An authentic vision

Well I'm now very much into the coursework of this process. Which means I have reading assignments each week, question sets at the end of each chapter and (gasp) critical thinking exercises.

My inclination is to revert to college study-mode when it comes to the reading and question material. Specifically, I glance at the information occasionally during the week and then try to cram the night before (and day of) the test. The test in this case being our coaching sessions. This process uses spaced repetition to drive memory. The concept being that if I read over the material several times, 5 is recommended, I will both retain more of the information and pick up on new concepts with each reading. That doesn't work very well if you try to read it through five straight times the day before.

I've gotten better at actually spacing out the reading now and I've found this helps me make the transition from learning to applying the info to my work. Go figure, right? I'm sure a number of my former professors are right now shaking their head in disgust.
The last two weeks have focused on what it means to be authentic and the importance of vision. Some of the reading resonates immediately with me, while other items don't fit neatly with my experiences. Dan and I had a long conversation about what makes a great leader. My concept is weighted toward the characteristics you would notice in someone right away: passion, ability to articulate a point of view, ability to rally people, intelligence. And yes, I believe you can tell if a person has these qualities in a short amount of time.

The item Dan left me with was the concept of creating a sustainable organization/legacy. In other words, a great leader can create something that not only succeeds while they're in charge but also succeeds after they leave. I wonder how many people are at odds with this concept? It's contrary to much of what we seem to strive for, things like making a big contribution, being the person with all the answers, being indispensable.
I've got to think about this one for awhile. In addition to my new homework. Great.