mission — Blog — Innovative Leadership Solutions, LLC

Have you ever been asked to elaborate on this statement, Tell me a little bit about yourself? How do you describe who YOU are? Certainly, the context of the situation and having good boundaries will determine what you share.

But, for your sake, do you truly know who YOU are at the core of your being?

Notice the focus on being and not doing. Yes, who YOU are influences what you do and what you achieve in life. But, who YOU are at your core is what makes you special to fulfill your unique life purpose.

Getting back to the question, your answer is most likely yes and no. Yes, based on your perceptions and what others perceive to know about you. No, because that reality is partially true. First, you have blind spots. Second, how many people fully know you? Third, as life goes on, you discover more about yourself and the person you’re becoming.

It is also dependent upon how much YOU have invested in this reflective and discovery process (I will sprinkle questions throughout this article).

When is the last time you have truly reflected on who YOU are?
And as a result, did YOU desire to make changes and seek to opportunities to grow?

Not everyone chooses to change or grow. Yet, growth at any stage of life is always possible. Since you are reading this article, I believe you are a person seeking to grow. Not growth at the ocean’s surface, like snorkeling, but growth at the ocean’s depth like scuba diving.

This transformational growth happens from the inside-out. Yes, growth begins with YOU!

Do you desire more joy, fulfillment, purpose, achievement, and significance in your life?
If so, what is holding you back?

You can be your own worst enemy. The good news, is that YOU can break free and thrive!

As Christians, we have a solid shared foundation of our identity in the truth of God’s Word. At the same time, each of us is fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) in the image of God. As Pastor Mitch Gowen at Our Savior Hawaii, would say, “You are a unique and unreproducible miracle of God."

How strongly do you hold yourself in high regard for the unique and valuable person you are beyond what you do?
What is the quality of your relationship with yourself?
How is your perspective of who YOU are been influenced by others and life experiences?
Do you accept all of yourself, strengths, weaknesses, uniqueness, and imperfections?

Mark 12:30-31 lists the essential elements that make up who YOU are at your core (heart, mind, and soul). Jesus shares His greatest commandment for us, love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. Then He shares His second greatest commandment for us, Love your neighbor as yourself.

Heart. In Proverbs 4:23, King Solomon refers to the heart as the wellspring of life. What is in your heart, pours out into your daily life. Who YOU are and what YOU believe, your heart posture, drives your behaviors, actions, and decisions which influence your results. Thus, who YOU are will impact how you live and the fruit you will bear in your life.

Mind. Your thoughts. Worldly thoughts can rob you of joy, fulfillment, purpose, achievement, and significance in your life. Thus, short-changing you of who YOU are and how YOU are to grow. In Romans 12:2, Paul urges you to be transformed by the renewing of your mind which is accomplished by a heavenly perspective with God’s help. As a result, you will be able to understand and discern what is the will of God for your life. Transform your thinking and transform your life with an eternal, faith perspective.

Soul. Two aspects. First, the status of your humanity. As stated by King Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, there is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to be born and a time to die (vv. 1-2). He gives 14 pairings in this passage. God is God (sovereign and immortal) and you are human (not fully in control and mortal). Second, your soul is also the expression of your humanity: to experience pain and loss and to express your emotions and feelings. Ultimately, how you choose to live this life, is everything in light of eternity. Because sin was brought into the world by Adam and Eve all humans share in this sinful nature and so we cannot save ourselves. However, the Good News (literally) is found in John 3:16, For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. That is not just pie-in-the-sky hope, but rather an eternal promise (eternal life will happen for you through faith in Jesus).

Strength. Also included in v. 30. Here Mark refers to the interconnectedness of heart, mind, and soul and the level of strength you have will influence to that degree everything in your life. In Philippians 4:13, Paul refers to enduring the realities of life by proclaiming, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

How would YOU describe your current state of being human in the context of your heart, mind, and soul?
How is your ability to endure the realities of life?
What patterns and themes did you notice that emerged for you?

Knowing how much God loves you (His unconditional love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness for you) helps you to love and accept who YOU are in light of all that He has done for you. Yet, God has more growth in store for YOU!

Now that you know the essential elements that make up who YOU are, you have a better understanding of what it means to love God and others. For example, strength in v. 30, refers to the degree that you love God by the power of the Holy Spirit. The same is true for yourself, that the presence of the Holy Spirit within you, enables you to love and accept yourself as God does. To the degree you love God through faith and by the power of the Holy Spirit, and in light of His favor towards you, will be to the degree you love yourself, and to the degree you love others. You are not striving for perfection because that is impossible. You can only give to the degree that you have received. So, embrace and receive what God has freely given to you and who You are in Him!

How does this relate to your life’s mission?

It’s crystal clear. The heart of your mission is to love God and love people. This means embracing and accepting His favor for you so you can freely give your whole being to love Him and to love others. How you serve in your mission, is your spiritual act of worship (Romans 12:1).

Wonder how to get started?

Simply begin by completing “I am” statements. Perhaps you would like to create a visual that encompasses who YOU are, similar to the image in this article. Write down whatever shows up as you reflect without judgment. Do include how you show up as both positive attributes and growth opportunities where YOU influence your personal and professional life.

