“The twin problems confronting leadership in our society today, the failure of nerve and the desire for a quick fix, are not the result of overly strong self but a weak or no self.”
“Well-defined self in a leader —-what I call self-differentiation— is not only critical to effective leadership, it is precisely the leadership characteristic that is most likely to promote the kind of community that preserves the self of its members.”
These two quotes are among some of my favorites from the book Chet is referencing in his blog, “A Failure of Nerve”, by Edwin H. Friedman.
All I could think of as I read these quotes over and over was just how important the work of Building a Strong CORE is for any human being expecting to lead themselves, a team, or a community! AND to build a Strong CORE, we must choose to do something that is on the opposite end of the spectrum in society today, as the Old French Philosopher said, “being able to sit in a quiet room alone.” Utilizing one of our most powerful human endowments we possess, our ability to be Self-Aware, that ability to self-reflect!
This morning I had the priveledge of practicing with two different clients and reviewing their answers to just five of the 120 Discovery Questions that each client is asked to complete. And it is truly magical to see the looks on their faces as they read their answers and begin to understand what this deep dive can reveal in terms of building a Strong CORE……and it’s just one baby step! When you have done the hard work of defining your CORE, I believe this is that differentiating leadership factor that Friedman is referring to……Your Strong CORE!
“You can’t lead anybody any further than you have led yourself.”
What do you believe? Your Worldview
Who are you? Your Identity
What do you stand for? Your principle’s
BUILT TO LEAD 