Which way are you leaning?

The other day I turned up the radio to hear what the DJ was saying. I then caught myself leaning into the center console of my car where my radio is positioned to make sure I heard.

Ever done that?

I realised in that moment that what I was doing didn’t make sense! It was completely illogical as my speakers were in fact in the side of my doors and in the back of my car. If I was wanting to lean toward where I would hear more clearly I should have been leaning toward the speakers...

I was leaning the wrong way.

But everyone leans toward the radio, don’t they?

Which means I was leaning the right way. But it wasn’t. It was illogical when it came down to the truth of the matter.

Which means that maybe the world lives in a state of illogical logic.

We lean toward something every day. We lean toward ideas, toward thoughts and actions. take a look at your leaning. How much repetition do you see in the direction of your leaning. How influenced are you by what the world thinks as you lean?

Your leaning could quite simply be... illogical.

So right now the radio is on. You are looking for answers and find you keep leaning back toward the same thoughts and actions.

Lean the other way.

Challenge your long held patterns of thinking and doing. Question the agreements that you have made with yourself over certain issues or people. Look around a little before you lean and open yourself up to other possibilities.

Lean in a way that you have not leaned before.

PS: Those of you who use itrips in your car. I found out that moving your ipod around with itrip attached and sticking in every nook and cranny surrounding your radio will never yield a clear signal and does not work as well as when you place it on the side of the car that has the aerial, the place where your radio actually receives the signal...

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Travis Gale has spent the last 5 years running his own development business in South Africa’s corporate world and is currently involved in various long term partnerships with clients across a number of industries. Furthermore he has travelled to conferences internationally hunting down latest trends and insights. Having cycled around the world and survived a tsunami, his passion for crossing borders often lends itself to an interesting blend of stories and insight. He sees himself as a ‘change catalyst’ and displays strength in facilitating insight into the right spaces. Find out more at www.appletreelive.com

Listen!

I’m learning more and more that listening is one of the most powerful and fundamentals for leadership… If not life! I know that sounds obvious and trivial as listening is often an unconscious choice.

But I’m not talking about simply letting your eardrums be touched by someone or something else’s sound waves.

I’m talking about truly listening to others.

To listen means to be able to hear what others say without distorting that information with our own preconceptions. The dictionary describes it as giving one’s attention to a sound. Thus, it is not merely hearing a sound, it is choosing to respond to what we hear…

And how we respond is what separates a good leader from a great leader. A great leader chooses to hear what is being said without distorting the information with his own preconceptions, and chooses to respond such a way that results in an win/win outcome.

It starts with being uninhabited and open-minded about what others say, and this definitely requires a fundamental attitude of unprejudiced intellectual openness. In other words, listening is the art of genuinely hearing what others say and avoiding hearing what you want to hear. That said, I don’t we can never listen to anybody without some degree of interpretation. But we can choose to see the others point of view, before distorting the issue with ours.

A major trap for any leader is being selfish. Leadership is probable the most selfless task there is, but sadly so many leaders use their God given gifts to serve the big “ME!” It is about how can I use this person to serve myself, how I can use this opportunity to get ahead, who can I blame for what went wrong. The truth is that as leaders we need to use our God given gift to serve the big “WE”… We need to turn selfishness on its head, turn the M on its head to make it a W… It is not about “ME” it is about “WE”. It is about how I can serve those I lead, how I can make a difference in the problems we face, how I can celebrate with the team when we accomplish great things.

One of the easiest ways to understand how we can serve those we lead is by listening. We truly listen, selflessly, we will gain insight into expectations, tools, resources and positive messages. We will discover trains of thought that provide natural links to possible ways we may be about to help. When we listen we receive more information then when we speak.

Another power benefit to listening is connecting. Listening attentively is one of the main ways in which you can connect, validate and empower someone. Listening can only build any relationship, as people react positively when others listen to them attentively.

I’ve heard it said that experts know and speak, but wise people ask and listen. I’m trying to exercise wisdom…

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Don Muller has spent the last 4 years working into corporate and church leadership development and training both locally and internationally. He has a passion for and works towards seeing individuals live out their strengths and calling daily.

Momentum

Momentum.

That's all it takes sometimes. As 2011 began many would have come in with a renewed sense of excitement and intentionality. Its February now and just yesterday someone said to me “It feels like the same again, the same patterns emerge and history repeats itself...”

Momentum seems to be the challenge. You can’t steer a car if its not moving. The wheel will feel heavy and all you really are doing is sitting in one place and wishing you were in another. You have got to go forward. You have got to start. You can steer once you’re moving.

