Responsibility – Building Dynamic Relationships

Leadership

Leadership is a deep-felt passion of guiding everyone to the best individual choices.

Money does not a leadership problem fix.

In fact, a problem is simply an opportunity in disguise.

We grow — when confronted with the impossible. It is that defining moment of decision. Many will quit. A few will do what others say can’t be done.

Leaders will accomplish what has never been attempted, before.

Those who do are the leaders among us. Those who talk are not necessarily the followers. Talk is cheap and those who blather, generally, complain about all of their problems. Unknowingly and unwittingly, they are complaining about themselves.

For the entirety of human existence, accumulation of wealth has been the measure of empires. The Golden Rule has been disenfranchised into a barbaric slogan, “Those who have the Gold make the Rules.”

Rules and regulations do not an Empire make. In fact, Empires come and go — because, their leaders abdicate the responsibility to set an example. We, the People, learn by doing.

Leadership is not a cult-like mission of forcing others into compliance. Leadership is a deep-felt passion of guiding everyone to the best individual choices.

Say what?! Doesn’t a leader, by default, need followers?

For a moment, forget about following and let’s focus on leading. Leaders believe in the power of one. They understand life is best experienced from the inside, out. They are true to themselves, by constantly improving the character at their core.

Leaders make absolutely sure they have much to give. What they offer to the whole wide world is the Three-E Formula to Enlighten, Empower, and Encourage.

Enlighten

We don’t know what we don’t know. Leaders share the best of what they have learned with all who are accepting. The story of their journey is the inspiration for broadened horizons and myriad options of choice. Leaders communicate their saga — and, color that vision of abundance with broad strokes and vivid detail.

Empower

Knowing what to do and doing it are two, entirely, different things. Leaders offer the tools to build something special. We all want and need something different. Leaders are the ultimate teachers through explanation and demonstration, then asking for imitation, offering correction, and expecting repetition.

Encourage

The best teachers have humbly learned from the School of Hard Knocks. They can share many lessons learned the hard way and know, for an absolute fact, their Students need a few of the same experiences. Leaders patiently wait for new lessons to be learned, all the while supporting that effort.

True leaders always have a following. Hundreds, maybe even many thousands, are watching the silent example of their heroes. Actions speak so much louder than words. A life of character, generously offered to others — through consistent choices to build mutually beneficial dynamic relationships — is the legacy of leaders.

The choice is free, for us to make.

The results are priceless, for future generations.

Let’s accept the challenge of leadership.

www.kimfoard.com

Stewardship

Legacies are created by a dynamic focus on home, abundance, and the responsibility to give of ourselves to receive the best of all that the universe has to offer!

The difference between rich and poor is not money. It is the ability to manage the resources available. Many have inherited great amounts of wealth to die broke. Others were born into little and leave behind a legacy.

In the annals of history and the stories of today, Captains of industry are less influential than the Stewards of relationships. In other words, the Empire is less important than the Builders. Regardless of what is built, it is temporary and limited in effect. Those who touch hearts and souls, today, influence the future for many generations.

As we consider our “ships” of families, friends, and communities, why is our role of “steward” important; and, who, really, is the ultimate beneficiary?

Let’s take a look at what stewardship is.

Historically, stewardship was the responsibility given to household servants to bring food and drinks to a castle dining hall. The term was then expanded to indicate a household employee’s responsibility for managing a household or domestic affairs. Stewardship later became the responsibility for taking care of passengers’ domestic needs on a ship, train, and airplane or managing the service provided to diners in a restaurant. The term continues to be used in these specific ways, but it is also used in a more general way to refer to a responsibility to take care of something owned by someone else.

At the moment we fully embrace the reality of our temporary existence, our view of life changes. In the simplest of terms, our focus shifts from Stuff, to People.

Our thinking changes to embrace the concept of Service over Self. To do so, we abandon any desire to have power over another. We take inventory of our gifts and work to multiply their effectiveness by mentoring, nurturing, and sharing in authentic ways the best of all that we have been given.

