None of Us Arrived with an Owners Manual: A Fresh Perspective on the Drive to Lead (part 2)

Why didn't I get an Owner's Manual

After a little while with life happening and no sign of the Manual we began to realize we would need to make the best of it. We began to look around to see who had one and studied what they knew, surely some of it must be generic! We began to study our parents, our siblings ? if they looked competent enough, and our other care givers.

They all seemed like gods to our small experience of life, so confident, so able, so talented. Surely they must have a great version of their Owner's Manual! Many of us translated this into a presumption that they had a Manual and it was a wonderful copy, full of talents and abilities. We had our confidence high that we could do it! We could find mastery.

After a while of looking it seemed like everyone big had one. Another doubt crept in, maybe we were the only one who didn't get one. We got secretive about it. Hiding the humiliation, coldness, rejection, betrayal and abandonment deep inside ourselves.

Many of us did such a good job we threw away the key and forgot we ever had such deep and painful doubts about our ability to make it here. Instead we got involved in studying others, working at it and seeking to create a new version of our own. Some of us got so good at this game we forgot why we were doing it; there just remained some deep unrest about who we really are.

Some of us progressed from here and made different conclusions based on our perception of those around us. Some of us looked at our siblings and thought they were a bit spare, maybe they didn't get one either. Maybe it was just our family, all our generation, kids in our neighborhood and so on.

Some of us looked at our parents and thought they got a warped one, however our faith in them and their ability to support us was so great that we willing joined into their pain and shame. We were so driven to work out how to operate here, it was such a primary drive we would do anything to learn.

Crisis is a blessing in disguise.

The strange thing is this was not a real representation of reality. Our hearts are wonderful places of honor, strength and courage. Anyone in an extreme crisis has not needed to doubt the courage of our true nature. Our heroic acts are legendary. The terrorist attacks of recent times bring this home to us. In Bali, ordinary injured Australians did extraordinary things and saved lives. In New York, September 11 brought out an extraordinary unity in this big, fast, hard city. The tradition is older, our heros of the wars; our pioneers of territory, mind, spirit and heart; our popular leaders' values and so the list is infinite.

The question is never what is the value of the human heart, rather it is ? is our heart open? Can we access our greatness or have we become immune, scared or so small we no longer want to go there for fear it won't be OK anymore.

Put aside the falseness of your egoic nature, the part you alone created, apart from your heart. Take up instead your essential nature, who you truly are, and heal the rift in your drive to lead as a beacon, an example, a shining light and a wonder!

This article may be reproduced in printed or web format, provided the resource box below is included.

Rosemary Johnston is a professional corporate and personal coach. Working with executives from some of Australia's largest and most successful companies for over 15 years.

Rosemary's new book, "How To Develop Your Leadership Style and Skills to Take Charge of Your Career and Life" is now available to download at her web site. Read about some of the success Rosemary has had coaching leaders in Australian blue chip companies. http://www.leadershipfirst.com.au

Local DRS Technologies Engineer in Kanata Awarded for Technology ...
CNNMoney.com - 3 hours ago
Turzo, an Intermediate Hardware Developer at DRS, won the printed circuit board Technology Leadership Award in the Military & Aerospace category for his ...

BBC News
US 'spying' on Iraqi leadership
BBC News, UK - 5 hours ago
The War Within: A Secret White House History, 2006-2008, examines the handling of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars and President Bush's leadership and ...
A Failure of Leadership Washington Post
Woodward: US spied on Iraqi leaders China Daily
US spies, not 'surge', reduced Iraq violence: book The Age
FrontPage magazine.com - Los Angeles Timesall 320 news articles

NDA STUDENTS HONE LEADERSHIP SKILLS
Valley Dispatch, MA - 1 hour ago
Offered through the Coalition for the Advancement of Student Activities' Student Leadership training program, this two-day event brought together student ...

Leadership graduates are guests at network
The Salinas Californian, CA - 4 hours ago
Salinas Valley Business Women's Network will have a panel of guests from the Leadership Salinas Valley graduating classes discussing program opportunities ...

Campbell Alliance Sales Practice to Present at CBI's Leadership ...
Earthtimes (press release), UK - 4 hours ago
... today announced that leaders from its Sales Practice will conduct two speaking engagements at the Center for Business Intelligence's (CBI) Leadership ...

West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Marshall welcomes new academic leadership
West Virginia Public Broadcasting, WV - 3 hours ago
By Cleark Davis West Virginia University isn’t the only state university operating under new leadership this academic year. A new president has started at ...

ALN Network Executive, Carla Lewis-Long Named 2008 Fellow for ...
MarketWatch - 5 hours ago
BMLI is recognized as the flagship leadership development program of the cable and telecommunications industry. For more than twenty-five years, ...

Tavis Smiley kicks off HBCU leadership tour
WAAY, AL - 4 hours ago
(AP) - Talk show host Tavis Smiley is kicking off a tour of historically black colleges and universities, speaking about issues of leadership. ...

New York Times
'Executive experience' does not a leader make
MarketWatch - 1 hour ago
What we look for in a president, in fact, is not necessarily executive experience, but leadership. Successful business executives generally will also be ...
Lieberman lacks loyalty InsideVandy
Lieberman could lose chairmanship, Democrats warn CNN
Democrats May Have Had It With Lieberman Hartford Courant
Norwich Bulletinall 1,218 news articles

Sydney Morning Herald
Zondervan Announces New Biography of Sarah Palin
MarketWatch - 2 hours ago
By exploring the leadership principles that have catapulted Palin into the national spotlight, Hilley explains how she models a fresh paradigm of leadership ...
Video: Young Republicans Back McCain CBS
Obama lacks leadership, experience Daily Press
Sen. DeMint butts heads with McCain but thinks Palin will keep him ... ChristianityToday.com
American Chronicle - Politicoall 947 news articles

Wind Chimes and more...

Windchimes for great gifts!

Leadership Challenges: The Walls In Our Lives