This reflective essay presents a personally developed mission statement grounded in proactive thinking, core values, and principle-centered living. Drawing on Stephen Covey's concept of proactivity and Peter Vaill's notion of systems thinking, the paper explores how clarity of personal values can improve both individual effectiveness and organizational leadership. The author argues that personal growth—including letting go of limiting beliefs and embracing new ways of thinking—inevitably spills over into professional life, enhancing managerial ability and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. The essay concludes that a sound mission statement serves as an ongoing reference point for living and leading with intention.
In order to have a balanced and centered work life, it is necessary for one's personal life to be in order. To aid in becoming grounded, it is a good idea to have a personal mission statement to refer back to in order to stay on track. The mission statement I have developed and will strive to adhere to is as follows:
To make a conscious effort to operate in a proactive manner instead of a reactive one. To practice thinking outside of the box by constantly thinking of new and innovative ways to improve my life, and to act upon those thoughts in order to improve or enhance the lives of those around me. To constantly refer back to my core values and principle center by using positive affirmations and physically carrying out mental creations on a continual basis.
To fulfill this mission statement, I have to learn not to cling to the ideas and concepts that were taught to me as a child. This is not to say that everything I have learned and believed to be true throughout life is wrong. What it means to me is that it is acceptable to learn new ways of thinking and to act upon them. To realize that I have a tremendous amount of control over my path in life is more than inspirational. According to Covey, acting upon our thoughts is a big step in becoming proactive, which can spill over into the workplace and create an organization that is proactive (2004, p. 77).
To accomplish the mission statement, I must have a clearly defined principle center. This means letting go of the things that are not working and are holding me back, and learning to embrace new ways of thinking. It also means having a clear understanding that what was learned in the past — if it is no longer serving me — can be unlearned. By focusing on my new principle center, I will not only become open to my own new ways of thinking, but I will also be more open to ideas from those around me, even if they do not align with what I had always believed to be my core beliefs and values.
"Personal balance enabling better leadership"
"Moving organizations toward systems thinking"
To come up with my mission statement, it helped to review the readings for this class. Going over the material several times served as a catalyst for me to recognize that I have the power to make changes in my life that will positively affect all areas of it. If my personal life is managed properly, so will my work life. I now know that by taking control of my thoughts and being proactive regarding those thoughts, I have the ability and opportunity to influence those I manage in a positive way. By doing so, those who are influenced will have the knowledge to take what they have learned and improve their own lives as well as the lives of others. Developing a sound mission statement has already opened the door to allow me to live a principle-centered life.
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