∞ Lead because you care ∞

Leadership Is A Way Of Caring – New Ways To Think

New Ways To Think

What do you know about the way you think? Your thinking process?

For years I have been looking for new ways to think.

I love to think – it’s my forte – or so I thought. So why should I be looking for other, new ways to think? Why wasn’t I happy with the way I ‘did’ my thinking?

Each time you start a new career path you need to learn the new ways in this particular business: I have a master’s degree in applied linguistics; a BA in organizational development; trained myself in how to deal with international finance institutions and followed a demanding coach training, supplemented by many years of mentor coachings.

Each time I learned a new ‘language’ and certainly some form of thinking that, at the time, was new to me.

And yet: I experienced a growing dissatisfaction with how I thought and painfully felt the limits of my thinking – I simply did not or could not come up with new ways to present my ideas. Some form of creative or ‘writer’s’ block?

My mentors, friends and the many books I read and studied – from Eckhart Tolle to Stephen Hawking to Immanuel Kant – could not satisfy my desire to discover and apply a new way of thinking.

So I forgot about it – for a while. I just continued thinking the way I did and that was that. Until I came across the Thought Leaders Business School, that is.

Their ideas, concepts and thought processes were not entirely new to me when I looked at the individual parts of it. However, the way they combined the individual components to create an entire system of ‘full-spectrum’ thinking (as they call it) hit me. WOW! That was what I had been looking for all these years!

To be honest, it took me a very long while to really ‘get’ this new system of structuring my thoughts and I am still today miles away from acting accordingly.

I flew thousands of miles to Melbourne to finally meet the ‘tribe’ of thought leaders I had joined some six months ago.

Even today I can’t really say that I definitely, thoroughly and deeply have understood the system of their thought leaders practice. I am getting there.

My initiation to the Thought Leaders’ way of thinking happened on the second day. I found myself on stage in front of a crowd of 150 and numerous virtual attendees around the world.

Asked to present my one big idea around my practice I stuttered: ‘Leadership is a way of caring’. ‘Oh, tell me more about that’ replied the facilitator and I was dumbfounded. Together with her and the other thought leaders in the room we created a beautifully simple structure that explained in full spectrum what I mean by ‘Leadership is a way of caring’.

This piece of paper, the core component of the thought leaders practice, is called PINK SHEET. I had done a pink sheet – in sweat and tears - in front of and with the support of a tremendously generous and ingenious crowd of people who are thought leaders.

It was absolutely clear to me then: I wanted, no, had to be part of that tribe! Even better, I had found ‘my’ tribe. Happy and totally ex-haust-cited I went through the remaining immersion. Now, back home, the distance tribe members, and local members alike, are supported by an encompassing system of accountability and mentoring, cheering on, monthly talks and so much more.

I know now that my idea around ‘Leadership as a way of caring’ and ‘Leadership is a way of caring’ are valid ideas and concepts with a huge potential for growth!

Thank you, Thought Leaders Tribe!

Learnings:

“To do it my way” does not always reap the desired results.
Thinking is underestimated as one crucial factor in life and business.
Sometimes it takes ages to gain insights. Save time and adapt fast.
However long it may take, it’s worthwhile to look for and find your tribe.
“Thinking in or out of the box” – never mind, you have the whole universe to explore.

Inspired to write this note by Birgit Gehring.

Inspired to continue this journey by Matt Church, Peter Cook, Col Fink and everybody

else at Thought Leaders Business School.