Wk2 Reading - Art of Possibility, Chapters 4-6

Chapters 4-6 of Art of Possibility have challenged me all the more.  It is amazing to read the information in this book and recognize myself in its words.  How do I place value on myself?  I would have to say I am driven by my accomplishments.  But, what accomplishments, and at what point do I finally reach satisfaction or contentment?  In Chapter 4, Being a Contribution, has taken me back to a place I hope to stay.  "Naming oneself and others as a contribution produces a shift away from self-concern and engages us in a relationship with others that is an arena for making a difference."  When I look at myself in the mirror and ask myself if I accomplished enough today, the answer is very difficult, if not impossible, to gauge.  How much is enough?  What entails accomplishment?  On the other hand, the question of whether I was a contribution is very easy to handle. 

This idea of contribution transitions into chapter 5, Leading From Any Chair, which discusses the leadership rule of granting greatness.  If my greatest desire is to be a contribution and I am able to challenge my soccer team, students, and family to focus their efforts on being a contribution, it is in my best effort to contribute to their success by granting them opportunities and train them how to be a contribution.  This empowering allows those around me to experience greatness in themselves.  Maybe this is implementing a strategy from on of my players in a game, maybe it is allowing my daughters to share an idea for the family to invest in, or maybe it is giving my students the chance to work on a project they are passionate about.  By humbly granting greatness and fueling the passions of others, you become great.

Chapter #6 points at our perspectives of our own importance.  Any leader has the potential of putting themselves in a place of savior.  I can see in myself the arrogance of thinking I am the answer to the problem, or I am the only one who can fix this, or my way is the only way this will work.  Rule #6!  Don't take yourself so seriously.  Now I know I am not incompetent to solve problems, but at the same time if I am constantly solving problems I am not granting greatness.  The dilemma stems from the idea of accomplishment.  In the workplace you must accomplish the tasks, and if you don't the job will be given to the person who is.  If a company structures itself around the idea of teamwork, the goal is not that an individual would accomplish the task, rather the task would be accomplished through the contributions of each team member.  What a great philosophy.