What have you learned?

Johnson-What have you learned

Johnson-What have you learned

by Charlotte Johnson -
Number of replies: 2

     "Whenever the waters of change are stirred, the perception grows that the dominant focus on management, predictability, and control is leading us in the wrong direction."  (Missional Maps, Roxburgh p.108)

     This quote helped me realize that I am not the villain when I institute change.  People, including myself are resistant to change and do not want to leave their comfort zones.  So before giving change a chance they struggle to hold on to what they know.  This quote helps me embrace the opposition I will face as well as as the change that I must make when presented with such a challenge.

     "The more your position becomes defined as who you are, the more difficult it is for you to know truth and freedom.  The role identification itself can keep you away from your own true higher self, since the role of occupation is the dominant force in your life,"  Dr. Wayne W. Dyer.  (Rest In The Storm, Jones p. 20)

     Through this quote I learned that I was competing against myself.  As a leader you cannot overvalue yourself in that position related to you will lose your identity as a person.  My position or title is not who I am, it is why I do.  If I want to people to respect me and not fear me than I must allow the real me to be the person they see and not my title or position.

In reply to Charlotte Johnson

Re: Johnson-What have you learned

by Deleted user -

Charlotte:  I appreciate your quote from Roxburgh regarding change. It is interesting that our natural reaction to change is to resist it.   For those who lead and introduce change it is definitely an up hill struggle to convince others to make a change and that the change may actually be an improvement.   

The second quote you selected from Rest in The Storm is also interesting.  In our culture we are often defined by our occupational role.  We spend a considerable amount of our time in our occupation.  This is certainly good advice to guard against that.  I wonder if the tendency to let our occupation define us is significantly different across the generational groupings (e.g. baby boomers, gen x, gen y, gen z)?

In reply to Charlotte Johnson

Re: Johnson-What have you learned

by Michael Panzarella -

Charlotte,

Your first quote is a strong reminder to me to embrace the challenges associated with change and to remain mindful of the turbulence within others as the change is enacted.  It also points to the fact that predictability must be re-imagined for the new changes instituted and not followed as a matter of the old course.

Your second quote reminds me of the discussion in Dr. Barrett's class regarding being subservient to a role out of fear.  When the job becomes us, we fear losing it for fear of losing ourselves.  It would also be true that stagnation to maintain the role in which we find our identity would keep us from developing our gifts further or applying them in new ways.  I believe this quote is a wonderful reminder to bring the beauty of who we are to the job, but not to let the job tell us who we are.