by Dr. Ed Brenegar | Apr 25, 2020 | Brand, Circle of Impact, Impact, Questions, Uncategorized
“It is vitally important that we understand what change is. It is the living, dynamic context of our lives. Every thought, every emotion, every action, every response in a particular moment operates within a change context. Every movement, shift in perspective, or initiative taken happens within the context of change.
Change is so prevalent that we don’t even see it. It is invisible until it becomes toxic or threatening. Then, we see it or feel it so much that we want to get out of it. Change is always present. It is our best friend and our worst enemy.
The skill needed is a recognition that we are always in transition. It is not just a mental note that change is always present. It is seeing precisely what kind of change is happening in the moment. Did I anticipate my clients stepping back from the projects we had planned? I was not surprised. All around me were people I knew whose businesses were in crisis.”
Change is the context of our lives. The question is how do we embrace it.
by Dr. Ed Brenegar | Apr 22, 2020 | Book, Brand, Circle of Impact, Community, Fragmented, Ideas, Impact, Transition
One of the realities that the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed is the degree to which our culture has shifted in the type of consumerism which it promotes.
I remember back in the early 1980s listening to a NPR interview with a guy who had written a book about modern marketing philosophies. I remember it to this day because of the shift that he had noted began to take place during the 1960s. He described how for much of the 20th century marketing had been focused on shaming people into buying products.
Then a shift occurred where consumer product marketers began to promote products by telling people that they deserved to have it. Every time I think of this interview I remember the old McDonald’s jingle, “You deserve a break today…”.
by Dr. Ed Brenegar | Apr 16, 2020 | Book, Centralized Institutions, Circle of Impact, Community, Decentralized Networks, Impact, Relationships, Transition, Two Global Forces
The following was first posted November 19, 2008. It looks at some of the work of Peter Drucker. His prescient ability to see global change should draw us back to his writings as insightful for our time. Reflecting on what I wrote ten years ago, I am more convinced...
by Dr. Ed Brenegar | Apr 15, 2020 | Book, Circle of Impact, Transition, Travel, Uncategorized
It is a common thought that life is a journey, not a destination.
We say this because life has ceased to be predictable, certain and secure. It is much more a process of discovering what we need to know right now, every day.
Everyday, traveling along an unknown trail, means that the skills and knowledge we need are quite different than if we never left our home and ventured into the unknown.
As my work has developed over the years, I’ve come to realize that while my work falls into the broad category of consulting and coaching, my real service to people and organizations as been as a guide along an unknown trail of life and work.
What does a guide do?
by Dr. Ed Brenegar | Feb 10, 2020 | Centralized Institutions, Circle of Impact, Community, Decentralized Networks, Ideas, Impact, Questions, Relationships, Structure, Transition, Uncategorized
We live in a world that is in transition.
One of the most significant transitions that we are experiencing is in the nature of leadership.
It used to be that leadership was reserved for the person who was the head of an organization. We knew who the leader was because he or she had a title that defined their role as the leader of the organization.
Since there are only a few leaders, it means everyone else is a follower.
The Relationship between Leaders and Followers is Changing
The relation between leading and following is in transition.
It once was true that great leaders had great followers. However, over time, as the world has changed, we are far more aware of what our leaders are really like. The issue for the follower is ‘Do I trust the leader?’. For leaders, the question is ‘Do I respect the follower?’
