The next meditation on followership from Ira Chaleff’s exceptional book “The Courageous Follower” is: By staying true to my values, I can serve others well and fulfill my potential. Our ultimate goal is to fulfill our potential contribution to the purpose of our organization. Beyond being all we can be, we become truly remarkable to the extent we help others at work fulfill their potential.
It’s impossible to help anyone other than ourselves if we are void of values. As we all know, having values is one thing – announcing them publicly and inviting others to hold us accountable so that we can stay true to those values is another thing altogether. We can never fulfill our potential if we compromise our values.
In his new book “Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?”, Seth Godin defines art as “the intentional act of creating change in another person.” (p. 99). I like that a lot. I think art begins with the intentional act of creating change within ourselves. The capacity to create change in others will always be constrained by our own hearts and minds.
We live in a time of tremendous opportunity to fundamentally change the trajectory of our own lives and the lives of those around us. Be encouraged.
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” Art is not, as the metaphysicians say, the manifestation of some mysterious idea of beauty or God; it is not, as the aesthetical physiologists say, a game in which man lets off his excess of stored-up energy; it is not the expression of man’s emotions by external signs; it is not the production of pleasing objects; and, above all, it is not pleasure; but it is a means of union among men, joining them together in the same feelings, and indispensable for the life and progress toward well-being of individuals and of humanity.”
Leo Tolstoy’s essay “What Is Art” (1869)
Your discussion on change as art, personal change and creating change in others, got me thinking. Applying this quote to change with in organizations could be interesting. Change isn’t always pleasurable, but in its’ process there is potential for a joining and union of those involved. Ultimately, a positive process of change will result in the progress and well-being of the individuals as well as the organization.
[Reply]
Bret L. Simmons Reply:
January 25th, 2010 at 4:52 pm
Welcome, Marne! Thanks for sharing the Tolstoy quote. Change is almost always painful! Which in and of itself is not a reason to resist it, but it sure is a convenient excuse. Positive change begins within yourself. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Bret
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