Friday, December 31, 2004

The First WizDumb - Know Yourself and Your Intent

Don’t let your talent do you in! Others may not be as smart, or work as hard and probably find you intimidating. That does not make us better, just different.

To have a fire, one needs to cut the tree and one needs to stack the wood, two different but needed actions for the fire needing different talents and skills.

As well, speed and intensity (a sense of urgency) is often seen as arrogance, aggressiveness, and ambition. In both cases the intent of what you are trying to accomplish is misunderstood. The key is intent.

What is your intent? Is it ambition? Winston Churchill said that ambition leads to error. Is it arrogance? What is the line between arrogance and confidence? It is a line that has to be managed. Are you too aggressive? Dont let your aggressiveness be interpreted as just being mean. Or is your intent to do what is right, and only that?

Being right in business is usually only measured by the outcome of what you are doing. Whether that outcome was right or not according to your intent. You have to be ready to stand by what is right in your heart, and fight for that if necessary.

I once worked for a man who when asked why he chose the field he was in said, I looked across several industries and in investigating this one I saw that it did not have a great deal of intellectual capacity so I thought I would do well. He did for a time, but later as he became too involved in his own intellect, it brought him down.

My best mentor once told me to be careful, some people dont think as fast, dont act as quickly, so first take time to listen, really listen. Dont complete their sentences for them! (Have you ever done that or you do it regularly?) Then after listening, speak your peace and take action. It will be received in a much better light.

Happy New Years Eve ...... livingthedream