Poetry Reminds us of our Limitations
Leadership Thought of the Day
At the conclusion of 2014 I had the opportunity to meet with a group of young leaders (Team Apollo) for a holiday celebration. We had been meeting together and studying several leadership books over the year and it was a good change to be able to gather together and include our spouses and significant others for some special and relaxing social time. This year we decided to rendezvous at an artist studio in the Corktown district of Detroit. This studio is a great testament to the leadership abilities of one of the Team Apollo members where she was able to pull various artists together and establish, refurbish and finance this studio. It never would be standing on that corner without her direct and focused leadership making it happen.
This studio was really something special. Rarely does one have the opportunity to wander around a studio where several local artists gather to work on their individual projects and share a common viewing and display area. They even had a small music stage where they could also meet and express their vocal creativity and talents. I was impressed by the creativity and skill of the artists and envied the ability to express such vivid imagery on canvas and other media. It was a special treat and inspirational on several levels to me.
Working in the corporate world leaders often get fixated on the urgent, the tangible and the profitable. Too often we allow the tyranny of the urgent to overwhelm us and to consume every waking moment of our day. This event was a chance to live another leadership lesson that it is good to relax and enjoy the beauty of the creativity of the human soul.
I like this quote from President John Kennedy that sums it up pretty well:
"When power leads man towards arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the areas of man's concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of his existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses. For art establishes the basic human truth which must serve as the touchstone of our judgment".
A good reminder of the need for art and beauty in our otherwise narrowly focused and intensely driven pursuits. Today, try to enjoy something beautiful, just because it is!
Stay Strong,
Terry
