Have you ever heard the saying, “the only constant today is change”? Don’t know about you, but seems pretty darn relevant today, don’t you think? Well when do you think the saying was first said? One hundred or two hundred years ago? One thousand? Turns out a Greek philosopher named Heraclitus said it over 2500 years ago. Isn’t that funny? Except there is a difference with change today versus the time of Heraclitus. Any ideas? Isn’t the amount of change accelerating? Just think about the accelerating technological change we are experiencing and you will recognize this truth. Aren’t so many of us asked to do more in less time than we were five or even ten years ago? A bit of a dinosaur myself when it comes to technology (thank goodness for Kim), I remember not too many years ago I very much resisted the notion that technology had much utility when dealing with the discipline of facilitated leadership learning. I would say things like, “leadership learning must take place in face-to-face environments” for anything meaningful to take place. “You can’t learn leadership online” I’d lament. Back then, you sure as heck wouldn’t find me joining forces with Kim to create a Sail the Seven C’s website, Facebook presence, and writing this blog. Heck, I didn’t even know what a blog really was until a colleague, not too many years ago, showed me one she created on the subject of leadership…You know who you are! Finally, I would say to Kim, “I would rather just keep it simple”. Turns out my efforts at ’Controlling’ versus ‘Accepting’ the ever increasing influx of technology and all that it brings, good and bad, was futile to say the least and honestly made my life more complex, not simpler. Perhaps the most amusing part was that when I finally did accept the importance of using technology (albeit in consciously chosen and simple ways that work for our purposes) to remain relevant in our world today, I quickly began to realize how wonderful it could become in augmenting leadership learning in countless ways, and in no way threatened, but rather enhanced the face-to-face engagements I love so much. While perhaps there are times in which ‘Controlling’ makes sense, I’m putting my faith in doing my best at ‘Accepting’ the increasingly ambiguous world we must now operate in, at ‘Accepting’ who and what’s around me whenever possible, especially if I can do nothing about it. Let me close by saying how excited I am today to have this venue to engage, share ideas, and Sail the Seven C’s with so many family, friends, and colleagues. Isn’t it nuts amazing we can do that today? Just think where we were just twenty years ago…for me, before Kim. HA!
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