With the end of the summer I tend to develop routines to help me cope with a busier and busier schedule. In the midst of my routines I find it difficult to be creative or create new experiences. Here are a few ideas to stimulate creativity during your work day from the folks at Herman Miller.

• Pursue learning.
• Question assumptions.
• Challenge yourself outside your comfort zone.
• Don’t be afraid of taking risks.
• Devote time to creativity - including disconnecting from the phone and email.
• Capture your ideas somewhere useful.
• Interact with others.
• Get a good night’s sleep.

http://www.jugglezine.com/CDA/juggle/0,1516,135,00.html

It’s the last one and a half miles of the eight mile walk and the sun is out and the heat is on! As I lean into the slight incline of the sidewalk, I notice the swing of arms, the stride of legs, and the bouncy swish of hair in a pony tail. Who is that I seem to be chasing but never quite can catch? You guessed …my shadow! I walk a little faster…it walks faster…my shadow always staying one step ahead. Is it mocking me? I stop…it stops. I turn around and “walla”!! No shadow!! But alas, it has not left me. It waits patiently behind me…waiting for me to move another step…and yes, it attends my person as it reminds me of what shadows can represent within our growth as leaders. I turn around to complete my last leg of the journey (no pun intended) and my shadow accompanies me home.

Henry David Thoreau wrote, “Every man casts a shadow; not his body only, but his imperfectly mingled spirit. This is his grief. Let him turn which way he will, it falls opposite to the sun; short at noon, long at eve. Did you never see it?” I saw it…clear as the sky that day. My shadow appeared, apparent on a surface that was concrete. However, what about the shadows that I try to “screen” in the attempt to protect or to shelter my fragile ego from harm? Or is it that I am really trying to conceal, to hide those things that I don’t want to put under the heading of “truth”? Ah, truths…why use my energy to look at that when white lies are so much easier to swallow? Because as the old adage says, “the truth will set you free”; truth erodes all rationalization and leaves the shadow standing and waiting to follow. Shadows should never lead leadership!

Hence, it’s best then that I acknowledge my “shadow”, just as Plutarch did when he said, “I don’t need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better”. In addition, I would include “I don’t need a friend who conceals the truth, inhibits growth, and keeps me from becoming the very best I can be”! My need is for growth that stretches and creates a tension whereby my shadows are bound by awareness and truth. It is so easy to keep in obscurity shadow areas that inhibit becoming and living who we are…the best of who we are! And we believe that in shading those areas from our view (and from others) we can go through our daily lives and not let it “ghost” our leadership. Sounds like silly behavior as I look into the mirror of my own insecurities and fears.

My question then is…”has anyone seen Trudy?”…or have I revealed only a shadowed phantom as I have tried to construct a life of perfection? I have this idea that people will only fall in love with the real me if I leave behind my bumbling ineptness and my painful vulnerabilities. Do they see my “shadow” as I walk…or the pain that I try to avoid…or the sense of belonging I crave?

We have the strange idea that we are loved and accepted only for our superb strength, mystical powers, or far-reaching competencies. How self-righteous we are to try and turn ourselves into mini gods. I am, continually, surprised as I go through life that real, undying loyalty to “truth” as a leader can never be legislated or coerced. Faithful leadership comes from a courageous vulnerability.

I am tired of the “cloak of invisibility”; tired of observing the aloneness that constrains….the avoidance of activities that could engender opportunities to give instead of take…the human relationships we waste that could enrich life. We are so misguided if we believe that work is the be all and end all of life…even with the obsession of the glamour or rewards we think it brings. After work, whatever humanity we have hidden in our work returns again for reconciliation. We all have shadows that we must face and attend to in the light of truth.

My private kingdom isn’t perfect, and coming home to family and to the intimacy required is full of constraints of time and energy. However, I believe that we forget the privilege of marriage, of the person we wooed; we forget the responsibility of raising children, of the quality and quantity of time to interact and guide. We walk through the door of our homes, hindered by the shadow that hides behind the lies that to place our needs above others is the right thing because it makes us “feel” better. After all, we deserve to be happy too, right? Choices made today, tomorrow, and a week from now may not always be perfect on the scale of faithful leadership. However, my shadow will not lead; neither will it be the anchor to what I know is right and true!!

What about you and your shadow? Go take it for a walk…reflect on what you see…and then choose, light to illuminate or shade to cloak your fears. It will define who you are, how you live and lead…and that will be visible.