I have said before that the land between insight and action is chaos. What happens is we decide on what we are going to do. Then we arrive at the time when we need to do it and a war goes on in our head. Your old mindset is comfortable and fights the new mindset. Most often the old mindset wins and we retreat to our comfort zones, doing what we have always done and getting what we have always got. A lifetime of this leads to regrets.

What do you most need to do right now?

Some momentum generating ideas.

Realise that leaving a comfort zone is not comfortable.... obviously! The initial resistance you experience is natural and simply needs to be pushed through. It will become easier day by day. Stick to the activities which are uncomfortable for just a little longer and watch what happens. Take the excuses captive.

Ask others to drive the vehicle with you. Often when you need to make changes, knowing that others are with you and keeping you accountable stops you from retreating. Bring someone onboard with your plans today.

If fear is holding you back, ask yourself questions about those fears and shift your perspective on what is possible. Challenge yourself.

Lastly, know that often it is sacrifice that brings reward. As much as you can’t see it now, if you would just stick to the chosen path that is challenging you so much right now, there is something very rewarding waiting a little further down the road, just beyond your horizon.

Get moving.

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Travis Gale has spent the last 5 years running his own development business in South Africa’s corporate world and is currently involved in various long term partnerships with clients across a number of industries. Furthermore he has travelled to conferences internationally hunting down latest trends and insights. Having cycled around the world and survived a tsunami, his passion for crossing borders often lends itself to an interesting blend of stories and insight. He sees himself as a ‘change catalyst’ and displays strength in facilitating insight into the right spaces. Find out more at www.appletreelive.com

Nothing significant happens in isolation

I picked up my bicycle a little while back headed for a ride down to the Durban beachfront. It was early and the weather was obliging with a gentle tail wind and a fresh bite in the air. As I turned onto the beach road I heard another cyclist coming up behind me. My mountain bike, with its off-road tires, often saw road cyclists zipping past with speed. The whiz of the tires and clicking of the chain grew louder. I waited for the cyclist to pass, but instead the cyclist closed in on me and sat on my tail slipstreaming off my effort. As the sun rose I could see 2 shadows riding closely together.

At first I was annoyed! Who was this person simply using me without saying a word? I tried to race away but the cyclist sat on my tail. I tried to ignore it, but I could feel this presence behind me. I was out here to train alone and this was simply getting in my way.

Then something happened. I came to a junction where I knew of a shortcut. I could pull off and lose this person. I didn’t. I kept to the road. When I felt myself starting to slow, I sped up and made sure I maintained a comfortable speed for both of us. My frame of reference had shifted. The fact that there were now two of us was in fact an opportunity. The rider was stretching me to endure longer periods without slacking, maintain good speeds and ultimately get more out of my ride. This was an opportunity. Two riders on the road were always better than one.

In many ways I would say that we are wired for partnerships. There is something beautiful about how we can come together and share our strengths and skills to be more significant. In fact, I have heard it said that your 5 year plan is actually based on the books you read and the people you hang out with!

In my own life I have realised that my moments of ‘independence’ have been stimulated by a few things:

• ego - hung on my point of view
• self esteem - unsure about what others think of me
• doubt - in what I have to offer

Having realised that nothing significant is done in isolation, I continue to ask myself, ‘Who is around me and how am I sharing my life with them?’ if the answer to that questions leaves you realising that you are secluded in the way that you live, I would implore you to seek out effective partnerships on all levels.

The cyclist did eventually pull up on my right. There, on a red cruiser, was a man whose shoulders had bent over with age. His grey hair stuck out from beneath his foam helmet and his thin legs beat down on the peddles with fervor.

“I get a pull whenever I can” he exclaimed, his voice worn out from all his years of talking.
“No Problem” I said “I’m Travis by the way…” with more compassion having seen his age.
“Mike Smith’s the name” he replied.
“How old are you” I asked, slightly rude but I wanted to know!
“76” he said, “I do my 40k every morning!” he proclaimed!

Guess you never know who you will meet and what significance they may have, should you open yourself up to those around you.

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Travis Gale has spent the last 5 years running his own development business in South Africa’s corporate world and is currently involved in various long term partnerships with clients across a number of industries. Furthermore he has travelled to conferences internationally hunting down latest trends and insights. Having cycled around the world and survived a tsunami, his passion for crossing borders often lends itself to an interesting blend of stories and insight. He sees himself as a ‘change catalyst’ and displays strength in facilitating insight into the right spaces. Find out more at www.appletreelive.com