Monday, August 30, 2010

We are what we do, and we do what we read...


Our family went on vacation a few weeks ago to southern California, and seeing friends and family while creating some quiet reflection time provided time to reflect, freed cycles to ponder thoughtful questions  a colleague had shared, and read some ideas of some other very smart people sharing and developing their thoughts on developing and maintaining values.

Do you share a passion for leading your families, teams, companies, and community with a culture around you that breeds strength, confidence, trust and honesty?

I'm recently riffing on this idea with some of you that just because we THINK or INTEND something to be our values, doesn't mean they are. What we INTEND but don't DO are just IDEALS. Only those things we actually DO represent how we really feel about our values. No real new insights any self-discovering adolescent hasn't heard before, but all of us myself included can use the reminder.

Many wise people have chewed on this idea, but here's a simple one that I appreciate because of the source:


"When your values are clear to you, making decisions becomes easier." - Roy Disney

So, the question is, what can I read more of that will help influence what I do, to reflect and refine who I really am and strive to be? I'm always looking for more angles to strengthen my heart, mind, body and soul, so feel free to send or share suggestions. Here are a few of mine, with more to come:

The Bible:  pick your flavor - it's still the purest, leanest and most vetted book on values I've ever read. The way it is designed to cross-reference other Books and lessons is a great precursor to today's hyperlinked learning via the web.

Here are a few others that shaped ways to live consistent values (you can ignore the buying option - just listing these via Amazon for easy reference):

























































So, what do you read that influences your values?  We want to know...

3 comments:

  1. Great post, Mark! I agree; many of the references above offer invaluable teachings. The one upon which I most often reflect is John Wooden's Pyramid of Success. The Pyramid of Success traverses all religions, businesses, sports and generations.

    I, too, am on a journey to be the "...best that I'm capable of becoming" at work and in life, which does require consistency in actions and words. My selection of readings depends on where I am in my journey. Am I looking to take it the next level, or am I looking for encouragement or guidance in managing my current challenge(s)?

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  2. @Mark- there's a great post on the top 30 leadership blogs 2010... http://www.n2growth.com/blog/thought-leadership/

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  3. Thanks for sharing Dina. I am a Bruin, and couldn't agree more. John Wooden is/was pretty amazing. Pyramid of Success hangs in my office!

    Thanks for sharing the link too. Plan to explore it in some detail...

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