Dr. Daniele Trevisani
International HR, Human Factor and Human Potential Researcher, Writer
© Extracted from the book “Semiotics for Leaders” written by Daniele Trevisani, available on Amazon
Small Signs prepare Great Stories
The interesting view of Human Potential Research is that before achieving great goals, small goals are required. Why does this happen?
The reason lies in the very sense of being deeply human: born fragile, almost powerless, unable to self-sustain. From that point, arriving to a peak where one can be self-sustaining, keep going, look for challenges, and even take care of others, is a great journey.
Struggling for becoming fully functioning and gain the best of what we can be is a sacred journey. Fully expressed potential is not just a matter of performance and tangible goals, it is a value for itself, something that gives a meaning to life.
Most forms or self-handicapping come from the unknown error of listening too much to social expectations. These expectations bring you towards a statically “normal” or average state where you cannot be yourself.
You can express yourself in fields so different as sports, science, cooking, dancing, fighting, running, painting, managing. Or all together.
There is no great genius without some touch of madness.
Aristotle
Do not seek for the “average” path but follow an inspiration, at least one in life in a given period of time, where you feel that you can express yourself.
For any little advancement, a new sense of possibility arises, so that – as for a climber or an explorer – new horizons soon come up in your path step after step, horizons that were formerly unthought-of, or considered too far, too big, too heavy.
This “opening” is generative; it invites individuals and leaders to go ahead, to progress in a further exploration of what at the moment is barely thinkable, and to turn this attitude into advancement for the Self, progress for the family, for a Team, for a Business. Starting from the Self, we can generate progress for a country, up to the entire Humanity.
A semiotic map of what an expectation is, shows some very important connections:
- Expectation-belief connection: you expect things based on what you believe it is true. What if someone thought you that it is better to win money betting in the financial market rather than working at your skills? What if a company leader holds the belief that the Stock Exchange will be the final moral judge instead of moral values, searching a strong future, choice after choice?
- Expectation can generate apprehension. Apprehension is the doorway to anxiety, to fear and to terror. When one is not free to make mistakes, when one believes he/she cannot commit a mistake, this will determine a decision block.
- Well expressed and well defined expectations can generate hope and positive promises
If you change your beliefs, you can change your expectations. If as a leader you set some strong beliefs, they will turn into different expectations.- Leading people amid the chaos of expectations, beliefs, truth and wisdom, in a stream of confusion, is real leadership.This is the deepest and highest forms of real Human Potential expression.Understanding, knowledge, curiosity, holistic interests, trials and errors, perseverance, are all ingredients that start to emerge in the alchemic recipe for a new life.
It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them.
They went out and happened to things.
Leonardo da Vinci
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- © Extracted from the book “Semiotics for Leaders” written by Daniele Trevisani, available on Amazon
