Stand vs. Position

This weekend I attended a fund-raising seminar with Lynne Twist for a non-profit that I serve on the Board of (www.theothersideofeverest.org). One of the most illuminating points she made was the difference between taking a stand and taking a position.  I believe that this principle applies to business every bit as much as to money... so enjoy!  (www.soulofmoney.com)

"Great leaders know the distinction between taking a position and taking a stand.  Taking a stand creates a field where all positions are heard and respected and truth begins to have room to be expressed.  Archimedes said, 'Give me a place to stand and I can move the world.'" Lynne Twist

The very nature of taking a position invites opposition - and who wants that?  That's because a position is an opinion, an item of debate, a battle in the making.  A stand, however, is very different.  It can be nothing but positive - transcending simple arguments or opinions and coming from deep within.  Because it is a reaction to nothing, nothing can react to it.  A true stand based on character and deep belief is so honorable that whether you agree with the stand or not, you have to respect it.  Standtakers derive their power not from authority or influence or logic, but from pure authenticity.

The Democratic and Republican parties have positions on many issues, and those positions invite opposition and create strife and disagreement. Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela... standtakers all.  And because their simple desire to make the world a better place contended with no one - no one could contend with them.

In business, it's easy to get lost in the competition and stress of day-to-day operations and forget about the big picture.  Why are you in business?  What do you stand for as human being?  What impact do you want to make on the world?  What are you committed to for your whole life and beyond? 

Even small companies can stand for something so authentic and powerful that people are compelled to sit up and take notice.  If your personal stand cannot find it's way into your professional life, the contradiction will suck the joy and impact out of everything you do.  Find your common ground and take a stand in your business so that work and mission are beautifully blended into something larger than just you.  By taking a stand for something that matters, a person or an organization can elevate itself above the fray... see everything, be seen and coexist.

I encourage you today to examine your life and decide what you truly stand for.  We live in the greatest age of opportunity and challenge that the world has ever known.  Positions will not guide us successfully into the future; however, if we all take an honest stand for what really matters, we might just have a chance.