Monday, September 19, 2016

Successful Diversity

The Mystery within...
I continue to read Susan Cain’s book, “Quiet—The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking,” and am fascinated by her report of Harvard Business School’s preference for more extroverted students.  She also cites management theorist, Jim Collins’ study of the best performing companies of the late 20th century: 

“Collins hadn’t set out to make a point about quiet leadership.  When he started his research, all he wanted to know was what characteristics made a company outperform its competition.  He selected eleven standout companies to research in depth.  Initially he ignored the question of leadership altogether, because he wanted to avoid simplistic answers but when he analyzed what the highest-performing companies had in common, the nature of their CEO’s jumped out at him.  Every single one of them was led by an unassuming man…  Those who worked with these leaders tended to describe them with the following words:  quiet, humble, modest, reserved, shy, gracious, mild mannered, self-effacing, understated.”

“The lesson, says Collins, is clear.  We don’t need giant personalities to transform companies.  We need leaders who build not their own egos but the institutions they serve.”

Another fact that stood out for me is the employees of these unassuming leaders were more often motivated to think for themselves and offer their thoughts in a more accepting atmosphere.  It is clear to me the dynamic of more interaction and contribution sourced in diversity is the foundation for success, not just for a company, but for a country, and all of life.  I have to wonder if the growing divide between the haves and the have nots in America is exacerbated by our 21st century discrimination toward introverts?


What if we all understood the importance of the many facets of diversity more often?            

Monday, September 12, 2016

Diversity's Gifts

The Mystery within...

The importance of accepting the diversity of different personality types is being brought home for me in a new way as I begin reading “Quiet—The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking” by Susan Cain.  Societies’ growing preference for the out-going and gregarious personality is disquieting in that it discriminates against the gifts of the more quiet and reflective introverts.  I now see, in a new way, how important it is to respect, revere and promote the gifts of both extroverts and introverts non-judgmentally.


What if in accepting the gifts of the other more often, we highlight the gift that we are?        

Monday, September 5, 2016

Deep Kindness


The Mystery within...

Events in my past week have naturally led me to do some self-life review.  I coupled that with my hard won understanding of the importance of compassionate self-love and self-forgiveness.  Putting it all together led me to an experience for which I’m not sure there is yet a word to adequately describe the power of that alchemy.  All I can say is that when criticized for a past inaction, I was filled with compassion and forgiveness for the other, and myself, and knew only deep kindness and love.