Good morning from an overcast, but somehow spring like Vancouver. I drove yesterday with top down on the convertible, heat full on, and a scarf around my neck but the top was down! The seasons are slowly turning, rest assured.

I heard a couple of great talks on the weekend, and I’ll be sharing reflections from them and an amazing theatre show I saw on Sunday afternoon in the coming weeks of Leadership Notes. One of the talks was by The Dean of the Episcopal Diocese of Seattle, The Very Rev Steve Thomason. A former physician from Arkansas, Steve spoke very eloquently.  http://www.cathedral.vancouver.bc.ca/2014/01/20/sermon-by-the-very-rev-steve-thomason-jan-19-2014/ . What struck me deeply was his question, are you living your life vicariously or viscerally? So for example, do I go outside and play football, or do I watch it on TV? Do I have deep conversations with my partner, or do I watch others have deep(?) conversations on reality TV programs?

And then I got to thinking about how we learn and teach leadership? So are the courses I take and teach for example mostly about someone at the front of the room telling war stories about what it’s like to lead and manage (vicarious learning) or are the courses I take and teach filled with opportunities to practice and rehearse actually leading and managing (visceral learning). Or how about actually leading and managing? Is most of my management time spent attached to my computer, in conversation via email and reading/writing reports (vicarious managing) or am I engaged, eye to eye, knee to knee, even on Skype (or related product) asking questions, challenging the status quo, with the people I report to and who report to me, (visceral managing)? I know I am at my best as a leader and manager when I am viscerally engaged.

May this week, and all the weeks, be about visceral leading and managing.