By Nikki Viljoen – Viljoen Consulting CC
Dr Renate Volpe, in her Leadership Insights nuggets says “Interdependence requires a shift in perception from a belief in the scarceness of resources, to the knowledge of an abundance of them.”
Wow! What a profound statement and how absolutely true. I think that on some level, as we grow into adults we begin to be ruled by our fears. That’s just crazy – much like the ‘tail wagging the dog’! Think about it for a moment – as children, we did not worry where our next meal was coming from or whether there were clean clothes to wear (or any clothes for that matter), we trusted that meals would arrive as would clothes and other necessities. As we grew up though, we started the whole ‘fear’ cycle. We became afraid of things on many levels, where the money would come from to buy the dance lessons or the new dress that we absolutely have to have or even fear of how our peers saw and what they thought of us.
So we get past the raging hormones of our teenage years, which always add to the conflict and as young adults we enter the Corporate world (well the majority of us do) and here the fear really sets in – we’re scared of what our colleagues may think of us, or that they will get the promotion before we do. We form, what we think are strategic alliances (much like the ones on the current Survivor series) and they generally fall down as none of us have been quite as honest and as up front and as ‘transparent’ as we should have been. We grapple and grope our way to the top, stepping on toes and even heads of people as we strive to get ahead, because ‘well there’s only one position available and I want it!’
Hopefully somewhere along the line we have an Oprah “Ah Ha” moment and our mindset changes and we see that actually, there is not only ‘one’ position available but as many positions and opportunities as we are willing to see, available.
Even for those of us in our own businesses, the opportunities and abundance is there for the taking, all we have to do is actually see them and then do something about them.
Remember though, that without the ‘action’ there is nothing. It doesn’t matter how many opportunities come your way, if you don’t do anything about them then that is all that they remain – an opportunity.
So open your eyes and look around you – if you are really ‘looking’ and really ‘seeing’, you will be amazed at what is available.
Nikki is an Internal Auditor and Business Administration Specialist who can be contacted on 083 702 8849 or nikki@viljoenconsulting.co.za or http://www.viljoenconsulting.co.za
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