Searching

We are all searching. Searching for ways to be more effective and inspirational leaders in our homes and workplaces and searching for meaning to fill that unconscious void deep inside ourselves that will lead us to a place of happy contentment.

In our search we most often seek answers externally. We look to what others do. We read books by  experts. We ask our friends what we should do. We Google the worldwide web to find answers.  Our search takes us to many sources, but often the most important source is missing – our own instincts.

When I work with leaders and we discuss what type of leader they want to be, the most common answers come from a place of comparing to leaders they admire. Although it is nice to admire people, trying to emulate them does not always equal greatness. In fact, you may get worse results because trying to be someone you really are not can lead to a perception of insincerity. My goal with leaders is to help them understand that the place to greatness lies within. Identify your strengths and show up with them. We often have to go through a space of “well I do not think my strengths are very good. I prefer their strengths.” If we can get to a place of understanding that being an authentic leader and showing up as who you really are is the path to great results and inspiration, success is most often achieved.

Outside of the workplace we are challenged with the same issues in our search. For example, we want to provide the best experience for our families. So we look externally to what others do. In North America in 2013 that typically means we run ourselves ragged running our children to many activities and fitting in a fast food drive thru at some point after a long day at the office. Why? Because, that is what “we” do. Rather than looking internally or deciding as a family what we need to do to have a great experience, we look externally to what others do. We trust more in what others do than in what might be right for our experience.

Meaning is a unique experience for each individual, each family, each workplace, and each community. By trusting external sources your search may lead you to someone else’s treasure. In order to find what you are searching for, you must follow your own map. That map is found internally. All of the answers we require to get to our treasure lie within. We are the experts of our life. Start your search within.

 

2 thoughts on “Searching”

  1. You are welcome Gord. Glad to see you found them meaningful and hope they remind you that leaders are in fact made, not born.

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