Jeff Brunson

You – A Source of Impact (A Personal Reflection)

Ricardo — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:21:22 +0000

2011 was both a frustrating and exhilarating year for me. On the one hand, I feel like the company for which I work was not a tangible return on investment for the time I spent in various assignments during the year. I spent a lot of time stopping and starting and stopping again, in transitioning, in acclimating and reacclimating, and in building and rebuilding. A long-term venture for which I was very passionate also came to an abrupt end with a major organizational realignment late in the year. In all the shuffling, I am left with little but my own internal reflection by which to gauge my success and failure, my impact, if you will.

However, that single fact has given me the most power I have felt over my work in a very, very long time. And nothing stands out to me more than the power of my failures.

Failing has been exceptionally empowering to me because it has highlighted for me those things on which I must focus my energy. Marcus Buckingham taught us that our weaknesses are relevant only to the extent that they are barriers to our success. Marcus would tell us that we should work on our weaknesses only enough to make them irrelevant. As a friend of mine so eloquently put it, “Just make sure your weaknesses don’t act as a counterbalance to your strengths.” In other words, don’t let the scales tip against you because your weaknesses have that much weight. I still have a lot of work to do to become the open, confident, and loving human being that I want to be. My failures this past year have made that abundantly clear.

Openness, confidence, and love are the keys to my happiness. My family needs this of me. My team needs this of me. My partners need this of me. My clients need this of me. All my goals for this year will need to honor these needs, honor my commitments to all the individuals impacted, and, probably most importantly, serve my commitment to myself.

Open.

Confident.

Loving.

The first requires practice. I have this quality. I have exercised it with great success in the past. I need to exercise this quality to make it more powerful.

The second requires discovery. Confidence lives in all of us. Like Mayan ruins poking through the forest canopy, we stumble upon our Confidence from time to time. How do we find it? When does it reveal itself? Figure it out, and there is no telling what you might expose. The tip of the temple has been uncovered. Time to clear away the overgrowth and explore the hidden wonders within!

The third requires rediscovery. There was a time when I loved openly in all aspects of my life. After all, I am the Woo Woo Leader! The question is: what was lost? The balance between mind and heart and soul needs to be regained. I need to find it and bring it back. Only then will love flow freely.

There is still so much to contribute. My story remains largely unwritten. The potential impact of my story on others requires conscious recalibration of my efforts and focus. I must reconnect with my desire and intent: to help others see the power of personal leadership, to guide others to do more than they would have otherwise thought possible, and to help others extend their influence as far as possible for their growth and the good of those around them. Delivering on my desire and intent for others is the true reflection of my impact.

How will you measure your impact?

Ric reads a lot. Some of the time, he feels compelled to write. Jeff invited Ric to write here, from time to time, and Ric accepted.

You – A Source of Impact

Jeff Brunson — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:28:26 +0000

If there is a simple clue to personal and professional growth, it just may be that interest creates energy. And possibly the most pertinent experience of true growth and development is the journey itself. Sometimes we find purpose and sometimes purpose finds us. The connection to the energy of one’s purpose cannot become tangible without intention; a courageous interest for impact.

Relaxing into one’s purpose is not a step by step process one can learn and apply. It is a journey within the journey. The path is charged with peril, not the least of which comes from within our self. An interruption to the learning process as we move along is the need to control.

Even while earning a certain meritorious level of my own expertise, I was led to realize the need to release; to let up on myself and let go. It is a wonderful thing to observe the flowing expertise of another; and wonderful still when we observe our own flow.

How do we measure impact? The answer begins in your own unique Desire & Intent for those you lead, influence, and serve … those for whom your story has impact.

The impact you most desire unfolds and is accomplished through what you already possess: Your own authenticity in your own Story. Trust yourself.

Trust Yourself (Expertise)

In the agitation of intentional transition
a threat to confidence I consciously allowed.

Soul asks, “Do you know what you can do?”
and reminds me of a casual style avowed.

A loving voice not my own exhorts, “Trust yourself”
melting the icy texture of fear into knowledge matured.

With casual trust I float in creative flow
exiting a bubble of limitation with confidence assured.

−J. Brunson

Interest
21st Century Skill: Personal/Professional Growth Management
Book 1, Chapter One: Impact

Strategic Storytelling

Jeff Brunson — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:40:21 +0000

If I share a story with you, it is because I care. My own leadership love compels me to tell you a story. And from that, I desire you find a purposeful role in a larger, engaging story; a story that compels your own authenticity in a turbulent 21st Century experience.

Through my work with story, I am committed to the power of the individual. Organizational (collective) impact will never materialize without the commitment of the individual. In the 21st Century there is a level of enlightenment expected. Part of this enlightenment, as explained by the authors of Influencer: The Power to Change Anything, is to understand the individual behaviors required to drive desired outcomes, and focus there.

The 21st Century belongs to the aware, focused, and loving leader. The impact of your leadership is intended for the benefit of all.

