Leader-Space

Creating new ideas

2007-10-07T00:02:00.000-07:00

We often come up with ideas that we dont always follow through on. Sometimes we dont have time or space in our lives. Sometimes we think they are too big, or that someone else has already done it.

Surprise! Ideas come to us in flashes, with intuition, and sometimes they arrive to several people at once in the quiet space of our minds.

One of my ideas, Tri-namics Coaching Triangle System I did bring to life. You can see more on my website or read the article in BCHRMA HR VOICE newsletter.

When an idea flashes by you that you think is really good it is time to examine your leadership initiative. If you simply can not follow up then consider passing on the idea to someone who can. It is like aa "pay it forward" or "random act of kindness" in a different way.

work, work, work...

2007-10-04T15:20:00.000-07:00

Conversation seems to take us to work in our social circles. What do you do? What kind of work are you involved in? What is your job? Seems our identity is tied up in this relationship with our work. When we change work, when we are in transition between different kinds of work, we have to learn the new language, the new way to represent ourselves. One would think this is easy to do. Somehow it is not. We often grieve what we had. Or we are so glad to be gone from it that we dont want to refer to it but are stuck in the story. Or sometimes people catch us when we are not clear.

How can we move to a new conversation about work? Instead of the "what" perhaps we could ask the "how " questions.. How are you making a difference in the world? How do you contribute? How are you changing? Instead of "What are you looking for?" It becomes, "How would you like to contribute?"

My sense is that people would have different conversations about work, perhaps more meaningful. For example, if some says "What do you do?" and you answer " "I sell phones" , you may be able to respond differently should they say " How do you make a difference with the work that you do?'"

Ive been exploring and thinking about this lately as I am in transition. Im moving from being a full time employee to being self-employed with two businesses. I make a difference in my first business, DP Leadership by focusing on individuals and teams helping them become better leaders. In my partnership business, Deberna International, we use our Tri-namics Coaching Triangle System to improve leadership skills through a self-directed peer coaching approach.

Much better than simply saying I have my own companies. It makes people curious to learn and explore more. Please visit my websites and contact me if you are curious to learn more.

Tri-namics

2007-10-03T16:40:00.000-07:00

Have you just once wished you could have space to reflect? space to practice at work? space to try things out?
Tri-namics Coaching Triangle System may be something you are looking for. Imagine choosing a thinking, learning partner. Imagine the two of you choosing a third and inviting them to join you in a Coaching Triangle. Imagine setting guidelines, agreeing and committing to learning together- AND learning what you want.

We crave empty space. We crave space we can use for ourselves. It is possible. In fact it is working in quite a few organizations; organizations that have embraced Coaching Triangles.
Professional development that mines the intellectual capital of your own organization.
Curious?
Check out www.deberna.com or contact me at debbiepayne@gmail.com

2007-09-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

Intuitive Thoughts

2007-08-26T07:36:00.000-07:00

Wow! I have an idea and in it pops. When we tap into our intuition and things "pop" we tend to surprise and delight ourselves. They also seem to come to us when we have stopped thinking so hard, stopping trying to create, stopped trying to fill up every moment with our thoughts. There is an openness or space or void that is more empty when intuition comes. Sometimes thinking about diverse ideas or concepts that are not directly linked also bring intuition to us.

The disconnected yet interconnected allows for creation. Maybe this tells us that all things are connected somehow.

We need to allow for intuition, to foster it and to create the space for it to happen. Some are able to tap into their intuition easily and naturally. Others is it much more challenging to find. However we all need to trust our intuition as it is really an amazing way of not only getting new ideas but really gathering information from the world around us.

Tri-namics Coaching Triangle System began as an intuitive thought when I was having a shower one day. Noticing how people solve problems, who they go to, how they create for themselves in an organization small places of refuge, small informal groups, places to create. It was born in a flash and I took this idea and created a full system that helps organizations tap into their own intellectual capital. Using our intuition means really grabbing those fleeting thoughts and doing something valuable with them. Have a look at www.deberna.com

Opportunities Galore

2007-08-21T00:52:00.000-07:00

Leaders see opportunities easily. So easily in fact, that they often do not see problems. They are able to switch thinking so quickly when faced with what one person may see as a problem to see it as an opportunity for growth, learning, or change. A question to ask yourself when problems crop up in your life is. "What is the opportunity in this?"

