This is an interesting video to include in a discussion on leadership. I will often include it in a discussion on the topic of feedback. After all, it is difficult for anyone one of us to see the whole picture. See what you think! – Scott J. Allen

Part of leadership is the ability to read the context of any situation. As an example, for any great athlete, reading the context  becomes second nature. This is true in business as well and Jim Collins (Built to Last & Good to Great) has a book excerpt in Business Week that is worth a read.  From a leadership perspective, the article is all about context. Take a look and see what you think. – Scott J. Allen

I love quotes and use them in my leadership presentations. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Habit is habit and not to be flung out of the window by any man, but coaxed downstairs a step at a time. – Mark Twain
• The greatest use of life is to spend it on something that will outlast it. — William James
• Every system is perfectly designed to achieve the results that it gets.  – David Beckwith, M.D.

- Scott J. Allen

Reflection. Reflection in Action. Today, I am going to briefly discuss Preflection. What’s that? Day after day and week after week I work with student leaders who can tell you what went wrong in the simulation, group project, game, teambuilder or assignment – AFTER THE FACT. Preflection invovles taking time to define roles, develop a plan, think about the process (before jumping in). Now, I know that some of you are thinking that is simply planning – maybe/kinda.

Interestingly, others have thought of this word. A quick search on the web yielded the following definition from a syllabus I came across. I like it…

• “Preflection is the opportunity to gather your thoughts about a specific task you intend to accomplish. Through “preflecting,” you can situate future tasks in relation to prior experiences, recognizing skills you already possess and those you will need to gain in the attempt to complete the task. Preflecting also provides the opportunity to set meaningful goals against which you can later compare your accomplishments.”

From a leadership perspective, preflection, provides space to remind leaders and groups to get their act together prior to jumping in to the activity. What do you think? – Scott J. Allen