I am so thankful simply for Thanksgiving. That’s because Thanksgiving has, for the last several years, given me the opportunity to meet and come to know someone I admire and hope to emulate. She exudes and lives with such graciousness. Her name is Carin Clauss.
She has lived a very interesting and diverse life, being involved in politics at the highest levels of government.
The premise of her work and life is built around the idea of respect and finding the common ground in issues and supporting those common points within all the competing viewpoints and voices.
The stories she tells of her life experiences reminds me of Nelson Mandela’s clear understanding of not separating yourself from the “other.” The “other” is broad. It can be an opponent, an adversary or even someone with another way to do something. Mandela talked about how it was the separation between the two (or more) that allows judgment and violence to take hold.
Leadership is all about alignment. So finding that common ground and aligning the commonalities held by all involved brings the power of the group together and makes it strong.
By focusing on what is similar and what is aligned between the sides of an issue you find the common ground and make progress toward a more unified place.
That can be a political agenda – such as she exemplified and illustrated in her stories to me – or it can be your business plan and implemented in your daily interactions and operations. - Jan
Values Based Leadership looks for that common good or goal to help the group reach goals that they cannot reach alone. http://www.leadsyncnow.com/blog/item/356-values-based-leadership-in-an-interconnected-world
