filtering

In The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive: A Leadership Fable, Patrick Lencioni talks about a leader who, in a period of overwhelming busyness, asks himself what he needs to be doing. The way he asks the question, “What is the one thing I do that really matters to the firm”, stopped me dead. There are many things I do. If I am honest, there are several of them that I am capable of doing well. But there in any of my settings, there are only one or two things that are “only Jon” things. These are the things that I am uniquely constructed to do, to care about, to add to the setting.

So I’m thinking today, what if I focused on those?

As a husband, as a dad, as a friend, as a writer, as an executive pastor, as a part of this meeting on this day…what if I focused on doing the one thing that I add as well as I possibly can.

What if you did that focusing? In what you are already part of, committed to, living for…what’s your one thing?

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8 responses to “filtering”

anna | April 22, 2008 at 4:27 pm |

I like this question because of its fluidity. Each day, each hour, and, in some cases, each minute will yield a unique answer.
quiltpunk | April 22, 2008 at 4:54 pm |

i’d really need someone to answer this for me
or rather
help me know the answer

i don’t know what that means
what it says about me

i have no idea what i add
though i know i must add something

i have to find this out
Anna | April 22, 2008 at 5:19 pm |

quiltpunk, sometimes it takes a friend to remind us of the truth we already know deep down in our hearts. You’re in the right place because our friend, Jon, is a dealer in truth.
Jon Swanson | April 22, 2008 at 6:09 pm |

and i’m working on this all the time. So i’ll come back to this and comment some more later. But thank you both…for stopping by…for thinking…for talking with each other.
quiltpunk | April 22, 2008 at 9:21 pm |

@ Anna :

it seems
truth seekers seem to gather around the fire that Jon is tending
it’s nice to have a safe place to come to
somewhere to bring our own ideas
to add to the light
🙂
Anna | April 23, 2008 at 11:03 am |

@quiltpunk:

I love that image of the fire and
For what it’s worth it really matters that you add to the conversation.
Jon Swanson | April 23, 2008 at 11:18 am |

the fire image, and the adding, moves this from sermon to conversation. which is a really huge thing.

i’m seeing a migration, a trek heading out across, well, across whatever. during the day, while traveling, there are small groups together, chatting, pushing ahead, catching up, taking side trails. At night, there’s a fire where the day is considered, but the why of the trip is considered as well.

Where are we headed? It’s kind of vague. Why are we headed? Well, it’s kind of like being called and kind of like being sent. Where are we headed tomorrow? That way. What if we run into…? Good question. Here’s what I’ve done.

And then, back to the tent for the night to think about it and to try it out and to rest and then, tomorrow. But there are enough problems for today. Let tomorrow take care of itself.
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