The Illumify Game Changer

Leaders usually do one of two things: they meaningfully challenge the status quo; or they meaningfully resist a challenge to the status quo. In this episode, Jonathan discovers that he does both. He then struggles with his dislike for the word “interest” in answering this next Amplify question. 1:35       Reflections on how it feels to give that oldest part of you a voice. 04:07    The urge to escape the human. 05:38    Nostalgia is not a vision 06:13    Making our human life together better interests me. 09:18    Demonstrating two forms of leadership. 11:35    The need for tremendous discernment in leadership. 13:25    I have a deep sense that many are living in some form of resistance. 17:50    Do good people have to be swimming against the tide? 19:00    Reference cards:  Illumify definition, Enleaven definition, Guidelines. 20:30    Explanation of the Amplify stage. 22:04    Card 27: Why is this in their interests? 24:50    If the vision is truthful, it will matter to people’s hearts first and foremost. 28:22    We can’t make decisions unless we feel something. 29:50    Quickly signing up or seeing it in their interests problematic. 30:50    Interest vs. self-interest. 36:50    The vision may always be self-serving for them, hitting at their secret fears. 38:40    The heartache is the key to action. 41:40    You have to appreciate their state of mind, even if you don’t share it. 43:20    How to harness individual private activity to a public good? 43:48    Final answer.

Realizing a big vision takes more than just one leader. So how do you invoke others to help? In this minisode from Episode 32, Jonathan discovers that it takes more than just facts.

Someone recently called this podcast Marianne’s “gift of love to the world”. In each episode, she’s revealing part of her Illumify® Method of igniting leaders and their initiatives. Listen to this brief minisode to discover why.

Leadership demands a lot of us. So much that it can be tempting to turn away, if only to protect yourself from the barbs that come from challenging the status quo. In this episode, Jonathan grapples with his introverted self that tempts him to keep his vision to himself. Nor, as he discovers, can he expect others to assume equal responsibility for igniting his vision.   01:11   How does expressing your vision feel in the context of rallies? 05:23   “No one gets hurt if I keep this to myself.” 09:41   Jean takes scrutiny and rejection out of the equation when being of Service. 11:21   What if they are just as responsible for igniting your vision as you are? 13:00   Marianne’s cautionary note of failed change in “shared leadership”. 15:50   Challenging your own introversion to step up. 17:25   Where does the harm and hurt come from in speaking up? 20:31   Changing the pronoun from “your” vision to “the” vision. 22:51   Be an “ambassador” for the vision, and enable others to carry your message for you. 24:41   Speak in the present tense, not the future tense, to eliminate doubt and reassure. 29:01   Organizational leadership, Gandhi, Mandela and the depth of courage. 32:41   The voices of dissent are going to be there. 34:01   Is resistance enough for change? 36:33   How to lead in light of the two extremes. 38:26   The metaphor of Canada Geese for leadership. 42:01   Seeing the vision as public gives me confidence in me and the vision. 44:11   Dealing with excitement, rather than derision, around your vision.  46:05   Who doesn’t want to be heard? 48:31   What part of your vision do you decidedly disregard? 53:58    Marianne’s reason and hope for listeners. 56:01   When you know what you’re here to do…

When leaders speak about their meaningful change, it has to be of interest to listeners. If not, they’ll tune out, and it can be difficult, if not impossible, to get them to tune back in. In this episode, Jonathan considers whether his vision is of interest to those he sees could help him realize it. But could it be they’re too preoccupied right now to even have it on their radar?   SHOW NOTES 00:00  Amplify Card 26:  What interests them? 01:20  There’s a deep sense of worry about whether we are sharing a factual reality together. That’s when we start to lose our bearings even more. 06:00  We all have a deep need for privacy – to take refuge in our homes without intrusion. 08:15  What could be more important than how we connect? 11:25  Something else has changed. We’re losing the sense that we share a common  sense of what’s happening. 15:03  A stranger’s offer of help. 18:25  Imagine if those in your collective asked, “Can I help”? 21:00  What would happen if you could show all the homeless the way home? 26:10  What if I spent a year just talking to the homeless? What could mean more? 28:00  The story of the young girl’s Lady Bug Campaign. 30:00  The change you ignite is at the level of what is most significant to you. 33:50  If what you see is a shared home, that makes your vision quite distinct. 36:40  The shared home is also out there on the street, in the city centre, in the world. 37:50  The question is what “interests” them, not what “concerns” them. 38:40  This is too big not to be preoccupied with. 42:30  Does it have to be on their radar? 43:38  I have to start with the idea that my vision would resonate. I have to have faith. 45:50  The question again: Is this change of interest to them? 47:20  If the vision has come from a long process of insight, it must contain some truth that will resonate with other people – even those I don’t know yet. 52:00  The beginning of the movement: Familiarity, belonging and recognition. Connection.