Position vs Stand-A "Mind Shift" for Visionary Leaders
Most of the brightest leaders, entrepreneurs and change agents still fail to grasp this distinction. Many try to stand for a better world while operating from a righteous or egotistical position, and thus are quite powerless to effect lasting change. Real power comes from a stand, not a position.
First grasping this distinction and then making "the shift" elevates and expands one's thinking or consciousness to a visionary level.
So what's the difference between a position and a stand?
Generally, a position is a place to defend or attack from, an external fight against; whereas a stand is a foundation to build on or create from, an internal fight for.
On a psychological level, a position is a defensive reaction to protect oneself from negative judgment (it usually occurs after a compromise of one's values).
A stand, on the other hand, is an action of honoring one's values in the face of inner opposition (fear, doubt, etc.).
AN EXAMPLE:
Tim is an entrepreneur who has a dispute with Sam, General Manager of another company. Tim thinks he should receive a credit, because Sam's company did not deliver the kind of service they had promised.
Picking up the phone to make a phone call to the GM was a scary proposition for Tim. Sam had already denied his first request for a discount, and reacted as if Tim was being cheap and unfair.
Tim wanted to stand for what he thought was right, and he didn't want the conversation to turn ugly, but he was scared... and so he prepared for the confrontation, as most anyone would do by solidifying his position.
Tim solidified his position by forming his conclusions, judgments and solutions.
Conclusion: Sam's service was not delivered as expected; therefore Tim does not owe the amount in the contract.
Judgment: It was unfair of Sam to not talk this through amicably with Tim. Sam is unethical, unfair and greedy.
Solution: Sam should credit Tim's company $1,000. Anything less is unfair.
Armed with his position, Tim picked up the phone and called Sam. Although Tim was trying to sound nice and businesslike, Sam instantly picked up the defensive/aggressive tone in his voice.
Sam's mind immediately formed its own position. He thought of all he'd done for Tim over the years. How could he be so ungrateful and cheap? You can bend over backward for a guy only so much. No more discounts or credits.
"Well you can call my lawyer then, Sam, because I'm not paying another dime until you credit me $1,000."
"If that's the way you want it, Tim. You'll be hearing from my lawyer." Click. Sam had hung up the phone.
"At least I didn't let that guy overcharge us again," Tim explained to his secretary. A guy's got to take a stand once in a while. Otherwise people will walk all over you.
Thousands of dollars in lawyer bills later, Sam and Tim finally settled out of court for a $500 credit. To this day, their friendship is dead, they are both resentful, and their positions are stronger than ever.
Every time they reflect honestly on how they resolved the conflict, they feel guilt... and then their mind turns back to its position, and they feel a little more comfortable.
A KEY POINT:
We live in a Position world. It's how we think, how we operate, how we resolve conflict. And it works miserably. Our next evolution as human beings is to learn to live from a stand.
VISIONARY ADVANTAGE:
A visionary operates in such a way that she inspires herself, her team and even her adversaries to greatness. She calls people to rise above their positions and align on shared values.
She can see through nearly any conflict, and has the confidence of a brazen, unstoppable entrepreneur. Hers is not a foolish arrogance or the brute force of will, but vision. The kind of vision that is uncommon to most of us.
She lives from a stand, and is called forward by the resulting vision to keep standing. She inspires not only herself, but the world around her to greatness.
VISIONARY DYNAMIC:
The more you come from a stand, the more even your adversaries are inspired by you. Rather than react to your position with their own position, they are inspired to stand as well.
VISIONARY CHALLENGE:
What is your position about a certain conflict in your life? Who is right and wrong, and why?
How is your position causing the continued building of your adversary's position?
What might happen if you transformed your position into a stand?
Related Tags: leadership, entrepreneurship, leadership training, visionary leaders, 7 habits, 8th habit, vision force
Michael Skye, founder and CEO of VisionForce.com, works with a new breed of impassioned change agents around the world, who are giving their lives to stand for all of humanity. The Visionary Mind Shifts are available free at http://www.VisionForce.com/course
Your Article Search Directory : Find in ArticlesRecent articles in this category:
- Work At Home Mums: Making Time For You.
I questioned if this subject would be worthy of a complete article, however it's an vital factor in - Property Investing 7 Reasons Why Now Is A Good Time To Invest
Conventional wisdom has this to say about property investing; the best time to invest in property is - Chocolate Gifts: The Perfect Corporate Gifts For Your Colleagues
It's always a good feeling to give messages of thanks to your colleagues who helped you finish that - Singapore Company For Foreign Entrepreneurs And Business Entities
There are three unique types of Singapore company that have been specifically created for foreign en - Important Objectives Of Packaging
The function of packaging is not simply only physical protection but also marketing, barrier protect - Establish Your New Global Web-based Enterprise Right Now
This is the perfect point in time to set up your global web business.The Internet business field is - The Ups And Downs Of Entrepreneurship
There are two kinds of entrepreneurs. First, there is the entrepreneur that is commonly associated w - Problem Of Funds To Start A Small Business
If you are determined to do some business on your own rather than doing office work in other people' - Do Business Tactfully Incorporating Third Party Logistics!
If you are an experienced entrepreneur, then you can certainly value two major factors; quality work - Home Stagers Can Work As Much Or As Little As They Wish
Many Staging Diva Graduates start out as part-time home stagers because they simply can't afford to
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Starting A Day Care Center Can Be Profitable When Following These Five Ingredients Of Success
The demand for child day care in the US is rising. This is due to many factors including but not lim - Being an Entrepreneur
I have never been the conventional type. I always did something different from everybody else. I jo - It Takes a Decision To Succeed
I am truly amazed at how often I hear people talk about what they want and yet when I ask them if th - A Business Plan-Do You Need One?
There are several uses for a business plan, and each requires the plan to be written somewhat differ - Art Therapy: Array your Art Workshop at Work
There is so much going on in the world today. President Bush is moving things around in Washington. - Proven Income Opportunity Success Stories
There are alot of scams out there claiming that they have a proven income opportunity. I totally agr - Sometimes You Have to Abandon the Experts, Theories and Books and Trust Your Intuition
As the coordinator for the online think tank often we get into debates with experts and Ph.D.'s abou - Mums - Park And Ride Your Way To A Second Income
Have you ever noticed that when you are in a hurry to catch a bus there never seems to be one? Or pe - How to Protect Yourself if Your House Value Drops, or Your Income is Lost - Part 2
Robert Shiller, is the author of the runaway bestseller, Irrational Exuberance. Shiller has recently - Home Business Solutions for Earning a Residual Income
Starting a home business is a huge step. Maybe you want to earn an extra income, extra spending mone