Specifically, great Stewards:

• Share Information
• Are Accessible
• Keep Their Hands Engaged
• Stand For Something
• Banish Superficial Distractions
• Make Everything Better
• Coach, Mentor, and Serve

To share, we must, first of all, possess something of value. We have all been entrusted with unique gifts and have a fiduciary responsibility to enhance them into more powerful tools.

People don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care. We must be willing to move to where others are to guide them to where they want to go.

The mind cannot forget what the hands have learned. To fully understand the process, we must engage our hands to enlighten, empower, and encourage the mind.

We learn to walk by falling down. Those most appreciative of standing are those who have been beaten down and, yet, refuse to submit their ideals to the vulgarity of others.

The outward appearance is less important than the inward character. Rather than become copies of societal propaganda, it is imperative to enhance the unique image of who we are.

There is always a better way. What got us here will not take us to where we need to go. Good, Better, Best — Never let us rest, ’til our good is better and our better, best.

The greatest enduring gift of love is a chosen, purposeful effort, often done in the face of fear, to nurture our own growth and the growth of others.

In summary, stewardship is a dynamic focus on home, abundance, and the responsibility to give of ourselves to receive the best of all that the universe has to offer!

www.kimfoard.com

Pet Dragons

At the moment an individual is weary of playing with fire and asks for help, we have an opportunity to empower them. Knowledge, understanding, and wisdom are the fuel for the engine of change.

As a young, swashbuckling, knight, I made a few mistakes when dealing with snarly, fire-breathing, dragons, and those who played with them.

Having had exposure to the beasts in my childhood, I developed the belief and world view that dragons were good for only one thing: extermination.

Upon seeing an individual threatened by the worthless creature, I would ride in on my trusty steed and, with sharp sword, stick the monster. Much more than a piercing, the effort was designed to tip him over and kill it—dead.

Upon having achieved success, rather than the hero’s welcome that I expected, immediately, I was treated as a villain. The reason: That was a Pet Dragon.

There’s another story about a young boy who is walking along the beach and throwing Starfish back into the ocean. When challenged about the effectiveness of his effort and whether it, really, made any difference, he just reached down and grabbed another Starfish. As it sailed upward, reached the top of the arc, and settled back into its home, the little boy said, “Sure made a difference for that one.”

Question: What’s the connection between the two stories of Dragons and Starfish?

Answer: People and Choices.

Consider that life is like a game of Scrabble. We are all given, relatively, equal opportunities in the pieces, with which we start. For example, having drawn these letters: A, R, S, T, some of us will see a clever reference to a pack animal with first name of Jack. Since no points come from that, we shift our focus to a choice of words with scores. My choice is: STAR. Another person might, only, see: RATS.

In fact, much more than a Scrabble match, those two words might be demonstrative of our, individual, world views. While teased about my rose-colored glasses, it is true: I’m an eternal optimist, who is always looking up at the Stars. Others are comfortable in the sewers, with their Rats.

Question: Is it right for the swashbuckling knight and starfish savior to rescue those who play with fire, or are stranded away from home?

Answer: Depends on point of reference.

It is right for them to be wonderful conduits for the goodness from above to flow through them for the benefit of others. It is wrong for them to force that goodness on another person. In fact, in the realm of human relations, they are not anointed ones, or saviors. They are simply individuals doing the best they can with the game pieces they have drawn.

Best is synonymous with Grow.

Good, better, best.
Never let it rest.
Until our good is better,
And, our better is best.

Each of us has a fiduciary responsibility to others. It is not to change anyone; it is to empower them.

At the moment an individual, with singed hair and blackened face, peeks out of the dungeon to ask for help; or, a person lifts their eyes upwards to look for a better way; we have an opportunity to share knowledge, understanding, and wisdom with them. That is empowerment; it is the fuel for the engine of change.

Education and experience are the twin catalysts to enlightenment. As we share ours with those able and willing to receive what we offer; and, in turn open ourselves to receive goodness from others; world views expand. Where we once only saw STAR and RATS, now, we can discern TARS and ARTS.

TARS is important to fuel our automobiles and seal our roofs; ARTS is what this life is, all, about.

