When interviewed by the media, I am often asked to give examples of a transformational leader. They expect me to identify the CEO of a major corporation or a visible world leader. I prefer to talk about the people in every day roles. I want to make the point that transformational leaders are everywhere. In every community we can find positive organizations nurtured into being by a person who started just like us.
If we can master the notion of profound contact, we are more likely to make profound contributions.
The door to a meaningful life is guarded by the demon of fear. It is opened by the power of internalized purpose. People flourish when the door opens. Organizations flourish when leaders open the door for their people.
This post is the positive passage I sent in August’s monthly newsletter. If you would like to subscribe you can […]
In the positive organization people engage in generalized reciprocity. The process is hard to understand because it is outside conventional norms. Understanding and practicing it is a source of power.
Positive culture is not created through imitation, it is created through reinvention. You find a manifestation of positive deviance. You identify the underlying principle. Then you have people reinvent the practice so it is customized to their situation.
We accept the world as it is, and we become what we behold.
Science suggests that we can turn a job into a calling through introspection, reflection, and external feedback. We can also do it by proactively crafting our job so that it is better aligned with our values and strengths.
When others are practicing tough love, they are in fact supporting me, and I can feel their genuine love and concern. They are doing what they are doing because they want to call forth my greatness. For this to happen, I must become a more independent actor and take increased accountability for some aspect of my life. For me to transform, I must be attracted to the kind of learning that happens outside my comfort zone.
Managers tend to recognize the slow death of their people and they tend to complain about it. They speak as if it were a constraint. They do not see it as an opportunity.