If there is ever a place where, from my perspective and experience, a need for a colossal reformation, it needs to be within our educational venues. Both in the graduate and collegiate level, but probably more so as you start thinking of pre-emptive strikes in K-12. When you look at some of the data that came out in the book, The World is Flat, Freidman suggests that there are more genius level kids in India and China than the total enrollment of the US school system. Our kids are going to be competing for the same jobs. Our bulls eye better be more than “we satisfy the state standardized tests.”

Education needs to be the place where we are giving our kids tools to be successful in life. They may become 18 and graduate from their high schools, but they better be familiar with some core tools that they can take in to their life. Tools like collaboration and being in community with others. Not just circling the group and calling it a team arbitrarily, but being able to say we can call ourselves a team by way of how we perform and practice with each other. These are essential practices that teachers and administrators need to be instilling with our kids.

Learning how to be a learning community is very much about innovation and the innovative process. Being a self-starter and activator in your own learning experience, but not being somebody that once you learn it, poisons the water so that you have the advantage over the next person.

Sharing the conviction that it is not about your own personal achievement that makes for a great world or a great life, but it is about the synergy that can take place by way of sharing.  These are basic sandbox 101 rules - advocating for the best interests of the other while building high levels of trust within a social network.

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One of the core things we believe at Courageous Leadership is that the best things are done in life with others. It’s in the quality and the consistency of coming together that we are able to actualize ourselves and optimize our impact on those around us. More importantly we can participate in things that are truly worth investing in - things that we can call good.

Let’s look at a model that is helpful for us in our thinking. There are many examples of how groups come together and how they prove to be either unproductive in their play together or highly productive. Look at sports teams with all the right talent, but there is something in how they share the ball, how they move, how they cooperate with each other, how they make sacrifices for one another that changes when somebody comes in with a different ideology or play. Because of their confidence in that model, ideology, or play they go from being a highly talented and fairly good team to being champions.

In the corporate context it may not be an issue so much with talent, however, I would emphasize the importance of having the right people. How does this group of highly talented and competent individuals engage with one another that produce a greater value for the organization?

It’s iterative, its robust innovation and it produces competitive advantage for both their organization and for the people that they are trying to have impact or serve. Corporate, from my perspective and experience, does not understand this very issue of coming together. They want it, but the definitions out there as to what is a good team scratch at the surface versus getting to the real core.

Going Deeper
I think there are deeper issues that need to be teed up in a dialogue with your group. It translates not into intellectual gymnastics, but into practices and performance that are sustainable.

Corporate is having a difficult time coming together with the magnitude and the volume of rifts, lay-offs, downsizing, rightsizing, or whatever word you want to call it. The morale and satisfaction is having a huge effect on people’s willingness to come together, trust each other, and begin to engage collaboratively. Few have confidence that something better can occur in this environment but it’s necessary as you think about getting on top of the competitive wave as it relates to global competition and participate in the creative class.

If you look at just the individual as you think about what creates a life that is worth living, very much the things that should be in front and center on that radar screen should be how we come together with our families, core relationships, spouses, and other deep relationships in our life. It is not just association, it is not just safety and security needs being satisfied, but it is beyond even belonging and moving towards actualization.

These are critical things. I have been a part of so many different experiences where people have good intentions and they go flat. I always feel a loss when I observe this. We have great hopes and ambitions for the success of a marriage, an institution, even a sports team, and it does not gel. What we are talking about is not easy but it is good, it is right. It does bring a high level of value to our lives and those around us. My encouragement to you today is stay in the fire, and there is never a time that you should not be in the fire. Stay in that fire where it is maybe difficult, it may be very hard, but it is still the right thing to do and it is the best thing to do, for you both personally and professionally.

When we are defining best practices for our clients, there are two foundational principals we need to attend to. How do we see and know what is true and important to act on, and then, how do we join and be a part of a good, that is greater than ourselves and has greater return on investment than what we alone could ever catalyze? Then how does that counsel us and govern us in our practice with the social networks that we belong to? The fancy terms of the historic philosophers would be matters of epistemology, which is how do we know and recognize truth, and then ethics, which is speaking of how do we know what is good and then what is appropriate as it relates to the horizontal relationships that we have in our lives.

At Courageous Leadership we have done a lot of thinking about the core territories that we have to attend to in the making of ourselves and the catalyzing of good. We have identified foundational factors that have to exist for that to be successful.

