One Thousand and One

It seems that everything these days is quantifiable and I'm not sure that is such a great thing.
 
Because we have so many numbers, statistics, and benchmarks thrown at us in most everything we do, we become blind to those numbers that really do mean something and that are important in our world.  I know I struggle with this as I try to sift through the information that really connects to me and my vision, and the information that really is just white noise in the background.

I would really like you to think about the number 1,000 as I try to put some meaning behind a number we refer to often as "a grand."  This week LeaderShape held the one thousandth session of The LeaderShape Institute.  That is in no way close to how many billion hamburgers McDonald's has served, our national debt, or any other large numbers we deal with from time to time.
It is just a thousand.

A thousand learning communities created from scratch each with the ideal of being better to each other.  A thousand versions of Star Power held to simulate the all too real possibility of abusing power in defense of our own power no matter how little we have.  A thousand Guest Leader Forums where individuals who tell us they have achieved some measure of success in the world and still wish that they had something like LeaderShape to attend to when they were "your age."  A thousand commencement circles holding hands and looking to each others eyes.  Seeing our best selves.  Seeing a new friend.  Seeing a soul awakened for perhaps the first time.
It is just a thousand though. 

In those sessions are the memories, conversations, tears, and hugs that tell me, and hopefully all of you, that we DO have the ability to change the world.  We have that ability because we do for six days.  We have done it a THOUSAND times for six days. 

I hope you will share in our celebration of a thousand.  Perhaps it doesn't seem like much on the surface, but it means everything to those that are proud to call themselves LeaderShape graduates.

One thousand and one begins now.

Paul

this post is shared by Paul Pyrz, LeaderShape President

Must Reads

Each year, LeaderShape hosts a retreat and training event that brings together the Co-Lead Facilitators for The LeaderShape Institute. It's a time to reconnect with each other and with LeaderShape, to engage in meaningful dialogue, and to continue to grow as facilitators, teachers, and learners.

The Co-Lead community is a great resource. And this year we asked them to share with each other, and with us, what it is they are reading and paying attention to. We'd like to share that list with you, too! And we are curious...what would you add?

Blogs and On-line Articles

Kid President
Brene Brown
Idea Architects (Jeffrey Cufaude)
The Color Lines
99U
Upworthy
Racialicious
Dan Pallota

Videos

TED
Dan Pallotta: The way we think about charity is dead wrong
Chimamanda Adichie: The danger of a single story
Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability and Listening to shame

Books

Start Something That Matters by Blake Mycoskie
Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead by Sheryl Sandburg
Toy Box Leadership: Leadership Lessons from the Toys You Loved as a Child by Ron Hunter, Jr. and Michael E. Waddell
You Don't Have to Have a Title to be a Leader: How Anyone, Anywhere, Can Make a Positive Difference by Mark Sanborn
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
The Way of Transition: Embracing Life's Most Difficult Moments by William Bridges
My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor
Leadership and Self Deception: Getting Out of the Box  from the Arbinger Institute
This Thing of Darkness by Harry Thompson
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing

One Thousand

On May 14, 2013 the 1,000^th session of The LeaderShape Institute will begin at North Carolina State University.

The 1,000^th session!!

What a remarkable milestone demonstrating progress towards the LeaderShape vision of a just, caring, and thriving world where all lead with integrity and a healthy disregard for the impossible.

As we all continue working on #Day7, we hope you are reaching milestones in your own work and life. And when you do hit a milestone, take some time to celebrate! It’s important to recognize and validate all of the thinking, writing, talking, meeting, and time that you have put into the process. 

Included in this celebration are the people who mentored, supported, cheered, and helped you towards your milestone. They deserve appreciation and to rejoice along with you.

This community and celebratory spirit can also help you to keep the momentum going. The last thing we would want for you (and for us) as we each reach a milestone is to allow it to justify an extended break from making progress on our big, audacious (and maybe even scary) goals. Take the excitement and satisfaction from your achievement and channel it into energy to keep moving forward.

Day #7: Celebrate, appreciate, and keep the momentum going!