Wednesday 23 April 2014

NAMES FOR THE DIVINE OTHER IN 55 WORDS


Martin Buber defined I-Thou.
Paul Tillich, The Eternal Now.
Whether Allah, Jahweh, Jehovah, Elohim, Wakan Tanka
What’s in a name?  God, unspoken and unseen,
Creator, Energy, Power, Spirit, Life Force.
Almighty and Everlasting.
Why try to describe the indescribable?
Holy is her name, that which is sacred, unattainable.
Transcendent, above, beyond and omnipresent.
Natural order.

Friday 11 April 2014

A PARADOX OF HISTORY


We spent yesterday at the Kennedy Space Center, primarily to see a rocket launch, something we had not witnessed in person previously and it certainly lived up to our expectations.  It was a beautiful day and the several thousand people gathered on the shoreline were all waiting patiently for the scheduled 1:45 PM launch.  It went off as scheduled to the thrill of everyone, many from other countries as we talked with people from Germany, Switzerland and France all nearby.
Seeing and feeling a launch in person is quite different from all the films viewed over the years and while this Atlas rocket was not as big as the Saturn V or some of the others that carried people on the shuttle into orbit, it was big enough to get an impression of the past 50 years of the space program. This experience, along with all the films and documented history at the Center added a dimension to our understanding and appreciation of the international space station’s operation.
As we watched the Russian and American space engineers work closely together and celebrate their success, together with people from 16 other countries who had been involved, the view from space of earth with no boundaries between countries drove home the silliness of our political folly.  As the United States increases sanctions against Russia and feels justified in doing so, it just seems so senseless that we can’t find more effective ways to cooperate on the earth.
I was taken back to my definition of a paradox, a word which is most often defined as an apparent contradiction, and it is all of that and more.  Paradox, translated literally, means that which is contrary to public opinion. Will the public every have a sufficient and strong enough opinion to tell the leaders to stop trying to solve problems through the exercise of power?  Will we ever try instead, like the space program, to share a common vision, a common purpose and a common goal?  
We have proof that we can work together for the common good.  Why not use that hard evidence and translate it to earthbound problems?  Perhaps it’s too obvious or that we continue not to learn from the mistakes of the past or that there aren’t enough people who care to weigh in and make the difference.  Maybe it’s just a case of head in the sand one more time.

Friday 4 April 2014

LEADERSHIP COACHING: WHAT'S THE VALUE?


A good coaching process helps a leader learn how to achieve specific personal and professional goals. The purpose of coaching is to help the individual move forward, overcome any perceived obstacles, and move to a higher level of effectiveness, not to simply to solve problems and issues du jour. The coach is most often an experienced CEO, leader or chief administrator who has served successfully in numerous roles in a complex organization.  

Some of the more frequently addressed topics in coaching are:
  • relationships that a leader has with different constituencies
  • communication styles and strategies that serve different purposes
  • balancing one’s personal and professional life and the integration of those aspects through time management
  • designing and implementing special projects within the life of any organization
  • leading and supporting change and growth
  • collaborating with others to ensure a healthy, vibrant and cohesive  organization
  • establishing effective ways and means for being the face and voice of the organization in the larger community.

Other issues of importance may be identified according to one’s own assessment, feedback from the Board of Directors and other means available for evaluating performance.

The value of coaching comes as a result of conscious attention on and practice of those aspects of leadership that may be taken for granted, overlooked or considered important by others.  Coaching is also a way of checking up on the comprehensive nature of leadership in a time of increasing demands and expectations.

 There are numerous sources for finding a good executive coach.  Be sure to get some references and if at all possible a face to face meeting is highly recommended.