Deconstructing the Bull

I recently attended a board meeting where the members discussed whether or not the organization should purchase a building. The overwhelming majority of the room was in favor of the acquisition based on the simple fact that “all the pieces had fallen into place” so how could this not be the desired course of action?

Now I’ll admit that I’m more analytical than your average bear, but I also trust my heart and instinct as well. However, the line of reasoning the group used had some glaring errors. There is a spirit of truth; there is also a spirit of error. There is a spirit of light and a spirit of dark. Just because something looks good and attractive doesn’t mean you should go there. The simple fact that a building is available at a good price does not mean that a purchase is automatically a wise decision. As they say, the road to hell is paved with good intentions.

It seems the ability to think with a discerning mind is almost a lost gift among leaders these days, which may explain why people in positions of power make such awful decisions. They are not looking past the present moment. They want “it” bad and that’s how they get it. We all face things that seem like possible paths or options in our lives, be it in our personal, professional, financial, or spiritual lives.

In 1945 – 1946 Pablo Picasso produced a powerful series of eleven drawings collectively titled Bull. When viewed in sequence, each drawing is a simplification of the previous one, moving from the realistic to the abstract. You can see how he worked away at the complex image bit by bit reducing it to a single fluid line that still posses all the power of the bull itself. His single line drawings are simple yet powerful as they create so much using a single unbroken line.

Picasso got down to the essence of the animal, the true reality of what defined it. We should all be so able to pare down the noise in our daily lives and decisions. My father always told me, “The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” I used to laugh at this when I was younger but as the years went by, I discovered that this was absolutely critical to my life. Debby Boone has a line in a song, “It can’t be wrong, when it feels so right.” Nothing could be further from the truth.

Do you run from person to person seeking fulfillment? Do you allow other opportunities at work to derail you from the real work at hand because it just seems too good to be true? There are many great deceivers out there that convey a counterfeit message. They have their mission; the true test of leadership is determining if it is compatible with yours. Saying no out of fear is cowardice; saying no out of discernment is truly brilliant leadership. Can you deconstruct the bull?