Tuesday, September 25, 2007
The Power of a Powerful Declaration
It seems like topics come in waves. Several clients of late, after successfully working on their professional relationships (with peers, with direct reports, with bosses) have found themselves out of gas, somewhat burned out, and wondering "is this it?!"
I came across a quote from "Leadership in the Balance" by Joan Gurvis (of the Center for Creative Leadership) that is germane:
"Balance is not a matter of managing your time or giving equal effort to two opposing sides; it is about aligning your behavior with what you believe is really important to you."
Many people feel that they need to somehow balance the heavy weight they are carrying with alternative and rejuvenating activities, but the very thought of adding more to their already full days is daunting.
Instead, the challenge is to our align behavior with our greatest longings. In so doing, we can stop fighting against ourselves, stop resisting doing what we're ostensibly committed to doing.
Aligning ourselves starts with a powerful declaration, one that we feel from the inside out and that orients us toward a future that is far from inevitable. Because of this, declarations are acts of invention versus description, where we invent a future we want to create and that others can support us in creating.
I often talk about the "man on the moon" declaration when describing the process for clients.
When John F. Kennedy declared that the U.S. would put a man on the moon, his declaration opened up possibilities for others to contribute to this dream. Engineering enrollments skyrocketed. Requests and commitments for NASA funding increased. Media coverage was ever-present. Public support ran high.
When I first started coaching in Utah, I had a lot of aspiring coaches seek out my services (I was known for entrepreneurship, branding, and marketing and had a thriving practice). A lot of people I worked with in the early days also had major personal relationship problems. I wondered if I was being called to coach coaches and/or specialize in relationship issues.
When I did my own declaration work, I ended up with a focus on leadership development. I've always worked for and with top leaders. I've studied leaders. My bookshelves are filled with leadership books. I enjoy strategy, whether in chess, tennis or business.
Gaining clarity on what I wanted to create also helped me be clear about what I wanted to say "no" to, freeing up energy from trying to "balance" so much.
While I still work with clients in the midst of marital problems and I still work with coaches, all of my clients are leaders who want to be better leaders. I refer out a lot of other opportunities (such as general training, consulting, and lifecoaching) and experience more joy by focusing on what I am genuinely committed to creating.
Such is the power of a powerful declaration.
I came across a quote from "Leadership in the Balance" by Joan Gurvis (of the Center for Creative Leadership) that is germane:
"Balance is not a matter of managing your time or giving equal effort to two opposing sides; it is about aligning your behavior with what you believe is really important to you."
Many people feel that they need to somehow balance the heavy weight they are carrying with alternative and rejuvenating activities, but the very thought of adding more to their already full days is daunting.
Instead, the challenge is to our align behavior with our greatest longings. In so doing, we can stop fighting against ourselves, stop resisting doing what we're ostensibly committed to doing.
Aligning ourselves starts with a powerful declaration, one that we feel from the inside out and that orients us toward a future that is far from inevitable. Because of this, declarations are acts of invention versus description, where we invent a future we want to create and that others can support us in creating.
I often talk about the "man on the moon" declaration when describing the process for clients.
When John F. Kennedy declared that the U.S. would put a man on the moon, his declaration opened up possibilities for others to contribute to this dream. Engineering enrollments skyrocketed. Requests and commitments for NASA funding increased. Media coverage was ever-present. Public support ran high.
When I first started coaching in Utah, I had a lot of aspiring coaches seek out my services (I was known for entrepreneurship, branding, and marketing and had a thriving practice). A lot of people I worked with in the early days also had major personal relationship problems. I wondered if I was being called to coach coaches and/or specialize in relationship issues.
When I did my own declaration work, I ended up with a focus on leadership development. I've always worked for and with top leaders. I've studied leaders. My bookshelves are filled with leadership books. I enjoy strategy, whether in chess, tennis or business.
Gaining clarity on what I wanted to create also helped me be clear about what I wanted to say "no" to, freeing up energy from trying to "balance" so much.
While I still work with clients in the midst of marital problems and I still work with coaches, all of my clients are leaders who want to be better leaders. I refer out a lot of other opportunities (such as general training, consulting, and lifecoaching) and experience more joy by focusing on what I am genuinely committed to creating.
Such is the power of a powerful declaration.
# posted by Cindy Marteney @ 3:08 PM 
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