Toward a Shared Vision

In the book, The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World, by the Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler, M.D., the authors ask the question, is it selfish to focus on the “me” part of life and our own happiness instead of the “we” part of life and others’ happiness? Their answer? It must be both. “It’s not me or we, but rather me and we,” they write. To be truly happy there must be a balance of care for self and others.

Writing about another “and to” principle, authors Michael Koetje and Peter Blair, in their article “The Director’s Role in Creating Community,” (part of the Exchange Essentials article collection, “Building an Effective Team,” explain their belief that directors must give staff both autonomy and a great deal of support. Much of the support staff feel will come from the sense of being part of something larger than oneself. The authors describe it this way:

“Most leaders develop their own vision and encourage others to join them in attaining that vision. We feel that in order to develop community you must develop a common vision with your staff, one that everyone feels a part of, and thus, empowered to create change to attain that vision.”

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