Friday, January 28, 2011

Perception vs. Reality

I had a supervisor in my early career provide me with that advice and I've been thinking about it a lot lately. It is so immensely difficult to manage the perception others have of you, your work, your relationships, etc. yet I (and maybe you) spend countless hours worried about what others think (perceive) about us. More times than not, issues that service in our lives, barriers that jump out of no where, are the results of faulty perceptions. We just didn't have the hard conversation. We just didn't take the time to stop and ask, "Is this what you meant when you said that?" It has been said that one's perception IS one's reality. Given that, we all have our own versions of reality. Our purpose and goal should not be to convince someone of our reality, but work hard to understand the perceptions of others to understand theirs. If all of us did that, we would perhaps act a little kinder...lead a little better. Maybe the goal should be to use multiple perspectives to create a collective reality. Hmmm. Nah, that's too deep...or is it?

Friday, January 14, 2011

I'm gonna make it better

I saw this video today and posted it to our Facebook and Twitter pages. It's a pretty simple and straight forward message, "I'm gonna make it better."

I'm gonna make it better.

I'm pretty lucky to work for an organization that I believe does a great job supporting its community to do just that. Make it better. Whatever "it" is. Each of us has our own passions and causes that motivate us to do good, to make better. All of these efforts contribute to the improvement of our lives, communities, and the world. That's so amazing it's almost overwhelming!

I also appreciate that LeaderShape supports what I want to make better, which is the health of our bodies and our environment through plant-based living. They listen when I talk, eat the (delicious) vegan foods I bring to the office, and are mindful of the places we eat while traveling and the food we order for events. My passion isn't my co-workers passion...but they still support me.

Watch the video. Ask yourself, "What am I making better? Who am I supporting as they make their 'it' better?" Now make it better.


Monday, January 3, 2011

YouTube Contest

Hello and Happy New Year! We want to start out 2011 with an opportunity to hear from you.

With that in mind, we'd like to announce our first ever YouTube contest! There are so many stories among the LeaderShape community about how being a part of The LeaderShape Institute has impacted lives. We'd like to hear your story.

All of the details that you will need to participate can be found by going to our LeaderShape YouTube Contest information page.

Lights, camera, action!