As we begin to see more opportunities are thinking itself shifts as does our conversation. We find ourselves speaking differently and notice that we start then to even see others problems as opportunities. Before you can even comprehend this you begin to seek out "problems" that others are having to help them see the opportunities that abound.

When a leader is able to encourage and influence those around him to see opportunities, to embarce them, to get excited about the possibilites there is hope. Hope that as we all see opportunity in things around us that we are focusing on context, on environment, on relationship which is the white space surrounding the situation. This ensures that we see the broader whole of a system. Leaders who can see systems enable systemic change which transforms and improves our world.

Clear Thinking

2007-07-29T23:04:00.001-07:00

What is clear thinking? Sometimes things seem confused, muddy, grey, complex, obtuse, and we often say "it depends". How can we find space so that our thinking can become more clear when we are constantly bombarded with information, when our time is overfull, when everyone wants a piece of us, and when we just cant think clearly. What happens when our thinking is not clear? We start to make poor decisions. Poor decisions as a leader can derail your career; lose the respect of colleagues or your team. When we cant clearly see or think we often grab at things or just try to keep juggling and so our decisions are not based on solid, analytical, value-based reasoning. Leaders need space and time to think, time to reflect and ensure they have all the information they need to make a right decision. As a leader you have a responsibility to ask for this time or space, to create it for yourself so that your decisions are based on clear thinking. Sometimes you only need a few minutes- take them, you will respect yourself for creating your own thinking space.

Humble Leaders

2007-07-28T22:59:00.000-07:00

Humble leadership is similar to servant leadership. It swells with generousity, with a sense of using every opportunity to promote, display and encourage the leadership of others before self. My friend Kevin is a humble leader as my daughter so graciously pointed out to the audience present at Kevin's birthday. Humble due to his sincere generousity and deep caring for others. Read about humbleness- these days we could all use more of it.

Transition

2007-07-23T20:00:00.000-07:00

During times of unrest, change, confusion, disruption, unease or the unknown we often say we are 'in transition." It gives us comfort to say this as we help ourselves understand that what we feel and experience is not a permanent state. The space that is freed up is a gift. Be it space to think, space to breathe, space to be different, space to question or simply space to be quiet.

I am in transition. I relish every moment of this. It allows for reflection. It allows for reconnection with the many people I am often too busy to communicate with. It allows for redefining what is important. It allows me to write, to create, to reinvent, and to experiment.

Why we lose or do not recongize these abilities or opportunities when we are not in transition is something to ponder. What is it about routine that makes us so focused we feel like we are a horse wearing blinders? What is it that we are doing in our small world that keeps us from branching out in many directions and exploring possibilities? When we experience change why do we often hear the term ' I feel like a whole new world has opened up for me?' Is it because we are open, because we have heightened our senses, because we have reconnected and look for synchronicity and intuition to help us find our new path?

My transition time now provides an incredible warmth. I feel connected to humanity in a new way. I look forward in some ways to "landing" somewhere to refocus my energy and in other ways would love to stay in transition awhile. Perhaps I will try to carry my transitional spirit with me, it may make me a better leader.

Competition and differentiation

2007-06-19T14:17:00.000-07:00

How can I be different? How can my work be unique? What marketing technique will let me stand out? What can I do to catch someone's attention? How can I be noticed in the world?

Do we all want the same thing? In many ways, yes. We seek this differentiation to tell us and others we not not the same, we have something better, something more valuable to offer.

We compete in sports, business, relationships, education. We award excellence. Do we reward teamwork the same way? How do we see sustainable leadership?

What if we collaborated. What if we looked for the commonness. What if we tried to find the same. What if we all pooled our resources to help each other. What if we tried to connect in our sameness. What if we actully joined together to save our planet- for the good of us all.

Is this an impossible dream? Is it against human nature? Of course not. It is our choice to compete and differentiate OR to collaborate and live in wholeness.

Leaders today can merge. Leaders today can share leadership. Leaders today can bring together the challenges, the resources, the issues and the needs. Leaders can make a difference in the world. Leadership begins with you. Challenge yourself to be a sustainable relationship leader.

