Archives for October 2010

I am not I

I am this one

Walking beside me whom I do not see.

Whom at times I manage to visit,

And at other times I forget.

The one who remains silent when I talk,

The one who forgives, sweet, when I hate,

The one who takes a walk when I am indoors,

The one who will remain standing when I die.

Juan Ramón Jimenéz

(1881 – 1958)

“If you want to change others, open up to change yourself” –Otto Scharmer, Theory U

Before leaving graduate school, the most important thing you can learn is NOT about business or policy or medicine, it is the stuff you need to know about yourself in order to start any organization, campaign, business, or profession. I’m starting my own “Guiding Compass” which is a compilation of compelling and thoughtful principles from friends, mentors, professors, Seth Godin and the likes and it’s starting with these 4 guiding principles:

1. When making any decision, understand what values are at stake. Change gets made when we see what’s on the table that really matters.
2. The mindset of generosity is to give. The university environment teaches us to be self interested. We can’t do work unless we are generous both in spirit and in substance.
3. Recognize anyone can do anything. Our lizard brain might say some people can’t do it but they can. (from Seth Godin)
4. Figure out who is trying to make you resistant, acknowledge your fears and doubts, then pay attention to your emerging self from the now.

My classes, community, and startup ventures are helping me break down all the systems from which I had been working in. In The Politics of Leadership, I am reminded that the work of a group of people is to interrogate reality by understanding conflicts in values and priorities, while embracing new practices that bring resolution to situations of irresolution and open up pathways for genuine progress. The exchange of ideas, weighing in contrary values, collaborative work, the testing of vision against competing views, and changing one’s mind are all relevant here. In the Art of Public Narrative, I’ve learned that an effective story allows the listener to re-create the story experience. There is a strong element in risk and a leap of empathy in this practice. Storytelling involves authenticity, to step away and just say what you want to say.  Finally, Otto’s Scharmer’s Theory U has brought these principles together for me. Theory U focuses on deep listening and solidifies the importance of knowing oneself before you can bring oneself to others.

Some of my favorite links from the past few weeks:

• Steve Jobs commencement speech: Do What You Love
• JK Rowling’s commencement speech
• Melinda Gates: What Nonprofits Can Learn from Coke
• Seth Godin’s ShipIt Audio guide