Women in the LEAD

WOMEN: Committing to YOUR MISSION

Some years ago, I was working as a strategic partner with a Fortune 100 company. Within the company, there were lots of people putting themselves and their work in the limelight on an issue that was popular at the time. During this time, I had the opportunity to work with the leader that held the accountability for the overall success of the company related to this issue. Her message to me was sure and clear: You see, when all these people have moved on to other passions, this is a MISSION. As time went on, I had a chance to see this happen. People did move on. The mission survived. Changes, once just dreams, happened.

Lessons Learned:
Being committed to a mission takes sacrifice, belief, steadfastness through all the necessary steps to bring about change. It takes time, courage and constant leadership to influence others to follow the way. Years later, I look on at the results achieved and note that through this leader's conviction, miracles did happen one-steady-step-at-a-time---and the journey continues.

Today, I ran across a well known message that Susan B. Anthony left behind for us. It seemed to speak clearly about what it really means to be committed to a mission:

Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing, never can bring about a reform. Those who are really in earnest must be willing to be anything.... or nothing in the world's estimation .... publicly and privately, in season and out, ....avow their sympathy with despised and persecuted ideas-----and bear the consequences. 
— Susan B. Anthony

What have you learned about responsibility of committing to a MISSION?

Warm regards,

Debbe

Debbe Kennedy
Founder, Global Dialogue Center
www.globaldialoguecenter.com
Home of Women in the Lead
Twitter: @debbekennedy

Author...
Putting Our Differences to Work
The Fastest Way to Innovation, Leadership and High Performance
by Debbe Kennedy ▪ Berrett-Koehler ▪ May 2008 – Hardcover
Foreword by Joel A. Barker, futurist, filmmaker and author
Paradigms: The Business of Discovering the Future
www.puttingourdifferencestowork.com

Buy a Copy at Amazon.com

YouTube Book Review by futurist Joel A. Barker

Personal Responsibility in Leadership Serves All

 As a nation, we have projected a sense of righteousness and superiority attitudes that are deeply resented in world.  Separateness and superiority have become our way of life, rooted deeply in fear.  I question-- is our way of living necessarily "right"?  Many aspects of American life are unraveling before our very eyes (such as, the ability to live and lead from truth and the ability to care for the whole, our health care system, our economic foundation). I wonder who are we to put forth our superiority?  Collective responsibility expressed through empathy and understanding would benefit us all.  Therefore, one of the most important things we need in the world today is for each of us to have a sense of what it is like to walk in the shoes of another. 

 

In order for our collective responsibility to change, we must change on a personal level.  Attempting to change collective responsibility will fail, as it is a symptom and not the disease.  For true change, we must accept our personal responsibility to move beyond fear, selfishness and superiority to a place of deep understanding and care for the benefit of all.  Women are particularly needed to lead this new way of living/leading because we who give birth, by our very nature hold the potential for compassion for all (the whole).  It is my wish that women step forward today and take a greater lead in where our collective (world) is headed.  It is my passion to help that to happen.

 

Maureen Simon, Contributing Author
415-381-5115
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www.theessentialfeminine.com
http://womeninfluencingnow.wordpress.com
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