A few years ago (at 38 years old to be precise) in the recess of my mind I knew I was facing a key inflection point and some important life choices.

Career.  Relationships.  The big stuff.  Change was imminent.

The little voice of doubt and insecurity we’ve all heard was growing louder.  The questions seemed overwhelming.

Will I pass this test?  Can I make a difference?  What if…?

It was exactly during this moment of introspection (and indecision) a friend shared a little note of inspired thinking that read:

“You may be 38 years old, as I happen to be, and one day, some great opportunity stands before you and calls upon you to stand for some great principle, some great issue, some great cause. And you refuse to do it because you are afraid.

“You refuse to do it because you want to live longer. You’re afraid that you will lose your job, or you are afraid that you will be criticized or that you will lose your popularity, or you’re afraid that somebody will stab or shoot or bomb your house. So you refuse to take a stand.

“Well, you may go on and live until you are ninety, but you are just as dead at 38 as you would be at ninety.

“And the cessation of breathing in your life is but the belated announcement of an earlier death of the spirit.”

{Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from the sermon “But, if Not” delivered at Ebenezer Baptist Church on November 5, 1967}

The right message at the right time.  I appreciated the thought and interpreted the intended personal challenge.  I hit print and have carried that piece of paper in my bag ever since.

Inspiration can come from a variety of sources.  It can come when we least expect it.  Often, it will arrive when we need it the most. A likely source of inspiration are the people around you.  Friends.  Family.  Colleagues. Co-Workers.  Collaborators. Working and spending time with people that are inspired, creating, contributing and taking bold steps forward is helpful, particularly when faced with an inconvenient choice or a more specific challenge.  The people around us have enormous impact on our being.  How we think, act and experience the world around us.

If you want to get Switched On it certainly helps to pay attention to people that embrace inspired living because it  is going to require your own inspired thinking first. Today as we recognize and honor the birth of activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his legacy these 10 lessons serve as an inspirational reminder of the opportunity we all have to embrace change, confront challenges, make an impact and live the change we want to see in the world around us.

 

Posted in Leadership

Tags: Change, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Inspiration, Inspired Living

Did you talk to a customer today?

Simple yes or no answer.  According to Frank Pacetta (a hero of mine) and his Blueprint for Success a “no” gets the leader or manager (CEO especially) an immediate failing grade.

{click through and take the rest of Frank’s Blueprint for Success Management Test}

Today’s leader is charged with navigating through chaotic and disruptive times.  Employees are anxious, overwhelmed, exhausted, uncertain and have far less trust in senior leadership.  Customers have an evolving set of expectations around the business relationship and brand experience.

Progressive leaders are recognizing this shift in the balance of power, removing barriers, improving access and leading from the front to cultivate a more connected and compelling brand experience for all stakeholders (employees, customers and investors).

The People Economy is here and to thrive amid this transformation true leaders are embracing the transparency that is required, leading from the front, connecting, communicating and collaborating to elevate trust, earn emotional commitment, accelerate innovation and effectively navigate change.

There are examples of next generation leadership all around us.

Consider Dallas Mavericks outspoken owner Mark Cuban who makes his e-mail address public (and has been know to offer it up for fan access on the jumbotron during games).  Don’t like the variety in the Food Court?  Send the owner a note.

How about Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh?  You can follow him on Twitter, check out real time company updates on his blog and employees can stop by his cubicle any time for a high five {forget the corner office…he rolls without walls}.

Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn responded to the recent Forbes article Why Best Buy is Going Out of Business…Gradually via his blog with His Thoughts on Best Buy’s Recent Media Coverage where people are free to comment, invited to connect with him or follow him on Twitter.

Ford CEO Alan Mullaly (notice how he starts this recent keynote!) recently did better than just talking to customers.  He actually delivered a new customers Ford F-150.  CEO service.

These leaders may not always be right.  Their companies may not always win.  But they are real, relevant and represent a shift from the antiquated Command & Control style leadership to a more Collaborative & Connected  approach that is proving far more effective for the time.

How accessible and transparent is your CEO?  Senior leadership?  You?  Worth considering.

This next generation approach to business (Generation Flux) is opening up opportunity for those willing to embrace change, challenge the status quo and connect people to each other and a common purpose.

