A new "F" word…

Here’s a new “F” word from one of my recent program attendees.

Filter.

Here’s where it came from…

I asked the group if they were the same person in work and in life. Most thought they were somewhat different people depending on where they were and what was expected of them. One of them verbalized their thoughts and had the whole room as quiet as Church.

I asked him to journal his thoughts further and send them to me when he had rewritten them to the point that he had CLARITY. Here’s a portion of what he sent me. This guy is strong!

“Are you different at work than you are at home? This question intrigued me. I’m not intentionally dishonest or pretentious. I realized through this discussion that I am, however, “filtered” at work. What survives my “filter” is still me, as filtered water is still water, but just a little less of me than would otherwise flow through. I typically insert a filter at work based on what I think others expect of me. This happens daily as I drive into the parking lot and cut the volume on the loud music that normally accompnies my morning commute.

Thinking about this comparison a bit more deeply, I realized that the filter also creates a number of unintended downstream effects. Like a water filter, the longer the filter is in place, the more restricted the flow becomes. As the filter gets inundated with the bad stuff that gets held back, less and less of the good stuff gets through. By restricting the flow, I asked myself, is it possible that I stifle my strengths…unintentionally suppressing otherwise productive contributions? Yep..I think so.

…from this exercise I’ve learned that the filter isn’t as productive as I thought. By removing the filter, I gain a number of benefits. I keep my flow at maximum capacity…everything that I’m able to put into the front of the pipeline at any given time comes out the other side uninhibited. I don’t waste time cleaning, and subject my family to the “unwinding” process that comes from cleaning out the GUNK when I get home. I maximize the chance that a good idea makes it through before I self FILTER it away.

I become a better leader because I am focused on my CORE…not external expectations.

All of these things sound pretty good so I’m making it my goal to open the pipeline, and smooth my transition from home to work and back. Although…I might still turn down the music coming into the parking lot, though…just to ward off any unnecessary embarrassment.”

How’s your flow in work and in life?

Are you clogging yourself up?

Are you filtering yourself for the boss, the bride, the Pastor, the neighbor, and or your peer?

Why?

BUILT TO LEAD leaders lead INTEGRATED not balanced lives. They know WHO they are. They are the same in work and in life. This is the only way to flow.

They throw out the FILTER and open up the faucet. They experience massive FLOWAGE in work and life.

Cool.