Imagination – Not Logic – Drives Leadership
Willy Wonka built a land of pure imagination and so do you. It’s destructive to think you make logical decisions. Decisions are shaped by imagination.
You make decisions to create the future and the future is a land of pure imagination.
Logic:
A list of pros and cons is based on imagined eventualities. Should you quit your job and start a business? When you imagine success the answer tips toward yes, but you reconsider when you imagine failure.
Imagination shapes the way you interact with others. When you imagine someone succeeding, you’re supportive. But imagine future failure and you’re corrective.
Imagination enables you to lead.
Imagination shapes decisions.
Live for the imagined future.
Who ever said, “Live FOR the moment,” was shortsighted. Living IN the moment is mindfulness. Living for the moment is frivolous.
The present matters less than you think when it comes to decisions. The remembered past and imagined future teach us how to live in the present.
Life without a past has no anchor. Life without a future has ended.
Live in the moment. Reflect on the past. Aim at the future.
Your view of the future explains how you live today.
Imagination, feelings, and goals:
Emotions reflect your view of the future. Worry, anxiety, confidence, fear, and grit are fed by the way you see things to come.
Goals express the future you aspire to create. Aspiration begins in your imagination. You dream of something you don’t have but want. Anyone who aspires to lead is building a land of pure imagination.
Leaders imagine the future and then work to create it.
What future are you working to create? Paint it with bright colors and get busy now.
What kind of leader do you imagine yourself becoming today?
Still curious:
How to Leverage the Power of Imagination to Develop Leaders
Our book, “The Vagrant,” teaches people how to engage in structured self-reflection. I encourage you to get your copy today. The story is compelling and the exercises at the end set readers on a life-changing journey. Click here to purchase, The Vagrant, on Amazon.
Everything changes when we change the way we think about ourselves.
Dan, the power of imagination is impressive. I’ve recently been diagnosed with prostate cancer and anticipate surgery. In the dark hours of the night I imagine the worst. What will my life be like in the future? It’s quality? Will I suffer the negative side effects? Worry and anxiety indeed. Thanks for the reminder today. Under the sovereign loving administration of the Lord Jesus I can imagine a bright(er) future lived with purpose.
Thanks for sharing your story, Pete. I admire transparency and vulnerability. Imagining the worst is pretty normal for all of us. As you experience. Dark imaginations produce dark emotions. Your story is a powerful reminder.
I see you are a person of faith. I suppose we still dance between calm trust and anxious worry.
BTW… in a strange way, asking myself, “What’s the worst that could happen,” gives my brain permission to not feel so anxious. It sounds weird, but it lowers anxiety when I feel anxious. Of course, I’m not going into surgery.
I wish you well.