“One of the great tragedies of life is that men seldom bridge the gulf between practice and profession, between doing and saying…. On the one hand, we proudly profess certain sublime and noble principles, but on the other hand, we sadly practice the very antithesis of these principles. How often are our lives characterized by a high blood pressure of creeds and an anemia of deeds!” – Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength to Love
While this quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. may not be the most repeated of his work, I find it to be thought-provoking and worthy of self reflection.
When you think about your own leadership, it can be helpful to explore that gap between doing and saying. Are there certain principles that you value, but have difficulty practicing? Are there times when you say one thing, but do another? Think about it and be honest with yourself.
As human beings I think we all have incongruencies between what we say and do. What areas of your leadership could be strengthened by bridging the gulf between what you profess and what you practice?
Anita Rios
