It seems we all eventually land at a decision point---an intersection that tugs at the heart of the leader to make a conscious choice. I wrote about this moment in my book...Do you choose to turn back, remaining the same, ignoring the compelling call at this point in history? Or do you choose to be one of the new breed of leaders, taking all you know together with your vision and pioneering spirit to forge a new path—one where putting our differences to work is the driver and differentiator of our successes collectively? A new path where we consciously choose to lead by example. The decision is yours. I admit mine is fueled by an earlier experience...and ignited by the challenges and opportunities so badly needing our attention.
One time, having reached a similar intersection, I sat at my dining room table tracing how “dreams had come true” for me as a leader during the previous twenty years at IBM. My aim was to bolster up my courage to make the right decision to blaze a new trail. The tracing resulted in my writing a simple poem. Flowing from my memory, the reflection filled me with confidence enough to say, “Yes!” to a new calling. The rest is history.
Since then, the poem has been used by many trailblazers over the years and has since been translated into sixteen languages, which validates that its message is universal. Futurist Joel Barker has used it for many years to close his presentations about vision and encouraged me to rename it “Our Dreams in Action.”
A HIDDEN MESSAGE IN THE POEM
For many years, when I displayed the poem, I shared it, justifying it on the left. Interestingly, I discovered when I wrote my book and decided to include the poem in that when the words of the poem are centered on the page, the lines create an equidistant cross. According to Angeles Arrien, a cultural anthropologist, in her beautiful book Signs of Life, the equidistant cross shape—the plus sign—universally symbolizes the process of relationship, integration, and balanced connection. How perfect! For those hearing the call to innovate, lead, and reach for new levels of peak performance and contribution, the poem also demonstrates once again that putting our differences to work is a powerful practice familiar to us all. May it inspire a “Yes!” in you as you move into action on your own intended path. (Below: graphic of the poem, page 55, Putting Our Differences to Work by Debbe Kennedy).
"Make your contribution. Everything is a diversion."
--- Peter F. Drucker, Father of Modern Management
Warm regards to all that stop by...
Debbe
Debbe Kennedy
and Leadership Solutions Companies
Twitter @debbekennedy @onlinedialogues
author, Putting Our Differences to Work
The Fastest Way to Innovation, Leadership,
and High Performance (Berrett-Koehler 2008)
Buy a Copy at Amazon.com
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