Garden Discovery

2007-05-31T23:03:00.000-07:00

Each plant claims their space, claims the sun, reaches upward and outward. I'm new to gardening having recently moved and created a whole new garden. I notice the dark earth gently holding space between the small plants gradually being taken over as they grow. The small weeds seem to pop up over night squeezing in the small spaces, even right within the plants! Where do they come from? Brand new fresh soil, new tender plants seems odd to have weeds. Perhaps they are just another plant? Once I cultivated and cared for this large "plant" that my mother told me later was just a weed. It was actually quite lovely however I did not plan to have it there.

Our leadership grows where we plant it. We slowly cultivate it through relationships we build, influcence and establish. However sometimes our leadership surprises us, sometimes it sprouts up where we least expect it. Sometimes it even encroaches on others leadership. We do need space to grow, but we compete with so many others. There is room for us, room for plenty of leadership. Sometimes we just need to notice the leadership and see it as something unknown, something surprising, something that fills the space between us and our followers.

My garden grows each day. My gardening friend said to enjoy the seeds, enjoy the dark warm earth for before I know it Ill be pruning things back, pulling them out, wishing they had not grown so large. Ill be trying to create space instead of filling it up. So goes the way of the garden, constantly reinventing and changing.

Our leadership changes also. We notice, we learn, we wait, we listen, we mentor and we create space for others leadership to grow.

Breath work

2007-03-30T14:14:00.000-07:00

Over the last few months I have been recuperating, regenerating, doing introspective work on healing, and finding space to heal body, spirit and mind. This time has been a gift of learning. Time to breathe deeply of life.

I have experimented with breath work. Breathing deeply, slowly and inhaling joy. Inhaling the beauty of life, of nature and of relationships. Often we forget to breathe, we do it unconsciously and just enough to keep us racing through life getting our tasks and work done.

I actually had forgotten to breathe and found myself holding my breath sometimes, almost afraid. The air inside was stagnant and holding me down. Releasing the breath and working towards a "breathing easy" approach is taking a focused concentration. Perhaps in our busy lives we our actually running out of breath.

Breathing life into our work is an interesting concept. How does one do this? How do we use our leadership to ensure work is alive, is "breathing" fully with the rhythm of life. How do we know that our work both sustains us and is right for us.

Check your breath when you are at work, when you are at home, when you are in nature. When you have joy your breath is natural and deep. When you have tension and stress it is shallow and hesitant. Try integrating your deep natural breath into places in your life where it is not. It will help heal your response to those situations. When we authentically lead ourselves and give ourselves time to take a breath before responding it sends oxygen to our brain so we can think more clearly.

sight to behold

2007-01-17T07:46:00.000-08:00

Early morning January 17, 2007

In the cold of winter pondering the icy pond an amazing encounter unfolded before me. The pond half frozen a lone heron stood by silent gazing not sure what to make of the scene before him. A young black cat slipping and sliding on the icy pond, dancing and frolicking. Then out of the frigid waters slitherd a small otter sliding onto the ice. The cat arched its back the otter slithered and moved back and forth towards the cat. The cat relaxed and continued to play showing the otter what fun it was. For awhile they moved as in a dance. Neither quite sure why either were there other the heron looked on quietly observing. I stood in awe at my window with my binoculars watching nature in its beauty, three animals not knowing anyone was watching. The majesty of interaction and respect dawned the day and I was moved to a quiet sense of joy.

growth

2007-01-15T06:51:00.000-08:00

Have you ever noticed in the dead of winter icicles and patches of ice the tender shoots of spring? Struggling to push to the surface through the icy cold, growing for rays of sun. Persevering through the bitter cold hope springs through.

As we sit ourselves in the deep cold of winter- be it the weather or the darkness of night or the shadows of our soul- there is hope and light and joy struggling to get through. Spring is around the corner we just need to look deeply for it sometimes.

When we struggle as a leader, when what we are doing does not seem to work, when we cant seem to move, or the team wont follow what can we do? Look somewhere else, view the situation from another perspective, talk to a coach, or do some inner reflection. Doing more of the same gets us the same. It takes courage and perseverance to struggle through, to reach for the sun, to grow yourself as a leader. Be like the tiny shoot and know that your leadership growth will carry you to new heights.

Intuition

2006-12-23T23:19:00.000-08:00

Intuition

What is intuition? Where does it come from? Is it a gift from our collective intelligence? Does it come from a higher being? When you have a flash of intuition do you notice? Are you able to just wait and know it will come? We know it cannot be forced. Perhaps it is a form of creativity that connects with other souls? We often know it comes in silence at an unexpected time. It seems when you act on an intuitive thought that more of them arise. Perhaps there is a channel? Some people are more naturally intuitive than others.

