At the time of writing this nugget in early 2017, the week started by celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 88th birthday – the hope of his legacy. Then there was the inauguration of a new Presidential administration, and the week ending with women and men marching and protesting across the country to preserve the Constitutional rights of all people – the hope for the future.

Like the finesse of an energizing orchestra conductor, good strategic plans are living documents that shift and change with an organization’s needs. Rather than being obsolete tomes, they are meant to be dynamic and evolving guides relevant to the organization’s future. Therefore, the commitment to using a strategic plan as an organizational guide is ultimately about leadership.

Think for a minute about a time in your life or your work when you experienced a significant change. As you uncover the memory, remember how you were feeling about the change. What worried you?  What made you feel uncertain?  What exhilarated you? What were you looking forward to as an outcome or result? 

The title of this nugget is a quote from Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner. To me, the definitions of the word “crucible” perfectly describe the opportunity leaders have when you shake things up for yourselves and your teams.

Recently I facilitated a discussion with a group I worked with for some time. The conversation was progressing productively. Then someone heard a comment that felt threatening. My further inquiry elicited even more concern. Before I knew it, I lost the trust in the conversation.

The beauty of inspiration (that little spark of brilliance) is that it can come from anywhere. Magic happens when our minds are open, and we catch flying sparks. Here is an example of how we stay inspired at Managance. For more than a year, we’ve read a variety of books together, discussing chapters weekly and relating the ideas from these sometimes seemingly off-topic books to our consulting and leveling up leadership work.