Choosing to “Thrive” vs. “Survive”

Biology, like culture, wants to thrive & flourish not merely “exist” – my fear based responses to the VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity) world actually inhibits decision making and clouds openness to see/find treasure and opportunities to thrive….the vuca itself isn’t the issue, my chosen response to it is the issue. My choices either accelerate desired outcomes or prolong suffering and compound permanent damage (survival choices=perishing outcomes in a VUCA world – economy/life of dynamism)….affecting every community that I am responsible for leading – my family, my community, my team, my church, my….

Perishing vs. Flourishing is a Choice:
Innovation leaders like me are susceptible to unconsciously choosing to be “victimized” by their own beliefs and perceptions (therefore leading to fear-based survival choices & perishing) and innovation leaders like me are trusted to consciously be choosing to lead in a way that shows how their culture is “life” (and therefore leading to intentional “thrive” choices & flourishing) – we know that flourishing innovation cultures trump strategy; a perishing culture is an innovation strategy death trap (culture=essential; strategy=important).

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IRON sharpens IRON…

I will keep my axe sharp.
Proverbs 27:17
As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.

I will surround myself with spiritual & strategic scaffolding.
Hebrews 10:24
And let us consider how we may spur
one another on towards love and good deeds

“we MEN must become the covering for our families…we MEN must become the ‘high priest’ of our family…we must take ownership of the land for God”
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Even if it makes me uncomfortable

I will grow by doing things… even if it makes me uncomfortable
We must pray for the unbelievable
“We must be committed to being on a journey
of transformation and development

We have been called upon to live the impossible
& do the impossible for God
We must show up differently
We must grow by doing things

    even if they make us uncomfortable

We will do big things & change the world, serving God & serving this body
We must be persistent & not give up
…in pursuit of righteousness and in pursuit of belonging to God”

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Hey Raff, train harder…

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Raff, your flesh is weak – crucify (strengthen/build) it daily with “Worship & Workouts”

Raff, remember to…
Talk to God when you wake up.
Thank Him. Ask for His help.
Rely on Him – not the world – not yourself – your flesh is weak.
Get in the gym/dojo/ring/work it out – literally & metaphorically.
Make mistakes. Don’t give up.
“Don’t just fight like a man – fight like a man of God.”
Be a Jedi!

Hey Raff! Spend more time “going into the woods”

To be a leader of innovation jedi, I have to “model” living life as an innovation jedi (in training) – lead, follow, lead, follow – as a learner & creator – aligned with my declaration of innovation/purpose. Daily, I need to acknowledge my own tolerance/comfort with the status quo & overcome my fear of failure….I must ask myself…am I spending enough time “going into the woods”?

Note to self: renew the vows – spend more time going into the woods…

Published in Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemaddock/2012/06/25/do-you-have-a-declaration-of-innovation/

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I was…Now I am.

MY LIFE
I was on autopilot, I was half asleep, hoping for the best – I was unaware….now I am awake, I am present, I’m slowing down and showing up
I was waiting for someday (working life in)……now I am living the moments as they happen
I was paralyzed/overwhelmed by the self imposed burden of trying to fix everything….I am comfortable and committed to only fixing the essential things
I was avoiding the possibility of having regrets or failures…I am failing forward
I was living the questions….now I am reframing the questions, changing my perspective, enjoying the search for better questions

MY LEADERSHIP
I was so hard on myself, I was beating myself up, I was relentlessly unimpressed with myself …..I am out of the hotseat, I am less judgmental, I am silencing the critic inside
I was aspiring to sacrifice/to go without, I was a martyr…..I am embracing starting with Me first, Me second, Me third
I was leading by example (but using mostly muscle/force) – I am leading with finesse/power (confident that muscle is there if/only if I need it)…I am leading with purpose
I was certain/secure with my leadership style….I am comfortable growing, evolving into something better
I was content, developing horizontally – I am seeking adaptive learning, thirsty for continuous upgrades
I was looking for meaning behind my creativity…now I am using my gifts to bring light to the darkest corners
I was assuming “alignment” with priorities….now I’m checking-in & I am living it more on purpose
I was working from a to-do lists….I am leading by MY to-die-for list

