Since I wrote the last post, Locked In Our Beliefs and Assumptions, I’ve been musing over what I said. I’ve also had a few conversations about it with people who read my words and thought that I, and Donna Zajonc, captured something straining our society to its limits…our inability to break free of beliefs and assumptions that are leading to failure.
This is a scary thought. We face a variety of situations requiring that we all work together to solve them, and that those with greater opportunity to do something…lead. In the world of today this means business leaders need to be at the forefront of the solutions, not hiding behind outdated beliefs and denying the reality they see around them.
And yet so many are building a story that defies reality. The odd thing about this is that the more something is repeated the more others repeat it…and the more people repeat something the more it squeezes out other thoughts and ideas and becomes perceived wisdom. Wisdom from repetition rather than reality.
The current economic situation is an example of this. Let me be clear, I have no doubt that the world economy is in bad shape. What bothers me is that the dialogue is all about how bad it is and how terrible things are and how you need to hunker down in case it gets worse. It’s the wrong story…repeated endlessly.
The story you tell becomes your reality.
So business and political leaders need to change their story. They need to stop spreading fear and come together for the good of the world and begin to spread hope. It’s really not that difficult.
I go to Africa regularly. I’ve been all over including in many places that people generally don’t get to because they are so difficult to reach or are suffering some horrible situation of disease or poverty. Everywhere I go I find people cheerful, friendly, and telling me about good things that are going to happen. In spite of their lack of everything they are creating a better future through a positive story about good things rather than a continuing recitation of the bad.
The story you tell becomes your reality.
Me with Chief Steve…chief of this village in Uganda