Irene Becker, Our Greatest Hope | New Edition

The the fire of human potential, employee engagement and effectiveness, agile teams, great management and leadership cannot be lit without the desire to rekindle and champion our greatest hope, our greatest power. Developing a purposeful life, career, team, organization and society rest upon our ability to redirect our thoughts and actions on a focus that ignites the integrity of our thoughts, actions and words.

Where do we start? How do we build/rebuild our greatest hope, our greatest power in a world of increasing complexity, change, challenges? We start right here, right now. Impossible? Think again. We stand on a glass cliff, a place where we will see the greatest renaissance we have ever known, or a decline into the abyss of chaos, aggression and destruction. A place where we will choose to be crippled by the need, greed, ego that has destroyed every empire and fiefdom in history OR elect to embrace our potential to use what is to create what can be in ourselves, our families, our organizations, our society…our world.

It is your ability, my ability, our ability to cleave to the universal values, express the humanity and moral courage that is our greatest hope for the future. Courage that starts with service above self, with the desire to move from me to WE. Power that grows with the empathy and human connection we build when show kindness to a stranger, reach out and help a colleague of friend, mentor or share knowledge.

Leadership that grows when we focus not on what we can get, but rather on what we can contribute. Humanity that is expressed in learning to treat our neighbors, our brothers and sisters as ourselves. Happiness that is found in caring, sharing and contributing.

In a world of increasing complexity it is the simple things that often elude us. It is time to get simple and clear with the importance of tying a knot around our values, courage, integrity; for they are the greatest riches we have. Love is the truth, universal values are the motor, and human passion, purpose and potential are the engine that can drive us to an evolution of self, and of others that will take us into the age of innovation – an age of extraordinary possibilities; or push us into an abyss of fear, despair, destruction, aggression and chaos.

Our greatest hope lies in a new balance of independence and interdependence that will take us forward together. A new path that is difficult, but worthwhile. A path that requires courage and conviction. A path that is oft forgotten, and begs to be remembered. A path of redemption and renewal. A path of human beings being better not simply doing faster than ever before. A path of faith, hope, courage, humanity and integrity that can change one life, many lives and ultimately our world. A path that begins when we put down our emotional, political, social swords and replace them with the power of faith, hope, courage, integrity and humanity. A path we each carve each moment of the day with the power of our thoughts, feelings and actions.

Lofty thoughts or practical powerful insights? You decide. The greatest teacher we have is a human history that has been punctuated by the short term gain and long term pain of need, greed, ego and destruction. Our ability to shift and lead forward, our ability to acknowledge the faith, hope, courage, integrity and humanity that can take us forward is written on the walls of our lives, our workplaces, our organizations…our world.

Is it time to do an individual or organizational reset and refocus on what cannot be eradicated or eroded by change, challenges or complexity? Will you start to think the thoughts, and use the language that empowers your greatest hope and inspires others to do the same. Each thought is an opportunity to champion integrity, each thought is an opportunity to reset the automatic human negative default and refocus on that which can make us stronger, happier and more successful together. Carpe diem!

Written for my late father, Joseph Becker, my best friend, mentor and teacher. A great soul whose light shines on.

Irene Becker, Just Coach It -The 3Q Edge™HERE