Change is hard.  It is also the one constant we can count on.

 

Posted in Brand, Communications, Leadership, Social Media

Tags: Best Buy, Brian Dunn, Collaboration, Collaborative Leadership, Dallas Mavericks, Ford, Mark Cuban, People Economy, Tony Hsieh, Zappos

I have been writing about New Year resolutions for the last few years:

Resolve 2010
Accelerate 2011

The objective for this year is Breakthrough 2012.

Notice the progression?  With a little patience and forward progress the trend line can start to look positive.

If you are ‘resolutioning’ this weekend (and 44% of Americans will make resolutions) there are techniques to help improve goal setting and achievement (I share a few in the previous post/link).

I have also updated a few thoughts from 2010 to support resolution readiness and manifestation into meaningful outcomes:

Review:  Change requires an honest inspection and assessment.  What specific decisions lead to the destination?   As a leader/manager, individual contributor or in the personal life it helps to focus inward.  Take stock of the I that impacts the “we” or “they”.  Understanding where you’ve been is critical to help you get where you want to be going.  Look in the mirror.  Be honest with yourself. The critical component of a good resolution review and setting is accountability.

Reinvent:  This is a time for reinvention. Your company, your strategy, your brand and your career.  Transformation requires BIG ideas.  This is the exciting part.  Change.  Business models being ripped apart and reconstructed.  Customer expectations evolving.  Value propositions being reset.  The accelerated pace of transformation.  Information overload.  A global marketplace.  New skills and competency required to compete. Opportunity that is now a constant moving target.  Reinvention requires working a differently.  Welcome to The People Economy.

Reset:  What I like to refer to as adjusting to the new normal.  Constant change. Continuing education.  A climate that mandates authenticity and transparency to earn trust.   Bold Choices are required to simply stay even.   When you hit reset as an organization you need to have a clearly articulated strategy and core alignment around mission – vision – values.  These guiding principles create a culture of engagement, performance, accountability and trust.  When you hit reset as an individual it helps to begin with the end in mind.  What does success and happiness look like on December 31, 2012?  Decide today.

Relationships:  The most essential aspect to my own professional reinvention has been relationships.  A big part of my own resolution strategy is to do more relationship inventory and focus on respecting the important relationships I have.  I am fortunate to have developed a few new, meaningful relationships over the last 12 months. That is a gift.  I also had to make tough choices around relationships that needed to change or end.  You know when it isn’t working.  So did I.  Our natural tendency is to stay in them too long. We are all in the relationship business and surrounding yourself with the right people is the key ingredient to accelerating your success.  The right people hold you accountable and help propel you forward. With the right people you can thrive.

Resolve:  This is required for turning a resolution into reality.  The elevated sense of discipline and commitment required to see things through to the finish line.  It requires the understanding and acceptance that effort and results are two very different things.  It also mandates focus.  Deciding what not to do and where not to spend time are essential ingredients to staying the course. If you want to accomplish a BIG thing personally or professionally it requires alignment of a lot of little things along the way. By eliminating and avoiding unnecessary distractions you’ll be better positioned for success. Creating something new is hard work.

In the words of legendary football coach Vice Lombardi you have to “plan your work, and work your plan.”  Plans change.  The ability to adapt to new circumstances is essential.  The notion that plans can change and need to be flexible isn’t a good reason not to plan at all.

I hear and see the backlash around goals and resolutions. I get it.  After all it is so much easier to fear change, commit to nothing and simply stay the same.

I love resolutions.  The start of something new brings the hope of something great.

{BONUS: If your resolution is related to fitness or weight loss like most everyone else I know you might find these Top 12 Diet & Weight Loss Apps useful}

My favorite part about resolutioning is that I am solely responsible for making my own Breakthrough 2012 plan a reality.   I intend to have fun, be realistic and know I can count on a little help from the right people along the way.

Be Humble.  Stay Hungry.  Always Hustle.  Wishing you a healthy, happy and prosperous New Year!

Posted in Leadership, Performance, Uncategorized

Tags: 2012, Change, Goals, New Year, New Year's Resolutions, Performance

I have spent the last couple days in Portland, ME creating something new.

