Musings & Questions (or is it Exhausted Inspiration?)

Musings & Questions (or is it Exhausted Inspiration?)

As I reflect back on the inaugural 8-day residency program of the first cohort of the Ph.D. program in Values Driven Leadership at Benedictine University in Lisle, IL, I realize that I will leave here with deeper answers to some questions, but with many new questions as well.   Some of you might be asking why I am asking questions instead of answering them (and don’t think I don’t wonder the same thing - with the money I’m spending on this education, aren’t I paying for the answers?)  But if you believe as I do that the objective of education is to draw out the answers that already exist in the student, then each question answered will naturally precipitate a new question.  The good news about this phenomenon is that it should keep me employed for the foreseeable future…..  However, I digress.  I wonder if any of you have thoughts on the answers, or the questions themselves, (as to find an answer, we need to first ask the right question), I would appreciate your comments and open dialogue……

Questions On Values

1.       How do you define the word values? 

2.       How did you learn your values?

3.       Have you/do you examine them over time to see if they’re still relevant and meaningful as you change?  If so, what has changed, and why?

4.       Are there some values that are universal?  If so, what are they?

Questions On Values and Leadership

1.       Do your values shape how you personally lead (think of this in relation to any leadership role – could be as a parent, in work, in a committee, in a social group, etc.)?

2.       If yes, is this a conscious decision (i.e. when you make decisions, do you think about your values);

3.       Are there certain values that have a greater impact on those decisions?

Questions On Significance (if you’re still reading and contemplating and actually thinking of responding, I am truly grateful)…..

1.       Do these answers matter?  Is it important that we learn values at some point in our life, examine them against our life circumstances and our behavior, and consciously use them in our various roles as leaders?

2.       If this matters, and we can learn values, and we can consciously use them as leaders, might we change the world?

Deep thoughts by Shannon (and it’s only 10:10 am!)……

I welcome on-line discussion and hope to generate some commentary on the blog.  However, if you're more comfortable discussing this with me off-blog, please e-mail me directly at shannonbrownllc@gmail.com.

For more information on the Ph.D. program or the Center for Values Driven Leadership, please check out http://www.cvdl.org/.

Of course I must credit Saturday Night Live (http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/) with my reference to “Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey,” (http://www.deepthoughtsbyjackhandey.com/), as wouldn’t it be ironic if I were expelled from a program in Values Driven Leadership for plagiarism?