• What is the intelligence factor or quotient that is at play when dealing with ideas and the rational thought and processes therein?
• What is the emotional intelligence wrestling with the intrapersonal territories of our lives? How do we self-soothe, how do we regulate in volatile or dull situations to promote good outcomes and the level of courage that is at play in our lives?
• Another would be the spiritual or the values territory which is speaking of what is it that sets our direction, what is the North Star for our lives? What is the outcome or the final goal that we are trying to achieve and then how does that govern our lives?
• The fourth would be looking at the Jungian concept of shadow that says there are things about us that are true that for whatever reason, we do not recognize hopes, aspirations, orientations, thought processes that maybe have not worked historically in the light of day and we pushed down into the basement and forget about them, but they are still alive, they still surface.

As we try to be successful in using our intellect, our emotions, our values, and managing the shadow territory of our lives, there is a whole array of things that needs to happen to make sure that it comes together with intelligence. The application needs to be directed and targeted to things that really matter in our lives. That is where we believe the fifth factor of our life, the community quotient, is needed to achieve our personal goals. In an organization you need great talent and you need them to be emotionally healthy. You can identify solid values, manage your shadow, but to pull all those things together in life, you need to have others that can think with you - not for you. They collaborate with you around ideas, opportunities, and challenges to enable you to produce very robust outcomes.

The intellectual, the emotional, the spiritual, the shadow, all being affected and governed by the play of a select group of people strategically selected because of their advocacy for your best interest, their subject matter expertise and talent, that there is a conversation and dialogue in our lives that takes place for us to manage those factors to produce the greatest outcomes. That from our experience, study, and conviction are critical core things that take you from having the intent to do good, to being able to produce the good that you say matters to you.

Takeaway
Our encouragement right now is for you to think about what could be significantly affected if there was a better play with the group that you are working with, whether professional or personal. As you think about the opportunity, we want you to actually feel the burn of that intellectual dissonance that becomes dissatisfied with your status quo and the norm of what you are currently practicing and let that fester a bit. It will create an opening of where you will be more pliable and open to transformation.

This has been a highly charged couple of weeks in both my personal and professional life. And the overriding challenge is how to ask the right questions in order to get to the right answers…and then ultimately, how can I have a sense of peace that comes from the spiritual life domain…that center that guides and defines who I am? And within that thought process I wrestle with the righteousness of thought and decision and the additional question of: did I provide courageous, spirit-respecting leadership to others?

The Chinese language character for crisis combines two other characters: one for opportunity and one for threat. This certainly reflects my experience that in every crisis, both possibilities are present. The challenge is to keep at bay the shadows, the fear-based constraint, that can hide truth and prevent my seeing the possible opportunities for growth in my life and my leadership. Most of the time, when I am not in a place of peace and well-being, my gut tightens up, my shoulders tense in tight knots, and the deep-set crease between my eyebrows is like a Sharpei’s wrinkle; not the most flattering appearance nor the most approachable from others’ viewpoint!

So when life brings another crisis head on…I have to consciously make room for the work that is ahead. I won’t get through it if I don’t make the correct choices that will bring that deep sense of peace that is unconditional…a peace that aligns my purpose and the satisfaction level of whatever I am doing at the moment. Therefore, I can’t always rely on having something, getting something, or being with someone. If I am driven by my fear or desire for those things that I don’t have, then I won’t or can’t make the room for the joys that I can choose to “tuck” into the areas of my life.

Victor Frankl, a psychiatrist, philosopher, and writer, wrote about his life in Nazi concentration camps, much of it spent doing hard manual labor.

“Everything can be taken away from a man but one thing, the last of the human freedoms – to choose one’s attitude in any given circumstances, to choose one’s way…The way in which a man accepts his fate, all of the suffering it entails…gives him ample opportunity – even in the most difficult circumstances – to add a deeper meaning to his life.”

Even in his daily terror of a Nazi concentration camp, Frankl found meaning by choosing how to view his circumstances. Shame on me that at times of crisis I haven’t always chosen joy that isn’t based on circumstances; albeit I was looking for perfection, others’ judgment, self-judgment, or righteousness. I get so busy doing that I can’t experience joy. Conditions take me out of the present.

So how do I change my view of those experiences? Getting out of my head and into my heart. I don’t need anything more than my own belief…my own knowledge…my own truth. And yes…that mirrored reflection of those that care about me unconditionally and can hold me accountable to my core convictions.

