John Wendell Adams
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Where Do Ideas Come From?

2/23/2021

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Webster says… An idea is something that you imagine or picture in your mind.  When I think on that definition, I agree with it.  I have had numerous ideas that I’ve imagined or have been pictures in my mind.  There are several ways that ideas arrive at my mental doorstep.  Here are a few of them. 

One way is for me to be in discussion.  I’ve been in meetings or simply having a conversation with another person.  In the midst of the discussion, I’ll have an idea that seems to pop up from out of the air.  But I generally attribute it to the “Lively Art of Conversation”.  It is my opinion that my mind goes into action when prompted by discussion.  If I had been simply sitting gazing off into space, I’m not certain that the same idea would have come to the forefront of my brain.  I find that I am mentally simulated during conversation and ideas arrive. 

Another way is when ideas are revealed to me when I’m asleep.  It has happened enough times that I regard it as a “place where ideas are born”.  Previously, I tried to analyze the process in order to determine the genesis of it all.  I had reasoned that an idea likely came because of something that happened before I fell asleep, watching TV, reading a book, or reviewing work papers.  But I have decided that ideas totally unrelated to my pre-sleep activities came to me during my sleep state.  Actually, I love this process because I am energized by the thoughts and the ideas that I received.  It’s as if they are sitting and waiting for me to open my eyes and begin a new day.  It’s like hearing the sound of birds chirping to herald in the morning and the prospect of tremendous things to come.

One more is when I have gotten a vision of something while I have been attending a totally unrelated event.  This one might seem a bit strange but for me it is very real.  One example…recently, I was at a leadership retreat and all of the attendees were watching and listening to a video.  All of a sudden, I got a vision of an idea.  It turned out that the vision was totally unrelated to the video or the retreat. That idea led to a significant series of life-changing events.

As a result, I’ve concluded that there is no rhyme or reason as to how ideas show up for me.  I attribute them to God and His desire to “Wow” me.  As a result, I try to stay open to what He wants to convey.  I’ve also learned that I can go with an idea or not.  My sense is that God is going to make it reality with or without me.  If I say “Yes”, I get to go along for the ride. 

Keep Writing!!! 

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Leadership Mantras

2/9/2021

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It's a great expression or handle.  It's my opinion that Leadership Mantras can be created or developed by all of us.  Many times, we look to those in significant leadership position and then hang and repeat their every word.  One definition of leadership is simply leading a group of people.  So, all of us are leaders, in the different conditions or circumstances we find ourselves.  Fathers, mothers, buddies, relatives, neighbors, sweethearts, co-workers, and certainly managers are potential leaders.  Mantra is a word repeated to aid concentration.  As a result, a leadership mantra is a word or a series of words used by the person who finds themselves in a leadership role that aids the concentration of one person or for an entire group.

My mother who was the leader in our family said "You come from a long line of smart, intelligent people.  To accept mediocrity is to deny the existence of your heritage".  A buddy in my group of friends says, "Forgiveness means that you drink the antidote for bitterness and resentment".  One of my sisters says "It is important to appreciate the relationships we have with others rather than focusing on their flaws". A co-worker on a team I was on said, “I am committed to every member of this outfit and I will give my best to help us achieve our very best”.  An old boss once said “The speed of the leader is the speed of the team”.  A girlfriend I used to have told me, “If you go the extra mile, there is never a traffic jam”.  As the leader of my family, I’ve said, "the will to win is based on the will to prepare" and "As a man, you have to keep showing up".  Each of these is an example of leadership mantras.  While you may not find them printed in McKinsey Quarterly, Harvard Business Review, or Vistage, these none the less are from leaders.  These mantras have had impact to the leader and the follower. 

So we all need to stay tuned into those around us, listening for mantras that, if repeated and adopted, can significantly and positively impact our lives.

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    John Wendell Adams is President of AMS Strategic Solutions and author of the Jack Alexander suspenseful Trilogy: Betrayal, Payback, and Ruthless set in a business context.    

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