I had lunch with a leader whose style is opposite mine. He is quiet and reserved. I tend to be energetic and outgoing. His strength’s are gentleness and compassion. Qualities I admire but don’t always display.
Seeing him, let me see myself.
Seeing him, let me see qualities I want.
The problem: Leaders tend to connect with those who possess similar qualities not opposite. For example, managers tend to hire employees with qualities like theirs. This means we tend to become narrow and myopic.
You’re richer, more effective, and able to connect with broader ranges of people by reaching out to opposites. During a vision training session I told students, “My value is seeing otherwise.” I’m not here to confirm what you know. I’m her to confront it.
Reaching out to those going where you are going only confirms your current trajectory. Reaching out to your opposite creates a high potential collision.
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Have you experienced high potential collisions with an opposite? What happened?
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Leadership Freak
Dan Rockwell