Why Story and Storytelling?
Interest creates energy. In this 21st Century, strategic behavior is more important than ever throughout the organization. It is time for individuals to be energized by a common story of interest, and to collectively align energy in a strategic balance in order to tell the story.

The Story Objective
We must create an implementation experience where we leverage individuality and the power of the collective energy in designing our future; a strategic view that brings the future into the present with Clarity, Engagement, and Connection.

The Next 7 Posts are a journey through the power of story. I will travel along the path of the 7 Skills for 21st Century Leadership as I align each with the chapters of my book, Wading the Stream of Awareness - all the while integrating what I’ve learned (and am learning) as a facilitator of Strategic Storytelling.

The Journey
You ( A Source of Impact)
Others and You (Reach)
Others and Your Purpose (Push and Articulation)
A Foundation of Service (A Confident Connector)
Service with Purpose (In Your Presence)
A Purposeful Teacher (Expertise)
A Steady Walk (Free in the Story)

There is indeed a new confidence discovered in the connection that story provides. It is my desire and intent that you find joy in the journey.

Reflections for Your Awareness (It is Personal)

Jeff Brunson — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 20:49:54 +0000

It’s hard to get anyone to truly hear your story until it’s personal. We have to make the story personal.
-From post 7/20/2011 by Ric Gonzalez, Woo Woo Leadership

Our Christmas 2011 was experienced in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. On the evening prior to returning home (Christmas evening), I went to the desk clerk to get some coffee as the housekeeping staff had been given the day off. Deanna retrieved my packets of coffee and we began to talk. Her son was departing to Afghanistan the very next morning. On the way in from dinner that evening, we stopped by the lobby as I saw a young man talking to Deanna. I was able to shake her son’s hand and wish him the best. It is a powerful thing to know someone’s story.

Love goes beyond expectation. It is accepted that a leader should be clear with his or her expectations. Too often however, many fail to understand what an expectation conveys in true form. Expectation must communicate desire, intent, and confidence.

Love flows from the confident leader who knows purpose. Purpose shines through a personal narrative that is told in each action as a leader; actions which are consistent expressions of one’s personal story. My friend Judie is free to love by choice and she is free to love differently and equally. She delights in your presence. I am certain Judie would have delighted to be in Deanna’s presence and to share personally in the story of her brave son.

There is a new confidence found in the connection that stories provide. As a storyteller you are present with your love and we have love in your presence. Love is the leader’s power to move us through fear and limitation. The why of love is anchored in one’s personal story. We trust the loving storyteller. So live a narrative that brings desire and intent to tangible reality for self and others.

Reflections for Your Awareness (A Soul Leader)

Jeff Brunson — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:15:52 +0000

What’s hard is true, spiritual leadership. I’m talking about the kind of leadership that comes from your soul. It’s the kind of leadership that focuses on the spiritual work that each individual is longing to undertake that is hidden behind the guise of the tasks they have to get done. Manage the tasks; lead the people.
-From post 7/09/2011 by Ric Gonzalez, Woo Woo Leadership

Jim is at a point in his life where, in order to be true to self, he must serve consistently. In order to serve as he most desires, and focus on the best outcomes, he must balance himself across individualized significance. As with Jim, our work of leadership is spiritual when it flows from the soul.

Few have the courage to explore publically a topic such as spiritual leadership. The author of the above excerpt does. Maybe it is in part due to Ric’s search for such in his own work. Part of the true leadership experience is confidently doing your own spiritual work; applying personally a principle of self-care for selfless service. Conscious of your own purpose, you increase your ability to respect the strengths and potential of others. As you have discovered for yourself, purpose frees you to focus with confidence on what is most important.

Confident with self, you facilitate confidence for others as they connect through the work. This is leading from the soul. Individuals do not want to be managed. Individuals desire to be led.

Reflections for Your Awareness (Giving – Act to Art)

Jeff Brunson — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:48:45 +0000

The real gift is not that which is given, though, as much as it is the fact that something was given. The impact, then, becomes the goodwill and spiritual energy that passes between two individuals. The flow of generosity from one to another strengthens the bond between them. … Learning to give in this way elevates giving from an act to an art.
-From post 7/06/2011 by Ric Gonzalez, Woo Woo Leadership

While he may not see himself as such, Ed is a giver. Like any giving leader, Ed’s power is in a selfless approach to do no harm. Don’t misunderstand, Ed takes care of himself in order to better care for those he leads, influences, and serves.

Flow
As leaders, our goodwill toward another flows through the energy of a developed, casual style of being with. And this style is a result of our continual commitment to learn, grow, and develop; making self better to better serve others.

Act to Art
The impact of such a customized integrity is born into conscious presence by the act of giving. To actually give of oneself is no small thing. It takes energy to act, which is why it is so important that your energy is consistently restored. This keeps generosity in flow and moves the act to art.

