The Consequences of Passivity

Intro:

In 1979, 257 people got on a plane headed for Antarctica from New Zealand. Unfortunately, the pilots were unaware that someone had altered the flight coordinates by a seemingly unimportant two degrees. However, this two-degree discrepancy resulted in the plane being 28 miles east of where the pilots planned to be. As they approached Antarctica, the pilots began descending to give the passengers an impressive view of the land. Unfortunately, the incorrect coordinates put them in a direct path with Mount Erebus, an active volcano. By the time the emergency instruments sounded a warning, it was simply too late. The plane crashed into the side of the volcano, killing everyone on board. 

Those seemingly negligible two degrees had enormous consequences. Similarly, all the small things you do, or choose not to do, in life create enormous consequences over time—although, thankfully, those consequences don’t all lead to a plane crash.

The problem with most people is that they’re not truly convinced they must absolutely reach the Top 1% level of performance. They haven’t chosen a definitive direction. They simply go where life takes them, often resulting in hours of wasted time surfing the internet and making zero progress toward their most sought-after goals. That is an absence of responsibility, a systemic passivity.

Most people seem to think they have to be fully equipped or qualified to take on a particular role or position before doing so. That is inaccurate. In fact, it’s exactly backwards. After all, how many of you parents were fully qualified to be excellent caretakers from the day you brought your child home from the hospital? Right—exactly none. I wasn’t either. You and I became qualified for parenthood simply by doing it. A trial by fire. 

Embracing radical responsibility for everything you do is the only requirement of executing the role at a high level. You cannot change that for which you passively accept. Your past may not be your fault, and the choices of others cannot be controlled. But you can control your choices. Your future is your responsibility.

Feature:

Astronomer Hugh Ross, PhD, travels the globe speaking on the compatibility of advancing scientific discoveries with the timeless truths of Christianity. While in college, Hugh committed himself to faith in Jesus Christ. After his study of big bang cosmology convinced him of a creator's existence, curiosity led him to test religious holy books for scientific and historical accuracy. Only the Bible passed the test, further persuading him of Christianity's validity. Later, Hugh was surprised to discover how many people believed or disbelieved in Christ without checking the evidence. Prompted by family, friends, and colleagues, in 1986, he founded Reasons to Believe to bring scientific evidence for Christianity to light.

More than 25 years later, Hugh leads a team of scholars who keep tabs on the frontiers of research with the goal of demonstrating that sound reason and scientific findings—including the very latest discoveries—consistently support, rather than erode, confidence in the biblical God.

Next Gen Leadership:

It’s no secret that innovation is the foundation for a successful business. And as Timothy Clark writes in his recent Harvard Business Review article, in order to foster innovation, you need to cultivate a culture of intellectual bravery. Clark defines this phenomenon as “a willingness to disagree, dissent, or challenge the status quo in a setting of social risk in which you could be embarrassed, marginalized, or punished in some way.” When this bravery disappears—or doesn’t exist at all—creativity stagnates and complacency sets in. As a leader, it’s your responsibility to create this culture by making sure you reward vulnerability rather than punish it. Here are some tips on how to foster innovation:

• Take stock of subconscious fear tactics. Fear causes people to self-censor their ideas, and you might be instilling fear without realizing it. Watch out for eye-rolling, cutting people off, or more explicitly publicly shaming—and change the behavior.
• Listen with curiosity. If a team member shares a dissenting idea, use positive body language and non-verbal cues so they know you value their input. Be curious about what they’re sharing and listen with a goal of understanding.
• Speak last. When you hold a leadership position, speaking first often censors your team. Listen closely to their ideas and acknowledge their contributions, then take their opinions into account and weigh in last.
• Be a role model. You are the example. Reinforce a pattern of vulnerability by modeling it yourself. If you admit when you’re wrong and ask questions, others will follow suit.

It takes a controlled ego and high level of emotional intelligence to encourage psychological safety at work. It might be uncomfortable at first, but it’s your job as a leader to do it. Plus, it’s worth it: you’ll see an exchange of ideas like never before.

High Performance Tips:

Did you know that we all have maps in our brains? Not Waze or Google Maps, but something even more useful: mental maps. Mental maps are what guide our actions when we make a decision, create a goal, or face a challenge. They help us find opportunities and tell us how to reach our goals. “Meaning markers” are a crucial component of mental maps. They tell us what’s important to us, like career development, owning a home, raising a family, etc. A map without meaning markers is defective and can lead you down the wrong path. If you can’t find meaning in your work, conquer your challenges, or reach your goals, your mental map probably needs to be redrawn. In “How to Find More Meaning in Your Life,” Shawn Achor tells us how to redraw these maps in three steps.

1. Redefine your meaning markers. Ask yourself: What brings me joy? What do I find most engaging? What do I want to accomplish? What would I change about my life?
2. Reorient your map. Your map’s focal point is where most of your brain’s resources will go. Focus on the areas of your life you want to change, whether it’s improving a skill, building stronger personal connections, or meeting a financial goal. 
3. Plan success routes before escape routes. If you’re too focused on avoiding roads that lead to failure, you’ll miss the path to success. 

Fortifying Your Faith:

Facing yourself after a failure can be daunting. But according to leading corporate attorney Jerome Fogel, that’s exactly what you have to do. In his article “Find Courage to Face Failure,” he looks to the NFL for an example. Jerome breaks down all NFL coaches into two categories: those who defend themselves after a bad call or questionable decision, and those who admit their failures. The most successful coaches fall into the latter category—and there’s a reason for that. As Fogel further notes, when we accept responsibility and face ourselves, we start a transformation: God begins to fill us with the image of his Son and forms Christ within us (Romans 8:29; Galatians 4:19). Success can only come after that transformation, after you find the courage and boldness to face yourself and your failures.

Podcast: Reasons to Believe with Hugh Ross of Reasons.org

Science and faith. 

These are two things that most people believe are incompatible. But today, in this episode of “Redefining the Top 1% Podcast,” astronomer and bestselling author Dr. Hugh Ross joins me to dive into the intersection of the two and show you that science and biblical faith are allies—not enemies.

Listen and gain more reasons to believe and strengthen your faith—and one of the greatest analogies I’ve heard in my life! This is a very special episode and I, myself, have learned a lot from it.

Tune in here for more!

Quote:

"Leaders imagine possibilities and keep reimagining what's possible beyond each accomplishment." - Michael Hyatt

Join us in Redefining The Top 1%: Join our FREE Facebook community and discussion group and receive resources, videos, and training tools to become a Shepherd Leader. [ Check it out here! ]