MY WEAKNESS
I was consumed by/at the mercy of/a victim of – my addiction to affirmation, attention, acceptance…I am shifting the balance of power to be in my favor
I was begging for her attention & blaming her…..now I am fixing me and encouraging her
I was frozen with the fear that she could do better(than a guy like me)….I am giving myself more reasons to NOT believe that’s true
I was unlikely to be messy or broken…I am more transparent, more authentic and more vulnerable
I was sure that I was way cooler when I was 20… I am realizing at 41+ that I’m enjoying the consistency of how I feel about myself when I’m with my friends who “knew me when” AND my friends who “know me now”

MY TAKEAWAY
I was running fast, unsure I was even on the right road….now I am starting way closer to the finish line (even though we all know there is no finishline)

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Three “CONS” of Innovation Leadership

These 3 CONcepts feel very CONtrary to what corporations (and CONtrary to my command & control instincts) typically emphasize/reward/practice when it comes to leadership today, but these ARE essential to innovation leadership…these practices are free & they doesn’t require additional meetings & they can be incorporated to existing rhythms…it mainly just emphasizes treating each other like human beings first before we jump to unintentionally treating each other like corporate machines for the sake of accomplishment & efficiency….which in the case of transformation & innovation can be counter productive to overlook the social/EQ impact of old paradigms like the fear of failure/inertia that affect their engagement, motivation, and relationship to the innovation.

The 3 “Cons” of Innovation Leadership:

1) CONtext – leaders set context – its a leader’s #1 job to set context = setting context for how we want others to interpret what is happening – if we dont set the context, someone or something else is doing it
2) CONvene– leaders orchestrate how we convene – how we meet – structuring how we gather – every meeting and every experience to help set example of the culture we want – the kind of convening that helps to build more openness, relatedness/sense of community – leaders choose this..
3) CONversation – leaders help shape a shared language & practice generative conversations -communication is leadership – transformation is first & foremost a linguistic endeavor driven by changing the conversation

…I refer myself to Peter Block’s work for more context…
http://peterblock.com

workhard

If you want a happy ending….

I only have one version of my story; I tell it the way I remember it – which is obviously my own version of the truth…therefore it’s fiction. Every one of my true stories is fiction. When I think I’m remembering my version of the truth as the “real” version, I ask myself: “am I sure I’m right? am I absolutely certain that I’m right?” No, of course not. AND the best chapters are still being written – remembering that makes it easier for me to be an open book & let go of my certainty at the same time.

DISSENT & the Jedi’s Dojo

Innovation Jedi’s have to recognize the difference between dissent & contempt. One is good for you and one is your fault. We must welcome unreasonable dissent – its good for us.

DISSENT (good for the DOJO) = the act of disagreement, difference of opinion, diversity of perspective

CREATIVELY CHALLENGE(healthy conflict)/offer alternate way of thinking/feeds each other’s curiosity
 
Belief: innovation jedi leaders… 
  • Welcome dissent
  • Benefit from being curious about what they will learn from dissent
  • Own responsibility for creating the environment for dissent to be viewed positively

CONTEMPT (not allowed in the dojo)= the feeling of disrespect & intense dislike (evidence of a belief of lack of power/lack of freedom…..choosing to view circumstances from victim orientation)
SUBVERSIVE, DRAMA-FILLED, COUNTER-CULTURE
 – connect dissonance to our declaration of purpose
 – admit potential for unskilled emotional responses that could veer off between the two
 
Belief: innovation jedi leaders…
  • Recognize the potential for “sideways dissent”=contempt” in oneself & others & openly inquire to gauge dissent or contempt intentions
  • Own the responsibility for contributing to the environment where contempt is viewed as the only outlet for othersImage