An Inevitable Truth
100% of the time. Every day. In every way.
As an individual.
As an organization.
As a society.
There is one inevitable truth we would all do well to embrace.
You and I, as individuals, organizations, and communities, are in the midst of a powerful, ongoing process – the process of BECOMING the future version of ourselves.
And only through a growing awareness of how it works do we have any hope of steering this process in a hopeful direction.
To be fair, the nature of this article’s format necessitates oversimplification. Point taken. Even so…let’s take a quick look under the hood in an attempt to understand the process.
The primary force involved in any process of Becoming is Influence.
Something influences us to think and act in a certain way every moment of every day, and over time those influences grown in strength and regularity.
They become Pattern. They become Habit. They become Culture. They become Policy. They become Law. They become Doctrine. They become Rule of Life.
There are three primary sources of Influence that all, in varying degrees depending on the circumstances, affect the way we navigate life – the way we make decisions.
And the decisions we make today are shaping the person / organization / society we are Becoming, which makes an awareness and understanding of these three sources of Influence an imperative.
One: Individual Influence – This is the way you or I think today. Yes, it is shaped over time by education and experience, but this Influence is solely internal and based in personal conviction and desire.
Two: Organizational Influence – This is what the people around us think today (aka a form of ‘peer pressure’ – be it good or bad). There are organizational perspectives (workplace, peer group, community, social network, association, church, etc…) beyond our personal convictions that Influence our decisions every day.
Three: Ideological Influence – This refers to the influence of a school of thought that is outside the individual and the organization. Some refer to it as a worldview. There are likely more than one Ideological Influences pressing into our decision making – into our process of Becoming – at any one point in time.
As noted above, these three Influences are all pressing on us to varying degrees depending on the moment.
But they are all at play…at the same time…all the time.
Wisdom and Discernment are needed if we are to have any hope of stewarding these Influences with intentionality and purpose.
If you’re on an island, this is a difficult tightrope to walk.
Do you trust your own judgement SO much that you are willing to go it alone? Confidence is an important trait for a leader, but overconfidence can lead to major problems.
Do you defer to your peers enough to simply follow the wind and the waves of their thinking exclusively? The value of a strong, trusted peer group cannot be overstated (this is why Convene exists, after all!). But at the end of the day, leaders still have to make, and live with, the final decision and its consequences.
Do you subscribe to a set of worldviews so deeply as to blindly follow them into the unknown with no checks or balances? We have all seen the tragic result of this Influence gone bad. And yet, particularly as Christian leaders (my primary audience), this one needs to be taken very seriously.
For the humble, discerning leader, the answer to all three of these questions is likely ‘No’ because you understand that none stand alone, none are primary every time, and all three play a significant role in making wise decisions…
…in the inevitable process of Becoming.
And in order to navigate this process responsibly, with purpose, we must be intentional about our engagement with all three of these primary sources of Influence.
Today’s MMS is primarily about awareness. I may take future space to dive a little deeper into a strategy, but in the spirit of the Monday Morning Stretch, I’ll leave you with this mental encouragement:
One: Become increasingly self-aware and insatiable in your personal / professional development.
Two: Become increasingly intentional with regard to the people and resources you invite into your inner circle. Find a trusted peer group that can speak wisdom into your life (and let me know if I can help with that 😉 ).
Three: Become increasingly vigilant in discerning the value and purity of your ideological influences. Our evolving worldview is powerful and shapes everything.
There are, of course, practical and spiritual applications to this conversation that go way beyond the written page. If you would like to dig a little deeper, let’s grab a cup of coffee someday soon.
Because this is what I do. I help purpose driven leaders in their process of Becoming.
Blessings to you, my friends!
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This Week’s Resource Recommendation:
“Everybody Matters: The Extraordinary Power of Caring for Your People Like Family”
- Bob Chapman & Raj Sisodia
From Amazon: Chapman and coauthor Raj Sisodia show how any organization can reject the traumatic consequences of rolling layoffs, dehumanizing rules, and hypercompetitive cultures. Once you stop treating people like functions or costs, disengaged workers begin to share their gifts and talents toward a shared future. Uninspired workers stop feeling that their jobs have no meaning. Frustrated workers stop taking their bad days out on their spouses and kids. And everyone stops counting the minutes until it’s time to go home.
This book chronicles Chapman’s journey to find his true calling, going behind the scenes as his team tackles real-world challenges with caring, empathy, and inspiration. It also provides clear steps to transform your own workplace, whether you lead two people or two hundred thousand. While the Barry-Wehmiller way isn’t easy, it is simple. As the authors put it:
"Everyone wants to do better. Trust them. Leaders are everywhere. Find them. People achieve good things, big and small, every day. Celebrate them. Some people wish things were different. Listen to them. Everybody matters. Show them."
MMS 25-08
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Blessings to you, my friend!