As we open our minds and souls to the expanse of the Universe, we begin to realize the unlimited potential in each of us, just waiting to be unleashed. Let’s take PET DRAGONS of this world and convert the letters into a much more powerful dynamic: NO DRAG ~ STEP.

While it is not our right, or responsibility, to Drag another person anywhere, we have the opportunity to make gifts of chosen, purposeful efforts, often done in the face of fear, to nurture our own growth and the growth of others. That, my friends, is a Step in the right direction!

www.kimfoard.com

Surf`s Up

From “Surf’s Up” (Silly Us Rabid Followers Swallowing Useless Platitudes) to “Gig’s Up” (Get Ideas Growing Splendidly Using Passion) we have an opportunity, today, for a brighter future!

Brace yourself; serious erosion is on the way!

Predictive models rely on probability. This is not a prediction; it’s not even rocket science. It is number relativity, with a 100% guarantee of occurrence because “SURF’S UP”: Silly Us Rabid Followers Swallowing Useless Platitudes.

Contrary to the storms of nature, we have the opportunity to push this tsunami back over the horizon; to turn the tide of human events. Since we get what we allow, it is reasonable to believe that we have the power to manage that which is within our individual control.

In fact we do it every single day: we live within the budget of a net paycheck, or net profit, from a business. Net is the secret, here; because what happens to the Gross is, well, simply, no other way to say it: ugly!

What we live on is a percentage of the whole earnings pie. If taxes take a 20% slice of the pie, we live on the remaining 80%; if taxes take a 40% chunk, then, yes, we can visually see the gaping “hole in the whole” and the, smaller, 60% share for us. What if, though, we need the 80% to feed our families?

Let’s pretend that we need $40,000 after taxes. By now, your mind is running wild with the calculation of: how big is the total pie, right?! Lucky for us, I was pretty good at 4th grade math. $40,000 divided by .80 equals $50,000; taxes are .20, or $10,000; and, we are left with $40,000. Ah, the family eats well.

Pretending further that prices never increase and our family is happy with $40,000; yet, considering the wall of taxes headed straight for us, something and somebody has to give. How much will the “gift” be? Just a little more division and we can multiple our knowledge, and that, my friends, will empower us to calm the winds of catastrophe. $40,000 divided by .60 equals $66,666; taxes are .40, or $26,666; and, we are left with $40,000, for our family.

In the mail yesterday, I received notice that my Health Insurance premium was going from $300 per month, up, to $400. Every other day for the last few months, I have been notified of other price increases on a variety of goods and services. If the question is: Why? The answer is: Families need $40,000.

Folks; Pogo was right, “I have seen the enemy and he is us.” It is true: We get the government we deserve. After all, isn’t the founding concept of our government: Of the people, By the people, and For the people? Yes; that is a question mark. Do we believe it? More importantly, are we able and willing to accept the mantle of leadership and take individual responsibility for our families?!

A simple, “YES”, in word and deed, is all that is required to make a difference in the world, today. We can turn the tide by declaring, “GIG’S UP”: Get Ideas Growing Splendidly Using Passion.

www.kimfoard.com

Freedom

We either nurture the character required to produce liberty and responsibility, or a society of selfishness emerges.

At The Core

From the song written by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster, Me and Bobby McGee, comes the line, “Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.”

The powerful, rhyming, complement in verse is what I offer for consideration, “We all have the free will to choose.”

In the darkest depths of war and in the slavery of a Nazi concentration camp, Viktor Frankl discovered true freedom.

A thought transfixed me: for the first time in my life I saw the truth as it is set into song by so many poets, proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinkers. The truth — that love is the ultimate and the highest goal to which man can aspire. Then I grasped the meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: The salvation of man is through love and in love. I understood how a man who has nothing left in this world still may know bliss, be it only for a brief moment, in the contemplation of his beloved. In a position of utter desolation, when man cannot express himself in positive action, when his only achievement may consist in enduring his sufferings in the right way—an honorable way—in such a position man can, through loving contemplation of the image he carries of his beloved, achieve fulfillment. For the first time in my life I was able to understand the meaning of the words, “The angels are lost in perpetual contemplation of an infinite glory….