This post is dedicated to Lance and Tracey Smith.  Lance and Tracey are phenomenal leaders and have developed the rare ability to see the different sides of each situation.  By seeing others view points and experiences from their perspective—the ability to lead and influence is increased.  Every leader who wishes to build a large community must gain multiple perspectives on each key situation before deciding on a course of action.  Before you judge any situation, be sure to hear from all the parties involved.  You may discover that your one sided view was not the whole truth.  I believe most people want to do the right thing and listening before acting is imperative to good leadership.  The Smiths have developed the art of listening and understanding through over 20 years of building communities.  I am very proud of them and their wisdom in working with teams.

There are absolutes truths in life, but human beings experience life through their own personal paradigms or world views.  The same situation can be experienced by various individuals and each draws their own version of what happened.   In most cases, the stories are different due to their different perspectives.  Everyone is telling the truth as they know it, but it takes a wise leader to discern how to proceed.  I love the elephant story as it teaches us humility in our own interpretation of the facts and a—seek first to understand attitude.  This story also teaches us that Together Everyone Achieves More because it helps us identify the particular animal we are dealing with at the time.  We are all blind in some areas and we each can see in others.  By working together, we can quickly ascertain the facts and proceed to the solution without needless arguing or turf protection.   Seeking first to understand builds trust and trust generates strong teams with fast responses to changing conditions.

Six blind men were discussing exactly what they believed an elephant to be, since each had heard how strange the creature was, yet none had ever seen one before. So the blind men agreed to find an elephant and discover what the animal was really like.

It didn't take the blind men long to find an elephant at a nearby market. The first blind man approached the beast and felt the animal's firm flat side. "It seems to me that the elephant is just like a wall," he said to his friends.

The second blind man reached out and touched one of the elephant's tusks. "No, this is round and smooth and sharp - the elephant is like a spear."

Intrigued, the third blind man stepped up to the elephant and touched its trunk. "Well, I can't agree with either of you; I feel a squirming writhing thing - surely the elephant is just like a snake."

The fourth blind man was of course by now quite puzzled. So he reached out, and felt the elephant's leg. "You are all talking complete nonsense," he said, "because clearly the elephant is just like a tree."

Utterly confused, the fifth blind man stepped forward and grabbed one of the elephant's ears. "You must all be mad - an elephant is exactly like a fan."

Duly, the sixth man approached, and, holding the beast's tail, disagreed again. "It's nothing like any of your descriptions - the elephant is just like a rope."

And all six blind men continued to argue, based on their own particular experiences, as to what they thought an elephant was like. It was an argument that they were never able to resolve. Each of them was concerned only with their own idea. None of them had the full picture, and none could see any of the other's points of view. Each man saw the elephant as something quite different, and while in part each blind man was right, none was wholly correct.

There is never just one way to look at something - there are always different perspectives, meanings, and perceptions, depending on who is looking.

Assignment: Can you give an example where you experienced a disagreement of perspectives that created conflict?   How does this story speak to you?  God Bless, Orrin Woodward