Diversity Fuels Creativity

Greetings from Singapore, where I have been attending the annual Executive MBA Conference with other leaders from across the globe who run these programs at various universities.  This is always a mentally stimulating meeting in which thought leaders from top corporations and universities share what they believe today’s – and tomorrow’s – executives need to thrive in our ever-changing world.

One continuing theme I heard from many speakers – and that we all know is true – is the need for organization’s today to be continually innovative and creative.  But how do we do that?

A number of speakers stressed the importance of diversity and divergent thinking among leadership teams as a way to fuel innovation.  Today’s leaders need to:

“Be Flexible”

“Value Differences.  Believe that difference is good.”

“Influence others without using authority.”

“Foster a culture where people feel free to speak their mind.”

One speaker said “Don’t allow hierarchy to squash innovation.”

All of this is easier said than done.  It means that you, as a leader, need to proactively recruit people into your organization and onto your senior team who think differently than you do.  It will be uncomfortable and require you to work through conflicting viewpoints.

It would be a lot easier to hang out with people who pretty much think the same way you do.  But if you do that, you are unlikely to continually produce innovative, breakthrough ideas.

Leveraging the divergent views and talents of others is more important to making a Mission Impact than ever before.

For more ideas on how you can lead breakthroughs in your organization, follow this blog and check out my web site at www.SheehanNonprofitConsulting.com   You will find free resources you can download, including a Breakthrough Strategy Workbook that you can download at no cost.  You can also check out my book, Mission Impact:  Breakthrough Strategies for Nonprofits, and buy it if you are interested.  And you can follow Sheehan Nonprofit Consulting on Facebook.

Your Personal Mission & Vision

You have spent a lot of time figuring out your organization’s mission and vision.  How about your personal mission and vision?

There are a lot of different ways to go about writing up your personal mission statement.  Here are some questions to get started on clarifying your personal mission:

“What do you want your personal legacy to be?”

“What are you leaving behind?”

“What contributions do you want to make to others and to the world?  

Once you write up your mission then you can create a vision.  My favorite question is:

“What would you want your life to be like if you could have it any way you wanted it?”

When I went through this exercise, I first identified the most important “domains” of my life – those aspects that are most important to me.  For example, some of those included Spiritual Life, Work Life, Fun, Family & Friends, Health, etc.  And I then went on to describe what those aspects of my life would look like if I could have it any way I wanted it.

What should you do with this once you have it all done?

There are lots of valuable ways to use your mission & vision.  I briefly review my personal mission most every morning when I do my prayers & meditations.  I feel like it gives me focus for the day.

No surprise – I use my vision to create five year goals for myself.  Then I use those to set annual goals.  I review the vision and goals every week as I make my action plan for the week.  Too much?  It works for me!  You can devise your own system. 

The main value is taking some time to get clear on “Why Am I Here?” & “Where Am I Going?” and then working along at “How Am I Going to Get There?”  As you work on that last part, I recommend following the advice in my article The Power of Goals.  Good luck to you on your path to make a personal Mission Impact! 

For more ideas on how you can lead breakthroughs in your organization, follow this blog and check out my web site at www.SheehanNonprofitConsulting.com   You will find free resources you can download, including a Breakthrough Strategy Workbook that you can download at no cost.  You can also check out my book, Mission Impact:  Breakthrough Strategies for Nonprofits, and buy it if you are interested.  And you can follow Sheehan Nonprofit Consulting on Facebook.