Resource Management Innovations

Turning a Living Liability into an Asset.

Originally this blog was going to have ‘thought leadership’ in the title … but there has been so much (sincere) push back against that term I elected not to unnecessarily entice the critics. (This time). Although the expression is well overused I think it can be very descriptive.



In this blog we have spent a great deal of time better understanding leadership. That is, Vision casting (where are we going) and Mission building … (how will we get there, intentionally). Implicit in that is some very powerful, thoughtful introspection to be sure … but how about a healthy dollop of human nature tossed in for good measure?

I work with leaders every day. Principals, within their own companies. All of whom I would say are skilled and experienced. If there were one common denominator to be used as a descriptor I would also add, passion. Not aka Larry the Lounge Lizard passion … but a heartfelt conviction to bridge the real with the ideal. They are convicted by a natural tension that exists between what is and what could be. Often as not, there is one other trait that represents a significant exposure to risk. Many of these men and women cannot be said to be within an acceptable range of emotional health. Many will suit up for the morning run well before daylight and can be seen in the quiet of their office having a salad for lunch. Taking very good care of the ‘engine’ … that is necessary to shepherd the organization forward in the daily rough and tumble world of the C-Suite.

Without exception, I can safely say than in over 20 years in the field of organizational development not a single executive has volunteered a conversation in the arena of emotional wellness. In many cultures this is a social taboo … but in an RMI engagement, we do discuss it. We even have some very effective tools and techniques to assess and maintain it … which is a topic for another day. What I do want to share is a real world practical observation that I have developed into a tool and technique. For some time now I have wanted to share this with you. This … seemed like a good time.

How many times have you been mid thought or sentence … when you have been interrupted. Someone walks into the room mid conversation and catches you off guard. You respond. The interruption is satisfied. Now back to the original conversation or thought. Have you ever lost the original thought, or had to be reminded of it? Me too. That got me thinking … would it be possible for me to invoke that very same activity, when I have a thought that is inconsistent with ‘where I want to go, or how I want to get there?’ By any other measure … stinkin thinkin.



Could I … intentionally interrupt thoughts that I knew to be wrong? Replace them for example with thoughts that I know to be true … and actually cause the incorrect or unwelcome thought to leave my conscious mind? If I could do it by accident, why not on purpose? If that could work on a practical level …. Wow, now we are talking about ‘thought-leadership!’ If there were a practical way for me to take every thought captive, put it through a sift & sort and designate it as consistent or inconsistent with what I choose to think about … I may have something. I put it to the test.

You may remember from blogs past that I have wonderful, fond memories of a Sergeant Major in my army unit overseas who would bark at us … “when you look sharp you feel sharp, and when you feel sharp … you do a good job.” I had to add this corollary … when you think sharp, you feel sharp … etc. My thoughts drive my feelings. My feelings drive my behavior, and my behavior drives my circumstance. Could I (really) change my circumstance … by intentionally changing my mind? In a word, Yes.

Here is a practical twist on that principle that I have found helpful. When you find yourself in a circumstance where your thoughts turn negative … arrest that moment. Speak the next (corrective) sentence ‘out loud’ … and if you don’t have a replacement thought that is in context … speak something that you do know to be true. The old adage … ‘the truth will set you free’? Give it a try.



I have had such remarkable experience with this personal application of ‘thought leadership’ … that it has become a habit. Because we can choose what we think … could we not (quite literally) take every thought captive, (renewing our mind with a ‘default switch’) and subject it to a personal criteria as to what I intentionally will and won’t think about … thereby influencing (positively) my feelings, which affects my behavior, which affects my circumstance … and so on.

A very practical, real world tool that you can plug in right now … and make a difference. Leaders can and do take their thoughts captive. Hope that helps. It’s RMI’s version of thought-leadership.

Blessings;

Rick @ RMI

Posted By: Rick Kneeshaw 2010/09/23
Categories: Ricks ~ Recipes