President’s Report
https://youtu.be/Jcrl9espxkY
Chop Wood, Carry Water Jonathan Webb, Ph.D CI and CT, NIC Advanced President
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any of us have had the experience of trying to explain something to someone, without them having context. Leaders find themselves in this situation regularly, whether it be leadership in a family, a school club, a state association, a department at work, a governmental district, a religious organization, or a professional association. To lead with authority requires orientation- an understanding of where we are in relation to both where we’ve been and where we want to be. When working to build this context however, we often get lost in the details of what has taken place. Likewise, we can become preoccupied with the future especially given the nature of leadership and its requirement to be visionary and forward-thinking. 6
VIEWS Issue 38 • Volume 1
When we take a breath and slow down, it allows us to shift how we perceive reality. It gives us a chance to recede from the preoccupation with both history and future possibilities, and instead take in what is happening around us at this very moment. Over the winter break I had this opportunity. The winter solstice, the day of the year where we have the shortest amount of daylight and conversely the longest amount of darkness, granted me the opportunity to simply get quiet and see what was taking place around me. While I of course had an opportunity to look at many areas in my life, personally and professionally, much of the reflection turned to RID. This makes sense, to serve on the board at RID means to center a good portion of your life around RID. And so I’d like to share a little about what it looks like to have a small group of people who have centered their lives around service to, and stewardship of, this organization.