If you want to take a deeper dive into exploring and discovering more about yourself, a certified coach can guide you through this process. Coaching is an inquiry and thought-provoking approach to increase your awareness of your motivations, emotions, feelings, thoughts, and beliefs that influence how you perceive yourself, others, and all reality. At the same time, you have been influenced by past experiences which contribute to who YOU are, what YOU do, and how YOU respond to the demands of reality. In fact, at Innovative Leadership Solutions, LLC, our first step in our proven process, The IMPACT Journey, is Introspection where we help you get to the heart, mind, and soul of who you are and how that influences your personal and professional life. We partner with you in the coaching process to support your self-discovery about your internal and external reality which increases your self and other awareness and desire to take action towards your envisioned future.

To learn more, schedule a free consultation call by clicking on this link https://calendly.com/naomi-ils/30min?month=2021-10

The Wise Builder (Matthew 7:24-25)

Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. By doing so, the house did not fall when the storms came because it had its foundation on the rock (here Jesus is the believer’s rock-solid foundation).

I love watching HGTV’s Fixer Upper, Property Brothers, and Love It or List It. The after reveals are absolutely amazing!

They all build upon a strong foundation. The house needs to be structurally sound before any kind of renovating can truly happen. Whether it’s revealed during “demo day” or after, what’s hidden, if not dealt with correctly, will cause all sorts of problems in the future, even the possibility of the house crashing down. Certainly, we’d be shocked to watch a contractor forgo adding a support beam for the sake of having an open concept space. What would look great from the reveal would prove to be disastrous in the end. Small problem meet big problem.

How often do you as a leader, as an executive team, move forward in tweaking strategy and tactics, adding products or services, and not refer or put into practice the elements of a strong foundation?

The elements of an organization’s strong foundation are mission, vision, and core values (MVV). The foolish man builds his house on sand that cannot withstand the storms of life. If you do not want your organization to collapse, take some time after reading this article to review your MVV.

Otherwise, how will you know your purpose? How will you know what you are striving to achieve? How will you vet your decisions? Clarity and distinctiveness are the cement for your organization’s strong foundation.

Here are the necessary characteristics of each foundational element:

Mission. Why your organization exists. Your purpose. It is unchanging and ongoing. The words may tweak over the years, but the core purpose remains the same. Mission is so much more than the products and services you offer. For example, I love WD-40’s mission statement: We exist to create positive lasting memories in everything we do. Notice, how that mission captures the hearts and minds of employees in being part of something larger than themselves and making a positive difference in the lives of others. A strong mission is succinct and to the point.

Vision. What your organization has decided to achieve in the long-term. Typically, within 10 years. This is often coined as a BHAG, a big hairy audacious goal. Identifying the BHAG, is first a creative process and put into words (narrative) utilizing all the senses. Painting a picture captures the hearts and minds of employees to invest their time, talents, and effort into achieving that goal because they have been able to experience what the future looks like. Vision is also what separates organizations from “red waters” (focused on battling the competition) and “blue waters” (separating themselves from the competition) as described in the book, Blue Ocean Strategy. The best organizations seek continual renewal to thrive in open waters versus trying to merely survive in bloody waters.

Core Values. Not all values are core values. Core values are the most important values present in your organization that guide everything you do and won’t do. If I were to visit your organization, would I be able to name what they are based on my observations? Your core values should also set you apart and communicate your uniqueness. Often, you will see organizations further elaborate and define their core values in 2-4 sentences.

Patrick Lencioni distinguishes core values from other values in the July 2002 Harvard Business Review article, “Make Your Values Mean Something” (p. 6).

Aspirational: Those the company needs to succeed in the future, but currently lacks.

Permission to Play: Simply reflect the minimum behavioral and social standards required of any employee (i.e., integrity).

Accidental: Arise spontaneously without being cultivated by leadership and take hold over time. They usually reflect the common interests or personalities of the organization’s employees. These could be beneficial if they lead to inclusivity or detrimental if they foreclose new opportunities.

Here are 3 questions for a deeper MVV review:

1. Is your organization in alignment? What evidence do you have that supports alignment?

2. Do you have the right people in your organization where your core values are an extension of their own?

Better to hire according to your MVV for alignment and retention. Harder to have “buy in” otherwise. Not only do they need to be a good fit, but they also need to have the competencies to fulfill the role and responsibilities you need to thrive as an organization. At the same time, MVV sets the foundation for your organization to create support and resources for your employees to thrive.

3. Do the people in your organization truly desire to establish roots? Or are they easily attracted to invest their time, gifts, and talents elsewhere?

If you are consistently experiencing turnover, do an organizational health check-up.

Need more help? No fear. Here’s how I can be of help.

First, I invite you to review and critique my MVV. What stands out the most to you?

Here’s the link: https://www.innovative-leadership-solutions.com/who-we-are

Second, schedule a complimentary 30 minute consulting call with me to review your MVV.

Click on this link to schedule a call: https://calendly.com/naomi-ils/30min?month=2021-10

As a coach and consultant, I have reviewed and guided clients in this process. One visionary client, who was recently promoted to CEO, reviewed the organization’s MVV for the first time in 30 years. Over the years the purpose of the organization had not changed, but services expanded over time to include more stakeholders. Therefore, the mission didn’t fully encapsulate the organization’s purpose. While the core intent of the vision statement was good, it was also ambiguous. It would have been hard to know if the organization had achieved such a goal. Rather, the core intent spoke more to the mission of the organization. The core values did stand the test of time. They were still embraced and lived out by all in the organization. The refining step was to write a few sentences defining the meaning of each core value.

The end result? A strong foundation which this organization continues to build on today!

The world needs you and your uniqueness to make a positive impact in the world. Establishing a strong foundation will surely increase your chances of success with quality products or services that are unique and where there’s a demand in the marketplace. Then, you can add-on or renovate through continual renewal.