“You only have power over people as long as you don’t take everything away from them. But when you’ve robbed a man of everything, he’s no longer in your power–he’s free again.”
– In The First Circle, Alexandr Solzhenitsyn
In times of uncertainty, we need to turn to the values and beliefs that define us. In a social environment, whether a family or a business or a community, the same is true.
Every place creates such a culture. It is often ignored by its leadership. It is an unacknowledged belief that leaders create culture. They can, but they can only do so by destroying the culture that is already there. Maybe it is necessary if that ‘persistent, residual culture’ has been corrupted and made toxic by the loss of belief in the company’s values. I’ve seen that. It is a very difficult thing to change. It is far better to go join the culture that is there and elevate it through leadership capacity building.
One of the ways that we elevate this persistent, residual culture is by creating a story that we tell ourselves. It is a story that reminds who we are. It is a story that helps us to say Yes to the good things and No to the wrong ones.
We are living in a time of uncertainty. How do we find ways to counter the experience of fear, anxiety, and self-doubt? We need a story that affirms who we are and reminds us of what matters to us. Our story is there for us when uncertainty seems to be at its most intense and alienating.
I’m offering a webinar to address the fear and anxiety that has grown exponentially because of the coronavirus crisis.
“WE ARE ALL IN TRANSITION, ALL OF US, ALL THE TIME.”
This is a key principle of the Circle of Impact. It is proven true to me every day in virtually every encounter that I have with people.
My conversations usually begin with an introduction that includes my being the author of a book for “people who are in transition.” This phrase catches their attention. It resonates as something that they are feeling. When I say the word “transition” it stands out as authentic and real.
I do believe we are all in transition. From what people tell me, it is not clear to them what this means. They know on some gut level that this feeling is different than some random interruption of their lives. Instead, it is a feeling that their world is about to change.
For many whom I meet, this feeling is new. They have never felt like their lives truly mattered. Now, something is tugging at them, telling them, “You are in transition, go find where it is taking you.” For many people, their lives were transformed because they responded to this feeling of transition. For me, there is nothing better than to see someone’s life changed when they discover how their life can matter as a person of impact.
