Leading with the Artist in Me: 3 Outcomes
“Every day I see or hear something that more or less kills me with delight…”
Mary Oliver, the poet
Some months ago I was challenged by a trusted friend to lead more with the artist in me. I wasn’t even sure there was an artist in me, though I believe I do have some artistic sensibilities. In any case, I am choosing to lead more with that intention – to discover and honor the artist in me these days. I am already aware of three specific outcomes as a result:
1. Less concern about performance and more attentive to expression
I have a strong feeling function (Myers-Briggs). Nevertheless, I am perplexed by how much I can over-think the world as it presents itself to me. I fail to step into action as much as I would like. Expressing myself with more heart and choosing to think less about what is happening is one consequence of leading more with the artist in me. In particular, I am trying to calculate less how I am performing and wanting to explore in action new ways of being myself.
2. Don’t necessarily need to scale
My work with social entrepreneurs and innovative leaders immersed in design thinking reinforces the belief that one’s “project,” whatever it may be, should be capable of expansion and growth. Bigger is better! The world certainly needs visionary change agents that can transform an entire enterprise or maybe even a whole continent. But as John Seely Brown astutely notes: “Artists are not included in our debate on how to build the economy for the future.” I am more at peace with myself these days as professional whose contribution may be less about replication and more about insight.
3. See the world differently
The artist sees the world with more color and texture, different nuance and variation, greater depth and broader perspective. In the spirit of Mary Oliver’s poetic wisdom, I am frequently more animated and enlivened by what I encounter these days, whether close to home as part of my routine or in distant venues as I travel. I encounter myself in unexpected and sometimes unfamiliar ways. I realize, upon reflection, I am simply getting closer to parts of myself I have ignored or denied for too long. New energy results.
I am learning not to be so self-conscious.
