accomplished at the end of your trip!

Vision is an on-going creative process, not a one-time event

The work of a visionary is not simply the one-time event of stating a vision and then implementing it. Vision is an on-going creative process, requiring you as a leader to continuously reflect on it and reevaluate.Michelangelo's artistic visions expressed in marble sculptures were not created in one mighty blow of a hammer. No, instead, each day Michelangelo checked the changing light, the evolving stresses in the marble, the amount of sheen, as he chipped away everything that was not a part of his evolving vision. In what took many years, in some instances, his visions finally emerged from the marble.As your company's leader, as the visionary for your company, you, too, should expect to have a million little adjustments or experiments with your vision as you move closer to its realization.

Getting Started

Questions can give birth to company visions and the vision-creating process. Here are some questions to consider:

• What is our purpose?
• Are we excited by it?
• What does it look like now?
• How do we want it to show up in the future?
• What would the future look like if we achieve our vision?
• What are our values?
• Does our vision reflect our values?
• Is our vision written down in clear language?
• How can we be sure everyone understands the vision we speak?
• Who is inspired by the vision?

And, once you have a clear vision of where you are going, you have to share it with your team! A vision that is not clearly stated can't be shared, and a vision that is not shared simply doesn't exist. And how can it? If you do not communicate with your team, how can you expect your vision to become a reality? Remember: If you could get where you are going without a team, you would be there already!Communicate your view of the "road trip scenery and destination" to your team in a way that reflects your passion for the vision. Write the plan that serves as the road map for getting what you want and have your team participate in the planning process, and teach your vision. By teaching it to others, they can share in the vision and work to bring it into being. A shared vision that lights up your employees will be embraced by them. Helping your vision to thrive, not just survive.

Three people were at work on a construction site.All were doing the same job, but when each wasasked what the job was, the answers varied."Breaking rocks," the first builder replied."Earning my living," the second said."I'm building a cathedral," said the third.

—Peter Schultz

What would it be like to always 'be' the third builder? Check it out! 

Be Excellent

In today’s economic reality being just “good enough” or what we think is “our best” most of the time, simply isn’t enough. Our businesses are competing as much as ever for consumer dollars. Job seekers continue to compete for few available jobs, and if we want to stay on track and reach our goals, excellence has got to be the standard by which we operate!

What is Excellence, Anyway?

Some people confuse “excellence” with “perfection”—perfection is about being right and careful. It’s a source of pressure in our lives. Excellence, though, is more about being willing to take risks. It is a journey filled with a creative natural freedom, not a destination to be reached.There is a satisfaction and power to “being excellence” in life. It is about being more than we imagine ourselves to be, in every moment, and it produces amazing results. Excellence, and the unstoppable mindset that accompanies it, is what makes dreams come true!

How Can You Tell If You Are Being Excellent?

Here’s some of what you’ll be present to when you are “being excellence” in your life:

• A sense of achievement that is not about the past, but focuses on what can be accomplished in the future
• Personal satisfaction that is invigorating and recharges your batteries
• New levels of efficiency and productivity accomplished with ease and fun
• Goals not just reached, but exceeded
• Healthy relationships full of respect, love, and intimacy at levels that will surprise you
• Offers of assistance from everywhere! People love to be around other people being excellence!

Do you think excellence is only for others or not worth the effort? Think about it. What would it be like to live into your dreams and beyond what you think are your limits? What might you achieve? What difference could you make? Just a thought.