Use Your Shield

I am still out of sorts from the events experienced last Friday.  Goodbyes take their toll.   Anyhow let me begin to move on through my writing.

I keep a deck of cards on my desk at work.  These are not playing cards.  The card deck is called the “Creative Whack Pack” created by Roger Von Oech.   While the cards are probable 20 years old, no worries there is an App for that!  Check it out for yourself.

Each card has a separate idea on creativity and thus, for me, good fodder for leaders.   Today with little inspiration to write I pulled the deck out and randomly picked a card.   I told myself I would write about that card.

My card choice … “Use Your Shield”.   The lesson concerned new ideas and how they can be threatening and often provoke a negative reaction.  We need to anticipate such reactions and not let them stop us from acting on our ideas.

Thus the metaphor of using your shield to ward off the negativity.  With this shield how can I be harmed?

I like it.  I find strength in thinking about such a shield (of course I have days when a real shield is preferable).  The point of course is not the shield itself, but the idea protected behind it.  What ideas do you have now that you expect may be received in a negative manner?   Do you hold back the new idea because you expect a negative reaction? 

Build up your own shield.   Stand strong and present your idea to the world.  You may get battered, but you will survive stronger than before.

Of course when I think through the power of building up a shield and using it, I pause.   These days too many people are holding up shields.  They may be protecting a great idea (good thing) or sadly holding their shield to ward off the ideas of others.

As leaders we need to know when to hold up our shield to protect our ideas and the ideas of those we lead.  We also need to know when it is best to lower our shield and listen to that possible great idea sitting right there, behind another’s shield.