Maximizing

As I reflect from the Chick-fil-a leadercast conference I was impacted by many of the words that Seth Godin spoke regarding leadership. In an interview with Leadercast he says, "Management is telling other people what to do. Leadership is opening doors and encouraging people to make their own journey." Later on in the interview he was speaking on ways that leaders can use their influence to engender change, "I wonder what happens instead if you spend your time getting your agenda in sync with the agenda of people you care about. Once needs and goals are aligned, once we're telling the same story and working in the same direction, things happen."

As I contemplate what these thoughts mean, I begin to wonder what does it mean for those of us in Bellingham and Washington State to open the doors for those around us? In what ways can I open the doors for others, and align my agenda with those around me? How in the world do we align goals and needs in a way that we tell the same story?

I do not claim to have any of the answers, I simply want to ask questions. I have been given leadership at different times and in different ways, and had the opportunity to observe, think, and conclude in different contexts. But, I still feel like I have much to learn and little to contribute. So, for the time being I want to simply question, refine, and sharpen my thinking. My hope is that I will continue to do this for the rest of my years, and that in my questioning you might ask a few questions too.

The more I study, dream, and vision the more I realize that I am just a small and tiny grain of sand in a large and shifty sea of people that are unique and creative people. We crave to be a part of something of meaning, something that is shaped into that of a great sandcastle. Our sandcastles have taken different shapes such as corporations, nations, empires, religions, cities. Many of us (myself included) will say, look at this castle I have built and the people that have joined me in this castle. But ultimately the sea will topple the sand and it will return to its original place among the rest of the sand. Maybe, just maybe we should not be looking to build the next big sandcastle, but find a way to become a more cohesive mound of sand that can stick out as an island among the ocean of time and space.

If we can come to the same assumption that people are people, and that all are deserving of love, grace, and care then we might be able to see our world of sand improved. We can then begin asking question, not around the idea of how do we beat our competition, but focused on maximizing our resources to influence the most change possible.

What does it mean for you to see other's skills and gifts maximized, and how can we use our gifts and talents to maximize and help the people that are around us?