Always a Return on Time Invested

I’ve posted in the past about the peer learning group I’m a part of we call the Chicago 7 (click here for my post on its purpose and benefits). This week we finished one of our semiannual meetings and once again I walked away challenged, encouraged, inspired and thankful for such great friends and the time we have together.

We studied two books simultaneously – What to Ask the Person in the Mirror by Robert Steven Kaplan (look for my post on Sunday for a review of this great book) and the biblical book Philippians. The combination created powerful moments of dialogue between the seven of us.

The following are a few of the statements made during our dialogues I recorded in my journal. They provide a glimpse into the topics and tone of our discussions.

                “Through their life every leaders telling a story of what they value”

“Affirm the virtue in the values of people today but discern the vulnerability of those same values.”

“Feedback is the breakfast of champions.” Ken Blanchard

“Mentoring is internal, coaching is external.”

“Opportunity dances with those who are already on the dance floor.” Jackson Brown

“Many things we perceive as problems to be solved are really polarities to be managed.”

As a result of these discussions I always end up with a long list of “to do’s” for myself and for SpringHill. These “to do’s” spring from the ideas shared by others, new learning’s I’ve encountered or simply the new insights into issues I currently face.

So every time I walk away from a Chicago 7 meeting I’ve grown and SpringHill’s benefited. It’s one of the best “return on time investments” I make each year.