Hence, I know that somehow, in order to move forward in leadership within my life, I need to get the essentials done and discover a way to deal with anything that doesn’t get done or go my way! I need to stay anchored to my purpose and my core values and develop a list of questions to anchor me when life crisis moments begin to raise their ugly heads and my anxiety level escalates.

• Does this serve my purpose?
• Does it support my values?
• Does this bring joy to my life?
• Does this exhibit faithful leadership to others?
• Does it benefit only me?
• Does any decision/action taken in any way be driven by fear?
• What is the worst that can happen?
• What will my intention/choice be?
• What kind of execution will others see?
• How long will it take me to get my butt in gear?

Mohandas K. Gandhi told us “We must be the change we wish to see in the world.” We have to become what we want to attract. We have to exercise personal leadership where we are, when we are, and in what we are doing. Peace and joy will come as I let go of fear and desire and accept what is.

It has taken me some time in my life to understand that perfectionism, self-reliance, and control were not always positive qualities. They can keep me from risking and doing the best I can; everyday. It can keep me from priceless growth that hindsight that is revealed after we have emerged from crisis in our lives. Courage isn’t the absence of fear…it is the choice to face fear…and deny the loss of peace and joy in our lives!

I believe my choice through this current crisis, and any future crisis, is to face it with courage…with heart…knowing that my intentions will be to experience peace and joy.

May you all have a great weekend as I head to Chicago with my husband for an early anniversary celebration of 29 years! Incredible he has put up with me this long!

Warmly, Trudy

They came, they competed, they departed…leaving behind echoes that will be repeated in other races. Can you envision the sounds of the track; the cars, the crowd, the “pop” of the beer can tabs (?)…the race announcers? Can you feel the energy; the excitement…the hum of anticipation? All participants have the intentions of acquiring the most points…of being the best…of becoming a part of Indy history. However, is intention enough to win…to be at their peak…to be at the best? And is it all about the driver…or are there other factors that need to be accounted for?

I wrestle with the good intention thing…I have a myriad of good intentions…all that seem to jockey for the first place slot on my priority list. However, my actions, my execution….well, let’s just be honest and admit that it falters…too many times. I can argue using the rationalized constraints of time, energy, other commitments, etc., but they are what they are…rational lies to myself and to others. How do I stay in that upper quadrant of conviction….going beyond the acceptable commitment plateau? Well, I believe that, for me, I need speed…or at least the feeling of speed. I like to get to where I am going….fast!! Yet, I am wise enough to know that it needs to be controlled speed! The kind where you know exactly what you are doing when you hit that apex…that exact center of the turn…that exact point when you know you can down shift, execute a slideways, and with down force and some drafting…you can be walkin the dog on to the finish! (And it does matter how you finish!)

However, personal experience has shown that it takes more than the good intentions…it takes more than a plan. You need to know what’s “good”…what’s important. And you need to know what actions are required to execute results that lead to faithful leadership. In addition, and this is the big component, you need community…you need stakeholders…you need a team. You need to determine the “race type” which determines the “car”, the “driver”, the “course design”, the “distance in laps”, and the “qualifying” pre-requisites. You need to identify your “promoters”, your “pit crew”, and the “spotters”. And then, what it boils down to is, how well will the driver handle the “aerodynamics” of the car; the focus, the discipline, and the skill required; the trust level with the pit crew, and the risks that are associated with the track that catalyze fears if not looked at, processed, and embraced.

So, what race type will I choose today? What will my car look like (hot!!)…and believe me…there is no question, “who will be the driver?”!  Who will be a part of this journey of leadership…of life…and what will be the ultimate impact I want to immortalize? I guess I need to really define that “what is important” question. I need to figure out how I’m going to handle the occasional “brain fade”; I need to make the time to dream…to write it down. It needs to be in black and white…imprinted on my sub-conscious…therefore, hopefully, harder to forget or deny.

Where do I go from here? Well, I’m not going to the track…the Indy 500 is over…but, I can look to the other “races” in the future, thereby determining what’s next…just like Patrick had to do when taken out of the race by Dixon. Sometimes we need to get over things and remember that there is a new day…a new beginning; life isn’t going to wait. Well, it’s time, the waiting is over, and the flags are out. My question, to be answered by you and by me is, “what, where and when is the next race”? Are your intentions to just circle the track…to just look like you’re trying to win…to just coast until the next pit stop…or are you out there for all 50 points?!! Ready….Set…Go!!!! The flag is dropped…. And don’t forget the concept of the faithful leader when you are checkered out…faithful leadership is recognizing and bringing along the others that help you get to the finish line! 