I have never put much stock in New Year's resolutions for myself, or for that matter for the ones that others make, consequently I stopped making them. The ability to control behavior that is oppositionally counter to sensory delights is asking for far too much of my mortal existence. This is not to admit to or to condone anti-social behavior, or behavior harmful to oneself. Perhaps I have been overly influenced by my recent study of evolutionary biology, which suggests most behavior if not beneficial to survival will lead to destruction. However, if I were able to come up with a resolution to change the most aberrant aspects of my behavior, I would resolve to be far less critical of the imperfections in others. Although I tolerate and sometimes even relish in my own imperfections, they are afterall what make us unique and sometimes interesting. Others may have not reached the same level of shall we say - "enlightenment". I therefore resolve to be less judgemental of others and do that fully understanding and acknowledging that others are under no reciprocal obligation with regards to my own actions and behavior. The answer to the question of whether this resolution hinders my ability to lead, to manage people or processes I believe is a resounding - no. We have a mission to accomplish economic growth and viability for minority owned companies and to promote relationships between these companies and our corporate members. That mission is not personal, it is business and this certainly requires my critical assessment and judgement of performance and alternative courses of action, but righteousness is not requred. So let us collectively resolve to accomplish that mission, and have fun doing it!
January 4, 2010
