Here’s the email I sent to Leadership Reno County Alumni today, 10/14/13:
What are the big challenges facing us? Not only do we have a federal government shutdown but even on the local level, today’s Hutch News reported that there’s a mediator working between USD308 and teachers. They are still at odds when it comes to an agreeable salary negotiation. All around us, then, we have areas that are challenging (undoubtedly, I’m guessing that you have a personal challenge or the organization you work in has a pressing challenge that it’s facing).
Opposite of these challenging situations, we have ideals. We have areas that we’d like to see headway made. We have an end goal in mind. And, as you can maybe feel reading this, there is a gap between our current reality and where we’d like to be.
So, what is going to bridge that gap? Doing things the same old way? Part of my contention is that no, that won’t work. It will take a different kind of behavior. It will require we engage these things in a different way. And, this is what the leadership principles and competencies of the KLC speak to. That to make progress on these deep issues, we have to engage in often risky acts of leadership and act differently: diagnosing the situation, managing self, intervening skillfully, and energizing others. Today, take some time and review these on the KLC site (pp.9-17) and see if they don’t help you envision a small step you can take to see progress on the deep challenges you face.
Feel the gap and join me in pursuing progress for the common good…