In·tro·spec·tion – the act of looking within oneself. When I talk with leaders, they all agree they should take more time for introspection. When I ask them, “How would you do that?” They generally don’t have a clue.
Introspection needs a “pump primer”. I don’t simply sit in a chair and say to myself, “Well, what do I see?” Introspection is catalyzed by fully participating in activities that take me out of traditional conversations and into ones that touch my spirit. Some people read. Joseph Badaracco, a professor at the Harvard Business School, talks about the power of reading fiction for introspection in his book, Questions of Character: Illuminating the Heart of Leadership through Literature.
For others, it might be painting or horseback riding or carpentry. It’s about throwing oneself completely into this activity so that all the threads to the operational world are quieted and the act of introspection arises. Great leaders know the importance of this practice and they value it as much as a meeting with their most important constituents.
My personal practice for introspection is reading and writing poetry. When I lose myself into the feeling that comes from being with a poem, a mirror arises and I see myself in ways that were not possible before. A recent poem that touched my soul follows this post.
I encourage you to find your place to lose yourself. While I talk about leaders in this blog, I really mean you, for each of us is a leader in some way.
Until later,
Thomas
What Can I Say
What can I say that I have not said before?
So I’ll say it again.
The leaf has a song in it.
Stone is the face of patience.
Inside the river there is an unfinishable story
and you are somewhere in it
and it will never end until all ends.
Take your busy heart to the art museum and the
chamber of commerce
but take it also to the forest.
The song you heard singing in the leaf when you
were a child
is singing still.
I am of years lived, so far, seventy-four,
and the leaf is singing still.
Sometimes, we feel a gnawing discontent. This arises from something inside that keeps letting us know that something isn’t right in our lives. In my case, this discontent has arisen many times and i have done my best to push it back down. Not in overt ways. I’m more subtle in my approach to my inner concerns.
“Yes, yes, that’s right things aren’t going well for me. Let me just finish what i’m doing” or “I need to do just one more things and then I tend to this concern”. The problem is there is never a comfortable moment so the dance drags on. Until there is a calamity of some sort and the noise is so loud that to ignore it could jeopardize my life.
I’ve had a long career of creating new businesses or helping businesses grow. The creative flow is very strong in me. I probably see a new business opportunity multiple times a day. The problem is that I’m have way more ideas than time and even when I take the time to engage a new idea, I don’t vet it as well as I could. Particularly, I don’t dig in and see how well this great idea is purposeful and is aligned with my most important values. I just jump in.
Which leads me to today. I used to have a writeup in this space about my wonderful accomplishments. Sure, I’ve done lots of things, but does that really matter to you? You might be more interested in why am I writing. I would be if i was reading this.
I’m writing because I love helping people see things they may have missed. Not to help them be smarter or think of me as a clever guy. The purpose is to help them have richer lives. So, few of us tap even a small portion of our potential. Each day that we pass the opportunity of a full life will never be recovered. I’m at a stage of life where this feels more important than ever. I do have regrets for not reaching this conclusion earlier and then again there is no time like the present.
I welcome any feedback you have or areas you are interested in exploring. If I have something to share, I’ll do so gladly. Thank you for reading and I wish you a full and rich life.
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5 thoughts on “Introspection and Leadership”
Thomas……I adore Mary Oliver, my favorite poet….and I,too, find a stillness in reading good poetry…….I also like my friend Don Hynes (who also has a blog). and William Stafford…..anything that speaks directly to my heart.
Heart of a Leader 
Thomas……I adore Mary Oliver, my favorite poet….and I,too, find a stillness in reading good poetry…….I also like my friend Don Hynes (who also has a blog). and William Stafford…..anything that speaks directly to my heart.
Hello – may I use the image in this post for my blog? Or maybe let me know of the source. Thanks!
I believe this is an image I purchased from dreamstime.com
Thomas
Do you know who is credited to this image?
Hello, I would like to use this image in my book. I tried to look for it in dreamstime.com but couldn’t find it could you assist? thank you