Recently I attended a great multi-industry conference. A few things speakers said impacted me. They are included here without spin, but simply allowing the reader to take the context of LDS leadership in connection with the quotes.
“To solve any problem that has never been solved before, you have to leave the door to the unknown ajar” – Richard Feynman
“Blockbuster was doing location analysis so that one of their stores would be less than 10 miles than anyone in the U.S. while Netflix was being released. Sometimes not changing can be even riskier than taking risks”
Information is a powerful political component. Individuals in an organization can wield power over others in the same business with the word: “classified”.
If you steal a pencil from the company you can get fired, but if you withhold information you get promoted. Yet the latter can undermine the business and cost millions.“Letting go of Control is a true sign of leadership”
Hording information may have been successful in the past, but it is negatively impacting business today.
Having doubt is healthy. We wouldn’t look for more information or bather to seek/ask questions if there were no doubts.
All new discovery is driven by doubting something
The most frightening people (in leadership especially) are the ones who have no doubts. Because no matter how wrong they are, they will never know it and they cannot be reasoned with
Predators only partner with other predators, not with prey, such as lambs. If they are not willing to be equal with you, odds are they see you as the lamb on the dinner table.
Hate is gained as much by good works as by evil ones – Marchiavelli
It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver – Marchiavelli
If you find yourself always donning a superhero cape to save someone else from a fire, odds are they see you as a dove; which means you are also on the dinner table
If you share more information that your peers, odds are you are also prey, not a predator.
And finally:
Data is the enemy of belief. When data challenges a person they move from the intellectual to the emotional response.
Doubt is not to be feared, it is to be welcomed as the possibility of a new potential. If you know that you are not sure, you have a chance to improve the situation. – Richard Feynman
http://www.gartner.com/it/products/research/media_products/wolfcio/index.jsp
Are you open to guest post submissions? I don’t have a mormon blog and likely wouldn’t write enough to justify it, but I have worked up a piece on missionary blogs and the privacy concerns they raise and am looking for the right place to share it.
Yes, but I’ve had technical issues which is why the blog hasn’t been updated for a while.
In the past couple of years it has taken me to realize the truth, I have become amazed at the complete control expected by the church, and freely given by so many of the members. Something I have never been very good at; conforming and being controlled.
My home teacher, who is such a wonderful man, called me a couple of weeks ago, and I admitted to him there were some things that bothered me. The only things I brought up were the LGBTQ issues, and my concern about members being excommunicated for asking questions. He is an intelligent man, with a demanding job, so I know he is capable of rational thought, which is why his comments, and/or answers disturbed me so much. He said, point blank, we had to trust the men God had chosen to lead us. I don’t remember the exact words of the rest of his remarks, I was shocked he would completely TURN OFF his own brain and thought processes when it comes to the church. I completely unable to turn my brain off, and had NO IDEA, when I joined the church 11 years ago, that becoming a sheep was a requirement.
I will say it was a terrible time in my life, when my marriage was falling apart, and so was I. It seemed like the entire STAKE wrapped their arms around my kids and I, helping me get back on my feet again, while making sure my kids were safe, happy, and insulated from the ugliness which was happening back then.
Things were great, and I was getting better, really thinking I had found a church that actually worked for me. That’s when I started to notice subtle pressures being put on me to conform. Hear things that didn’t add up, continually be asked to just believe and accept, because our “prophet” said so, etc. I think it took so long for me to put the pieces together, because I was so tired, sick and busy working 2 jobs, being a single mother, and so grateful for the help the church gave me.
Then I started to listen to podcasts, first the apologetic and benign ones, then as I learned more and more, some of the more honest and critical podcasts. I just cant be a lamb, sheep or dove. Those quotes you posted really drove it home to me what exactly I have been dealing with, and why. I have to be somewhat circumspect, due to the elderly lady I care for, who feels much the same way I do, but sometimes likes to attend, just for the socializing, but I digress…
Thank you for your work on this website. So many times I have found the perfect words to help untwist my mind, or whatever.. Thank you.