Q: How are you causing "miracles" to happen?

Do you remember watching the 1980 U.S.A.-Soviet hockey showdown, and hearing the enduring question, "Do you believe in miracles?"
 
The Americans had a team of untested college kids, and the Soviets had a team of hardened veterans at the peak of their careers. The young Americans upset the champion Soviets, in what many called a "miracle on ice." What looked like a "miracle" was actually the result of a strategy engineered by U.S.A. Coach Brooks to capitalize on the Soviets' weaknesses, and build on the Americans' strengths.
 
In business, "miracles" seem to happen all the time, but they're almost always the result of careful planning toward a specific goal. These "miracles" are often successes against near-impossible odds - the start-up against an industry leader, the rookie goalie against the veteran power forward. These successes look both incredible and effortless to outsiders, but insiders know the intellectual blood, sweat and tears that went into the achievement.

Q: What becomes possible when you connect to the real reasons you do what you do?

Leading to me means expanding the capacity of ourselves and others to create breakthrough results. To do that fully we engage in four areas: heads, hands, heart and spirit.

The spirit part is often missed or misunderstood. It's the reason we do what we do. When we leave the spirit out of what we do, we leave the reason for doing it out as well.

The FIFA 2011 Women's World Cup Soccer Final between the United States and Japan provided a wonderful example. Throughout the tournament we saw plenty of instances of athletes using their heads (strategy and decision-making), hands (tactics and execution), and hearts (teamwork and connectedness). But the Japanese squad, playing for something larger than themselves, a nation recently ravaged by a tsunami, nuclear meltdown and economic disaster, displayed their true spirit in the final minutes that seemed to elevate their play...all the way to the World Cup title.

Theologian and philosopher C.S. Lewis once said that our greatest fear and our greatest desire is to be known.  To really be known we must break down the walls separating our "outside" selves and our "inside" selves.  So, what would that look like?
 
Well, it might look something like Roberto Benigni on Oscar night in 1998.  Benigni won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film for Life Is Beautiful.  When his name was called, Roberto's walls fell away: he jumped on seats, shook strangers' hands, hopped up the stairs like a little boy and, in heavily accented English, spoke profusely about joy and gratitude.  Everyone watching him immediately knew Roberto Benigni inside and out.
 
Letting our walls fall away to be truly known can be scary.  But, the less we hold our true selves back the better others can know us and the better we can know ourselves.  And, we get even closer to real breakthough leading.
 
(Want to see falling walls for yourself?  Watch here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cTR6fk8frs)

Q: Is your wisdom helping you wield your cutting edge?

Are knives good or bad?  
 
"Well," you may think, "that depends on who's using them."  Indeed.  A scalpel in the hand of a skilled surgeon is a wonder to behold.  However, in the hands of a fool it is a colossal danger.   
 
We can think of the scalpel as representing intelligence.  Made of our education, our skills, and even our talent, intelligence is a great competency to have.  But, intelligence without wisdom can be dangerous.  Your success is certainly due, in part, to your intelligence.  But, we must seek to increase our wisdom as well.  Knowing how to wield our intelligence makes it a truly useful tool, not a destructive one.