The brain is an extraordinary mechanism. If has the power to create images of consequence.
This reminds me of an incident with my daughter. She and her husband were trying to make a decision about adoption. The stress grew until she was overwhelmed and she began to sink into a hole of negative emotions. The struggle went on for days when suddenly she walked into my office singing a happy song. I was stunned and asked her what happened. She said that she and her husband sat down and asked a crucial question, “What result are we trying to create?” The question led to a long discussion and a new image of the future. With this new perspective, her fears began to dissolve.
This new perspective, or change in her imagination, had real consequences. For one, as she became really clear about her deepest purpose, her fears departed. For another, her change in disposition altered how she interacted with those who loved and supported her the most. When she was in the negative hole, we as a family watched every word we said. When she came out of the hole, we all relaxed and began more fully engaging her.
Many discussions of leadership turn to the mechanics of the process. Few focus on the emotional state of the leader. My daughter’s emotional state influenced how we related to her. Similarly, a leader’s emotional state influences others and determines the quality of energy those people return. The emotional state, therefore, matters, and it is determined by the images of the mind. The imagination of a leader changes his or her reality.
We most empower our imagination when we link our minds to our deepest purpose. The question, “What result do I want to create,” is a tool that alters how we function and how others relate to us. Robert Fritz wrote an entire book on the power of this question. It gives us the power of self-elevation and the ability to create images of consequence.
Reflection
When has my imagination changed my reality?
What does the clarification of purpose do to my imagination?
How could we use this passage to create a more positive organization?