Are You Grateful?

The last six months of my life has been quite a trip. In my experience, if you are currently faced with something you think you can’t accomplish, you can if you are willing to get clear on what you want, what drives you, and what makes you happy. And this is a critical ingredient; open your heart to those around you who want to help.

The word selfish was always a tough one for me. It conjured up images of self-centered people who would take for themselves at the expense of others. These were loud arrogant people who would think nothing of walking over someone for their own gain. But the word selfish also means being self-aware and self-seeking.

Seek and Find

To seek more of one’s self is to get to the core and underlying meaning of your existence. And while we get clearer on who we are and what we want, the challenge is not in saying yes but rather in saying no to things that weaken our purpose. We need to understand there are people on our side and when help arrives, we need to be grateful because we help others without hesitation.

I've discovered it can be helpful to find a quiet place to focus on what is important. Allowing gratitude for those who help can require practice. Understanding we can go after what we want if we disallow distractions and self-doubt to derail us is a key element of the journey. And if we remain grateful for what we have now, then we can build from there.

Look around. There are people in your life right now who want to help. It’s up to you to let them and be grateful they did.
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Kneale Mann | Leadership and management consultant helping leaders, teams, and companies get clear on their goals and results.

gratefulfoodie

The Truth About Facts

Einstein said; “If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts. Maya Angelou added; "Don't let the facts get in the way of the truth". Mark Twain pondered; "How empty is theory in the presence of fact?”. And Felix Cohen opined; “The theories we believe we call facts. The facts we disbelieve we call theories.”

It’s been said few will argue with their own data. But how do we separate fact from theory? Tom Asacker ponders that very question in his recent TEDTalk.


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Kneale Mann | Leadership and management consultant helping leaders, teams, and companies get clear on their goals and results.

TED | Tom Asacker

No Instruction Manual

We live in a plug-in-play world. The gadget comes with an instructional manual but few (none) of us take the time to read it. Our collective impatience is too strong. We want to open the box and start using it. If there’s a problem, we’ll call someone or research the answer online.

What do we do when we can’t figure out how people work? There is no owner’s manual with human interaction and relationships. Decades of experience can only give us a guide but each person is wired and motivated differently. Yet often the business world tries to do just that.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Leadership is complex. If you have kids, you may have taught them how to ride a bike. At first, you put on training wheels, and then over time you raised them off the ground so your child could slowly learn how to balance.

Then the day came when the training wheels were removed. You may have stood nervously as they started to pedal off without your help or the help of two extra wheels. That’s trust in them, the system, and yourself.

Letting Go

You gave them the tools but eventually had to let them find their way. Survey Says You hear claims such as; “millennials behave this way” or “women don't like that” which are a dangerous generalizations.

Marketing companies try and predict habits and companies attempt to guide behavior but it won't help with your day-to-day personal and professional relationships. Data won't provide a short cut to human behavior.

Making time for each other may be a good place to start.
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Kneale Mann | Leadership and management consultant helping leaders, teams, and companies get clear on their goals and results.

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