Make Room for Magic and Miracles
Make room for magic and miracles!! Imagine that your coach says this to you as you're deep into the annual planning process for your team or organization.
Huh?? What are you talking about? I've got strategic and financial goals to meet and you're suggesting what? I can't put that in my plan. The board and staff would laugh me out of the room and probably wonder about my leadership ability.
I know that's what you're thinking when you see the phrase "Magic and Miracles". And no, I'm not suggesting that magic and miracles be your primary strategy for planning. I am suggesting that, as you plan, you count on the fact that, no matter how detailed your plan, the unexpected will happen and you and your team will be called upon to adjust.
What if, as leaders, instead of viewing the unexpected as negative, bad or even somehow a failure, we re-define the unexpected as an opportunity. A unique opportunity that has arisen because of (and not in spite of) our planning and execution. A space for magic and miracles.
So how do we make room for magic and miracles?
First, let go of the belief that plans will unfold exactly as expected. They won't. We all know this, but somehow believe that when the unexpected happens, it's a failure on our (or someone else's) part. It's not. Letting go of that belief is a huge first step to opening ourselves up to magic and miracles.
Second, maintain a Dynamic Vision Focus (Passionate Leadership Pillar #3). Passionate Leaders with a Dynamic Vision Focus are able to adjust how their organization fulfills the vision and mission based on current realities.
I like to think of it as a "this or something better" approach. When planning, sure, use the best data available at the time to set goals. And leave room for something better. That "something better" may be an unexpected gift or a challenge that opens up an opportunity that wasn't in the plans. Either way, this approach makes room for magic and miracles and fosters the resilience needed to nimbly adjust to new realities.
Third, take Inspired Action (Passionate Leadership Pillar #5). Passionate Leaders have developed the ability to take Inspired Action with a calm, clear-headed focus. An "everything that happens is a gift or opportunity" mindset makes it more likely that we'll recognize unplanned events as a place for the manifestation of magic and miracles. By dialing down judgment and dialing up curiosity about what has happened, we can take action inspired by, rather than derailed by, what has happened.
So how will you make room for magic and miracles? How about starting with a fuller awareness that magic and miracles are always about something better than we could have planned for. And when they appear, be ready to take inspired action.
Oh, and if you're wondering how to share your magic and miracles mindset with your board and team, present your annual plans and simply say, "This or something better".
Passionate Leadership
is who you're being as you're leading.
About the Author
Gayle Ely is a Leadership Coach, Trainer and Facilitator and founder of Total Life Leadership. At Total Life Leadership, we partner with purpose-driven non-profit leaders and service entrepreneurs to help them answer the question “How Do I Become a Better Leader?”
Using The Six Pillars of Passionate Leadership, we equip leaders to be the best they can be. The result is a passionate leader whose team and organization are operating for maximum impact.
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