Art of Leadership: 2
Last Updated on Thursday, 20 May 2010 04:04 Written by Steve Tuesday, 21 October 2008 01:31
I came to Art of Leadership by way of ONE/Northwest, and I was thinking of it as a work activity. I was looking forward to taking some time to think about my leadership role within and without my org.
But during a session last night I was struck that when we talked about what was our purpose on this earth–what did we want to be remembered for–my kids leapt to mind. I see them as my reason and my legacy.
I was a bit surprised–not that my kids are important to me, but that the work that I do didn’t jump to the fore.
I awoke this morning and it came to me. My purpose is to help people find their power.
I think a big part of raising kids is about acheiving this goal:
When my kids reach adulthood, I want them to be strong, free-thinking, caring people.
I want to help them find their power. I want them to grow into what they can be.
And this resonates with my work as well. So much of what I do is about trying to share my knowledge so that others may use that in finding their own power. A nonprofit staffer can have massive impact on the world, and that impact can be multiplied if I can show them what I know about strategies, databases and the web.
It’s more about teaching than about technology. See the power you have? Now what are you going to do with it?
i am driving to CO with my pops. Today we were talking… i realized why i needed to move away from ‘strictly’ environmental work… my purpose… i’m not about environmental policy change… i’m about justice… full scale societal transformation… and that my friend requires power. so thanks for diving and thanks for discovering and thanks for acting.
love you,
j
have a great trip to your new home!