The word
REFRESHING
came up at least 10 times last week...
as a compliment.
And, I started noticing it.
"Your leadership is so refreshing."
"Your approach is so refreshing."
I am not writing this to pat myself on the back, but rather to notice and be grateful for what I am learning and applying in my life. And, I am sharing it in the hope that you see the possibilities in how it applies to YOU!"
The more I get involved with groups, teams, businesses that I have not worked with previously, the more I have been hearing that word... REFRESHING.
And, I love that word.
Who doesn't want to feel... REFRESHED?
I believe that leadership can be enlightened.
I think that people find "refreshing" a leader who
VALUES them
LISTENS to them
RESPECTS THEM (viscerally)
engages in meaningful conversation
applies reason objectively
tries to simplify not complicate
leverages common sense
calls nonsense, nonsense.
keeps it human
keeps it real
...
I am not saying that is what I "DO", but those are certainly the ways that I aspire to lead. It surprises me that these attributes are not the everyday style of leadership... as they seem so right and clear. It saddens me at times that they aren't, but then I realize its an opportunity for me to show more people what it might look like...
The majority of leadership styles that I come across fail to convey those things because they make the needs of the "task" at hand so much BIGGER & MORE IMPORTANT than the needs of the "people" on their team, or in their business that they will attempt to work with to resolve the task.
When the needs of the task becomes so much more important than the needs of people - then people become a necessary evil.
When the needs of the task need to be woven into the needs of the people in order to create a better path forward - then people become fundamental and appreciated as an integral part of the solution and the value.
REFRESHING?
Or maybe it's simply HARMONY...
The thought that life RESETS in every moment...
The ability to come into every moment ready to understand the IS and reach for our WANT...
Over and over...
Life, like moments, RESETS and REFRESHES constantly...
It gives us the opportunity OVER and OVER to breathe, to appreciate, to attempt...
Life is inherently REFRESHING...
For those that allow it to flow...
And, for those that resist -
that push against or deny the IS of the moment -
for those who try to linger in the past -
for those who can't escape fear or wishing for things they can't control -
for those who think they know what life is already about and what the answer is...
For those...
it doesn't feel refreshing at all...
Who are you? Who do you want to be?
Breathe
Deeply...
New Moment.
Reset.
REFRESH!
in harmony,
Nestor