We know that when we pay attention to patterns, systems, people, connections and are not attached to the process or outcome that an “answer” often comes to us.

Do we trust our intuition as leaders? Do our followers trust our intuition? It often depends on the relationship we form as well as the results we have created in the past.

Next time something comes to you from an unknown place, try holding for a fleeting second, the delight of that experience. Notice where you are, who you are with, what the situation entailed, and observc your state of mind.

Through the work of Myers and Briggs and the MBTI assessment, personalities are typed and sorted. One of the dichotomies that is sorted is by way of gathering information either through sensing or intuition. About 2/3 of the people prefer to gather information through their five senses. The remaining 1/3 prefer to gather information through their intuition. Tapping into our intuition and actually trusting it is hard for some. By doing so, you will be able to see differently.

Noticing

2006-12-17T22:22:00.000-08:00

. 21

In our world today noticing seems to be a lost art. Noticing a single teardrop, noticing the needs of our families, noticing how the snow really falls, and noticing another’s eyes. What is it that we are so busy “doing” that we are not able to notice the “being?”

Leadership is a concept that has been written about and researched deeply. We notice the leader and what the leader does. We notice the follower and what the follower does. But do we notice the space between the leader and follower? Here are some observations about the leader-follower relationship and what causes connection and disconnection.

The interaction and space between people is bridged over distance when we admire and respect leaders far away from us. What draws us to them to make us feel so close? When a respected leader is close to us physically what makes us feel invisible, in awe or insignificant in their presence? When we cast our eyes around the world today we can quickly name hundreds of individuals who are celebrated and known to us. People that have done magnificent work and contributed much- research scientists, presidents, religious leaders, or even a young child who starts a fund to save other children. These diverse leaders rise up to do good things and we notice them. We pay attention. We watch. We try to learn from them.

We are all followers and all leaders. Sometimes we just do not know this. There are times we lead and times we follow, like a gentle flowing dance. The space between leaders and followers takes many forms. It may be a physical space, a spiritual space, an intellectual space, or an emotional space. We continually try to close the gaps, to bridge the distance, to make connections, to get closer to leaders. We do this everywhere in our workplace, our homes and our communities. Two children playing a game in a backyard- one leads and one follows- always. However, the shifting back and forth, the exchange and sharing of leadership is what gives friendships and relationships great strength.

I notice that people focus mostly on what we think is real, what is tangible, what we can touch or see. Try a few of these exercises.

Open up a book. Look at the words on the page. Now look at the white space on the page. Notice the patterns of the white space, the margins, and the relationship of the white space to the words. What would a page look like without any white space?
Listen to music or talk to a musician. Listen carefully to the notes. Now listen for the pauses, the space between the notes. What would the music be like without the silence?
Go to a shopping mall. Notice all the people rushing by. Pay attention to where they go and what they do. Then stop and look at all the spaces in between them. Without space what would it look like?
The internet is full of information that connects us to each other. We built the threads. We do not control the threads, they just link us wherever we want to go and every path is different.
Think about the path you have traced in your life. Really think. Think about it this way. Every single step you have taken is your life leaves a breadcrumb. Look at the breadcrumbs. See how they cross with all the other breadcrumbs from all the other people. See the breadcrumbs from people who have died.
Listen to the noise in our world. Sounds of all sorts. Outside it is loud. We sometimes try to go somewhere to be quiet like a walk in the forest, or a retreat to the beach. Aren’t you glad it is quiet on the inside? Try listening to the inside of yourself.
We often measure things. How big they are, how much they weigh, how fast we can go, how fast we can produce work, or how much things cost. We compare things to one another to measure value. Trying to get something better. Instead try adding them together. The richness is in the whole of who we are, collectively in our society. Working towards collaboration for the betterment of all.

Do you see something a little differently now?

Try sometimes to see what is not present, to see the void, to see the gaps. This helps us understand the whole of relationships.

Words

2006-12-17T22:14:00.000-08:00

Leader Space

How do they relate? Through the dash!

Read the poem "The Dash" on the internet (easy to find). Ill explore how leaders live in their space around them.