Shaun Coffey

“School trains us never to admit that we do not know the answer, and most corporations reinforce that lesson by rewarding the people who excel in advocating their views, not inquiring into complex issues. (When was the last time someone was rewarded in your organisation for raising difficult questions about the company’s current policies rather than solving the urgent problems?”  Even if we feel uncertain or ignorant, we learn to protect ourselves from the pain of appearing uncertain or ignorant.  That very process blocks out any new understandings which might threaten us.  The consequence is what Argyris call “skilled incompetence” – teams full of peoples who are incredibly proficient at keeping themselves from learning.  Senge 1990:25

  There is something I don’t know

  that I am supposed to know.

  I don’t know what it is I don’t know

  and yet am supposed to know,

  and I feel I look stupid

  if I seem both not to know it

  and not know what it is I don’t know.

  Therefore I pretend to know it.

  This is nerve-racking

  since I don’t know what I must pretend to know.

  Therefore I pretend to know everything.

  Laing (1970:56)

In the quiet, before dawn’s light,  
I sit, pen in hand, alone with my thoughts.  
The world is silent, expectations yet unborn,  
A canvas blank, vast, unmarked by the day’s toil.  

Why must I write every day?  
To capture the whispers of the morning,  
The echoes of dreams not quite forgotten,  
To give voice to the silence that envelops me.  

Each word a step on a path unseen,  
A journey through the mists of my own making.  
Writing, a quest not for the end, but for the act itself,  
A search for meaning in the mundane, the profound.  

The discipline of daily words, a forge,  
Tempering thoughts, ideas, into clarity, into form.  
A mirror reflecting the depths within,  
Revealing truths, fears, desires, hidden from the light.  

It is in this daily ritual, this sacred act,  
I find myself, lose myself, and am reborn.  
The pen, mightier than the sword,  
Carves out a space for peace, for understanding, within the chaos.  

Why must I write every day?  
Because in the writing, I am.  
In the quiet, in the struggle, in the triumph,  
 I exist, I resist, I persist.

Myriad words woven into the fabric of this quest,  
A tapestry of thoughts, a testament to the soul’s yearning.  
Not for fame, nor fortune, but for the simple act  
Of putting pen to paper, and letting the words flow.

In shades of gray, let thoughts sway,  
Not firm, but open, day by day.  
Unless required, let opinions slide,  
In ambiguity, learn to abide.  

Think boundless, wild, and free,  
Beyond the norms, let your mind flee.  
Outrageous paths, boldly tread,  
Where ideas dance, unafraid, ahead.  

Listen first, then share your part,  
With artful ear, open your heart.  
In silence find, the truth’s outline,  
Talk later, after listening fine.  

Experts guide, but don’t confine,  
Your own thoughts must align.  
Critical thinking, discernment’s key,  
In your wisdom, let yourself be free.  

Pseudoscience, in guise, may tread,  
Masquerading truths, best left unsaid.  
Serve not, nor lead astray,  
Seek wisdom’s light, in true display.  

In subtext, gold, quietly lies,  
Beyond the ephemeral, your spirit flies.  
Let lieutenants news relay,  
In deeper meanings, find your way.  

Decisions, when to hold, when to fold,  
Delegate, or wait, let courage be bold.  
Not today, then perhaps, tomorrow,  
In patience, avoid undue sorrow.  

Forget the past, its cost, its pain,  
Future’s decisions, let them reign.  
Yesterday’s errors, let them pass,  
Forward move, with new class.  

Defeated foes, offer grace,  
Humiliation’s not your ace.  
In victory, kindness show,  
Let gentleness in leadership flow.  

Choose your hill, know your fight,  
But retreat when not right.  
In battles chosen, wisdom’s light,  
Guides you through the darkest night.  

Serve those who stand by your side,  
In their success, let your pride reside.  
Recruit, support, in them believe,  
Together, greatness you’ll achieve.  

To do, not just to be,  
Leadership’s true key.  
In action, not in title, find,  
The leader’s heart, noble and kind.  

Lead not the group, but souls within,  
Their collective force, a symphony’s din.  
Motion, substance, together bound,  
In their unity, purpose found.  

See people, not as black or white,  
But shades between, in different light.  
Bring out the best, minimize the worst,  
In this endeavor, be immerse.  

Originality, your path to grace,  
Excellence, in your unique pace.  
Unconventional, the road you pave,  
In authenticity, be brave.  

These ideas are not mine. This poem is inspired and rewrites the ideas of Brian (S B) Sample (2002) The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership.  Jossey-Bass. He does a much better job. See shauncoffey.blog/2020/05/18/reb…