Be careful what you ask for

Colleagues,

On Monday I asked readers to send me their favorite quotes, and many did. If you want to be inspired, you can read them here.
 
The quotes are great, but they aren’t what I was looking for. What I actually wanted was to hear which of my quotes or sayings have most resonated with you. Like “A-B” or “problems not symptoms.”
 
Several reasons would explain the mix-up:

1. I used the wrong words
2. I used the right words but not in the correct order
3. We have different ideas about what the words mean

 
In this case it was probably number two, but number three is the thing that resonates with me.
 
What is culture, or leadership, or change?
 
People vary in how they define these things, and so they vary in their expectations.
 
Reflect on this: If others have different interpretations on what leadership is, how do we know what they expect from us?
 
There are so many fundamental leadership and organizational concepts for which we lack a common understanding. Common language is one of the prerequisites for effectively working together. 
 
Cheers!
 
Frederick