Page 116 - How Great Leaders Build Abundant Organizations That Win

WHERE AM I GOING? (PURPOSE AND MOTIVATION)

One of us (guess who!) feels very comfortable in the
insight quadrant and loves the world of self-exploration and
reflection. But she has learned over the years that the com-
fortable world of ideas is hard to justify unless she moves
across the chart to the opposite corner—the world of empow-
erment, where ideas become real in the lives of other people.
Unless she is writing, speaking, serving, and listening to the
real problems of real people, her grand ideas quickly become
sterile and boring. Other people’s challenges challenge her
to think differently about her own and push her to not only
build on her strengths but also use them to strengthen
others.
To some extent movement from one quadrant to another
is a developmental process. We may need to concentrate our
desires in one quadrant for a time, but over a lifetime can
shift energy into new desires.
The other one of us (guess again!) majors in the quad-
rant of achievement, with a strong minor in insight. He
spent many of his early professional years exploring excit-
ing ideas, writing books, and developing a reputation as a
thought leader in human resources and leadership. He loves
crossing things off the daily to-do list and feels energized by
his internal scorecard for accomplishments for the day. But
in more recent years he is discovering the abundance that
comes in investing more in family, friends, and commu-
nity. Professionally he has moved more into both executive
coaching and consulting with governments and interna-
tional companies, trying to make a difference for good in
people’s lives.
Few people start out with motivation in all four quadrants.
To raise a family a person might concentrate on relationships
for a time, putting achievement needs on hold. Another may

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