Meaning
I learned a great deal about Leadership from Viktor Frankl. Good strategy comes from Vision and Viktor despite the most horrendous circumstances did not concentrate on what he had lost, but rather what was going to occur in the future. He also conveyed that we as humans are more than a series of determined behaviors because of our past. No matter what the circumstances are there is always a choice, and in many cases more than one. I learned that speech is a predictor of behavior and that often our speech is negative. We have according to him too many “I could never” in our lives. Another gem was that often we are acting out our lives on beliefs that were inherited and often these prevent growth and transformational change. We can at any stage of our lives substitute new beliefs that are freeing and create positive outcomes. I also learned that there are three vital words that effect what we see, what we say and where we go with our lives. The words are wish, want and choose. The wish list is often shelved with the conviction that someday “I will get around to it.” The want list is a little more vibrant but still does not ordinarily move towards positive outcomes. However, the choose list is where the rubber meets the road; to choose something requires behavior and every time we take a behavioral step the wish and the want become possible.
Last but not least he taught me that meaning doesn’t come for most of us in a giant package. Few will scale the ladder of wealth or write the great American novel but meaning is all around us. There is no one that cannot find literally thousands of opportunities to have power and purpose in life.