A Place of Wonder

So, I’m  not yet really sure what this blog post is going to be about.  I just know that I’ve made a commitment to myself to write in this blog at least three times a week, and last week got away from me — I think I only managed one post.  Not beating myself up over it — and I’m aware that I don’t want this week to be a repeat.  So, here I am, diving in.

Woke up this morning setting the intention of productivity, to-do-lists done, meetings, scheduled, clients well-served, etc;.  I say “etc;” only because my daily intentions are often a variation of this.  Which could be construed as boring.  Today, though, had the added flavour of being in a state of wonder.  As in “I wonder what will show up today?”  Today, when I’ve coached my clients, I’ve come from wonder about where our coaching will go.  When I’ve tweeted, I’ve wondered about who might respond, or what might get provoked for followers.  When the thunder-storm began, I took myself to the place of wondering — how long would it last, would I walk the dog in the rain, would the power go out, would the children be scared?

And then, there’s been just an overall sense of wonder — what will the day hold?  What seed will get planted today that will bear fruit later?  What fruit will show itself today, from some seed that I planted earlier?  What little surprise will the universe have for me — and will I see it for what it is?

I guess I’ve got a sense that wonder serves leadership in a big way.  I think we’ve got a notion in our world that leadership requires conviction, and that conviction is different somehow from wonder.  I guess I’m sort of hanging out in a space today of thinking that wonder and conviction actually go together more strongly than might be apparent at first glance.  I think wonder fuels conviction, or at least strengthens it in some way.  Because standing in wonder facilitates learning, which can enhance conviction.  That’s where I’m at today.

Bottom-line for me, effective leadership, leadership that serves humanity, and even leadership that serves on a smaller scale requires one to stand in wonder, at least for a small segment of time.  What reveals itself to you, when you stand in wonder?