Reflections for Your Awareness (Fixing Your Network)

Jeff Brunson — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:58:35 +0000

Only after your network is fixed can you go be the linchpin, the Great Connector, that you are meant to be. Once you fix your network, you can serve it and its members better. Once you fix your network, you will realize that yours is just a small part of a much bigger, much more powerful network and that we are all servants of the same human collective.
-From post 6/30/2011 by Ric Gonzalez, Woo Woo Leadership

Fixing a network might simply be in creating a new understanding for:
… Why you make your connections
… What you do in your network
… How you serve your connections.

Why
Your unique purpose as a leader forms a thread of meaning from one connection to another. One by one, connections of meaning form the power of a network. The artful act of connecting forms a creative bounty of connections.

What
It is meant for you to draw from this creativity in the collective. I believe part of what Ric is telling us is that our service finds voice in our network. Confidently exercising your own voice builds trust in your network and frees the flow of your gift.

How
The gift of your art flows freely through a confident voice. Your voice empowers the no so often needed to keep you on the path of service. Your network benefits greatly from your living, flowing purpose. Voice resonates in purpose.

My colleague Keith knows that part of fixing a network is the confidence to say no. And while voice gives power to the often required no, it also speaks a confident ‘yes’ to the service of our gift.

Reflections for Your Awareness (The Flow of Why)

Jeff Brunson — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:53:20 +0000

It’s not enough to just ‘tell’ people that something has to be done. A story has to be a part of that telling, and that story has to be repeated. Often. Clearly. Consistently. The most successful messages are a story. The best stories are personal. If you make the story your own as part of the telling, it will be that much easier for your audience to attempt to make it theirs, as well. -From post 6/21/2011 by Ric Gonzalez, Woo Woo Leadership

Clarity
Doug understands that there is a new reality in the 21st Century workplace. He further understands the importance of each individual’s embrace of a new understanding; stop and see what is good around you. This pause is necessary to understand why with the clarity required.

Story
The clarity is to fortify one’s accountability that flows through individual voice. As voice guides, you hold tight to the accountability of your story. The why is never found in the slides of a presentation. Why is found at the meeting point of message and individual story.

In the flow of why one can more easily connect with the positive and powerful aspects of accountability; making the story their own.

Accountability
The new reality will be all-consuming without a new understanding. In this new understanding there is freedom to be claimed in the flow of a new confidence. In the 21st Century we no longer wait for those “in charge” to provide the clarity required. Acting in a new confidence demonstrates the accountability assumed in the flow of why.

Reflections for Awareness (Magical Connection)

Jeff Brunson — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 21:08:20 +0000

With the connections made and nurtured over time, the possibilities begin to multiply. What can one person accomplish with a healthy and robust network of personal connections? The simple answer is “anything.” But to get from here to there, the individuals have to align behind a compelling vision of what tomorrow can bring. The story we want to sell to the outside world is crafted within the safety of the network. This is how communication becomes a tool of great power. -From post 6/13/2011 by Ric Gonzalez, Woo Woo Leadership

The Magic of Alignment
My client Tammy creates the magic of alignment as she keeps others connected to reality. Both personally and professionally she remains present with each connection focused on momentary meaning. How she accomplishes this is best expressed in her words; “I focus on the big things at work and the small things at home.”

As a 21st Century leader, and like Tammy, you are not afraid of desire. You are not timid in how you act with purpose. A leader’s Desire & Intent is an authentic energy capable of strengthening the connection between leader and those being led, influenced, and served.

The Power of Connection
The strategic story is meant to bring us together. This can be difficult without the collectively crafted story energized by your purposeful leadership. Guided by purpose, you nurture your connections because you first trust yourself in these relationships. You then allow trust to create energy for others to confidently join in the story.

The energy for collective alignment is cultivated in the power of connection. You share energy to assist others in seeing the strategic meaning in day-to-day work while giving your attention to individual need in the home of one’s labor; the familiar space of individual effort.

Reflections for Awareness (Energy and Impact)

Jeff Brunson — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:55:39 +0000

The notion of separation of our work and personal lives is becoming obsolete. It is an archaic way of looking at the individual within the world of work. It is a relic of the industrial age. Living dual lives takes energy, and the energy spent takes its toll. It weakens the individual, lowers their ability to succeed, and adversely affects performance.
-From blog post 6/4/2011 by Ric Gonzalez, Woo Woo Leadership

Donald Davis was Kathryn Tucker Windham’s friend the last 30 years of her amazing life. Noting her incredible stamina of life and work, Donald asked how she kept up such energy. Kathryn answered, “Energy comes from interest. I am interested in so many things.”

Interest creates energy: This resonated in me in two major ways. First as it relates to passion. Passion requires energy. As my client Ken says, “Work in the light of passion is renewable energy.” Varied interests are like a wind turbine; creating energetic passion from a limitless source. Secondly, interest assures performance. Living one’s life in a singular flow – where it is difficult to discern when one is working versus playing – is a path of impact.

Kathryn further energized my belief that so much in life is simply a matter of choice. It is important to open to diverse interests, focus the accrued energy through passion, and choose happiness.

… choose happiness!