Leadership Notes -- Thoughts on Leading People and Making a Difference in Organizations

Word count this issue: 231

Estimated reading time:  1:40 minutes

Hello from Oakville, where I am again working with a great team and a cool group of learners.

Early in the week, I was thinking about criticism. I wonder if there is a continuum of criticism that runs from one end that is nothing but complaining and projecting to the other end that is about hope and development.  I wonder if we default towards the complaining and projecting because that is so much easier for us, and it is where great drama and entertainment comes. Movies and books would be pretty boring if all people did was criticize in a supportive way. Instead of saying, “how dare you say that to me” protagonists would be saying, “hmmm, thank you I had not considered that.” Pretty low box office returns if that is the focus of the script!

But in real life, when we consciously choose to provide (when invited) criticism that is based on hope and development, we can make a real difference. And when we choose to take criticism from a place of hope and development, we can make a real difference for ourselves.

It comes down to choice for you and I. Do we want to make drama or do we want to make a difference?