A few years ago, I received a print of this Wyeth painting from someone whose impact on me during a difficult time was profound. Seeing it never ceases to bring those warm feelings about the relationship to my mind in a timeless way.
Imagery's power lies squarely in its ability to bypass the intellect and get right to the heart of things.....it makes us feel.
Just as savvy marketers use imagery to influence purchase decisions, imagery can be used as a tool to help raise your self-awareness to the way in which you
impact those you lead.
Try this exercise called 'Imaging Your Impact' :
Using Maya Angelou's theory above, what feelings do you hope the memory of you will elicit from those you lead
once time has passed?
As best as possible, synthesize your answer down to a single emotion or phrase.
Next, do a Google ' image' search for that emotion or phase and select the one that you most strongly connect with.
Study it....post it somewhere prominently and allow it to sink deeply into your thoughts.
Now, ask yourself these questions:
1. What do I specifically do that supports that image?
2. How can I do MORE of that?
3. What do I specifically do that doesn't support that image?
4. What keeps me from doing LESS of that?
5. By creating this in the people I lead, what is the impact on the world that I can feel good about supporting
in my own small way?
