4.7 The Power of Saying AND
EGL Newsletter Volume 4.7
Prioritize. Make tough choices. Be selective. These are some heavy things that leaders often do. However, this approach can create a real tendency at times for leaders to get locked into a pattern of exclusion. When most people think of priorities, they think of “this or that”. They think about which choice they will make, and what will go undone.
While this is a great practice and requires the skill of discernment, it can become, like anything else, an overused approach to leadership. Real leadership is always considering how our thoughts engage other people, and how we create a consciousness for success among groups of people.
The other way to think of these things is in an “and” world. How do I create more market share AND drive down costs? This is at one level. However, I think that all of us need to be considering some far more important “And” questions.
I once worked with the CEO of an environmental science group. He made the statement that “We would like to be able to make all the power we want AND have healthy fish populations”. That really stuck with me. I think about that often. How do we have plenty of energy AND a clean planet for future generations? How do we create solid, healthy communities AND create global awareness? How do we create lives that enjoy the abundance of this earth AND preserve it for future generations?
For each of us, in all of our individual endeavors, we need to be considering the important “Ands” of our business. As our global connectivity increases, there is no more hiding in one corner of the world. We are an interconnected globe, and we all need to learn to act as such. The ability to understand, identify, and relate to multiple stakeholder groups and maintain these multiple perspectives is one of the most important “Ands” we can have for our world.
Try this one out today.
What are the most important things you are trying to create today in your life and in business?
What important things have you felt you had to give up in order to accomplish this (your time, your health, your family, your money, etc.)
Create a statement that puts them both together. i.e., I want to create AND create/maintain/expand.
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