The Context Of Abundance
We can create a context of abundance instead of scarcity
A leaders most important job is to reveal and shift context, starting with their own. As the owner of a small business I am acutely aware of revenue projections and cash flow and manage both a with a relative degree of cautious optimism. However, there are those moments that, everyone who is accountable for P&L, faces from time to time - moments when what you’d worked toward, planned for and anticipated simply doesn’t happen and has a dramatic negative impact on the bottom line.
Each time that happens, we have an opportunity to come from a context of abundance or scarcity. Personally, the pull toward scarcity seems to be the default and brings with it worry, disappointment and concern. We have a practice at Allinium that disrupts and shifts that context to one of abundance. We make a donation. Making a donation at a time when we’re worried about money seems counter-intuitive, but it works every time.
We were recently working on a significant engagement with a very visible client that would likely have led to future opportunities within that industry. The Senior Leader we were aligned with was abruptly and publicly fired, leaving no one in the organization as an ally or advocate for our work. He wasn’t likely to be replaced by someone who shared his vision for the future. We saw it on “Breaking News” and still recall the initial reaction of shock and disappointment. Immediately, we began the process of selecting the charity who would benefit from that setback.
Two days ago, we were thrilled to deliver our donation to the New Image Youth Center in Orlando. Dr. Shanta Barton-Stubbs and her team do miraculous work in one of the most challenged communities in our region – “Where youth feel safe to dream.” (www.newimageyouth.org) The experience of supporting their commitment far outweighed the impact of the lost business. We trust that generosity always produces positive outcomes and are proud to have it be one of the fundamental values from which we operate.
For more information about our Contextual Leadership trainings, please contact us at info@allinium.com.