In my business when you get a break in the action that means it is time to create what is next and new.  Every entrepreneur, executive, leader, manager and individual contributor needs to spend time working both in the business (doing the work) and on the business (inventing the future and/or improving skills/competency).

Creating something new is hard work.  Creating something new when there are very real time, financial and resource constraints can prove to be a difficult and delicate balance.

However, it is simply work that must be done.

If you aren’t inventing the future and improving you are falling behind.  The status quo is dead.

I have learned a little bit about creation in the last couple years. My last creation project was our new, leadership development course:  Collaborative Leadership.

There were moments during the course design where I wanted to stop.  Start over.  Or scrap the entire project all together.  One day I thought it was my best work.  The next day I thought it most certainly wasn’t.  I pushed past that little voice of doubt and a few inevitable moments of pause to eventually ship (amazing how a firm deadline helps make that happen).

I was throw up nervous the day I delivered the course pilot at AT&T University and I am pleased the outcome is AT&T including the course as part of their 2012 executive development curriculum.  However, even if they hadn’t moved forward the act of creating something new would have still been well worth the effort.  Simply for these 5 lessons learned:

Start:  Research and planning needs to have a beginning and end.  The key is to start making progress.  Any progress.  A white board, post it notes, project draft and/or a sample counts as a start.  The start creates momentum.  Momentum is required to finish the work.  Keep in mind that everything is a draft until you decide it isn’t.

Effort:  It is supposed to be hard.  There might be a little pain, long nights, sacrifice, self-doubt and seemingly insurmountable obstacles along a creation endeavor.  Let me rephrase.  There will be.  Know it.  Expect it. Finds ways to push through it.  Your very best work will demand your very best effort.

Collaboration:  Because creating is hard you need help. I need a team.  I need to know my Business Manger is working in the business while I am working on the business.  I need to know that my Advisory Board is available for feedback and counsel.  Source your sounding board.  Your very best work is rarely done alone.

Commitment: Collaboration also helps drive commitment.  When you are accountable to people you care about it can drive a ferocious resolve to push hard simply to make sure you don’t let them down.  Having the right attitude toward the choices and commitment you make is essential to delivering your very best work.

Cross the Finish Line:  Starting and stopping is easy.  Finishing isn’t.  When procrastination is the enemy it helps to have an adversary.  A firm deadline works for me.   Finishing means we have to confront our fear of failure.   That is a powerful fear to face down.  Once you’ve done whatever it is you are doing once the next time might just get a little easier (no guarantee).  {Tip:  The Dip is an excellent little resource for determining when to quit and when to stay the course.  Many people give up on the cusp of a breakthrough}.

I am back to the beginning on a new creation project.  I am probably writing this post as a reminder to myself more than I am for anyone else.  I know what it feels like to finish.  I know I am capable.  I just have to do the work.

The truth is most people don’t want to create something new.  What they want is to be finished, receiving praise and accolades. Most people don’t want to spend 60 minutes, 6 days a week working out.  They simply want a killer body in a bathing suit.

Creating something new isn’t easy.

Results take real resolve. I believe it’s worth the effort.

When in doubt, just ask someone who crossed the creation finish line…victorious.

I’ll pose the same question to you that my friend Ross Bernstein (a creation machine) posed to me:

How many books are you going to write this year?

OR

What something new have you resolved to create in 2012?

Let the work begin.

Posted in Leadership, Performance

Tags: Art, Creation, Creatvitity, Do The Work, Ross Bernstein, The Dip, Writing

I was fortunate to find myself in Miami this weekend for the incredible Art Basel show featuring works by more than 2,000 artists of the 20th and 21st centuries. It was an a unique opportunity for me to reunite with the entrepreneur, athlete and artist in an environment where the the world’s creative community comes together to connect, collaborate, contribute and celebrate art.

Making great art is incredibly hard work.  A blank canvas doesn’t come with a set of instructions. Working when there are no rules is difficult for most of us because we have simply been conditioned to color inside the lines for so long. Do what we are told.  Hand in our homework. Follow the formula.  Finish our TPS Reports.

There are valuable business and leadership lessons to be learned from the professional artist, particularly in a time where work increasingly resembles art.

Seth Godin explored this topic in more detail in his NY Times Bestseller, Linchpin.  Defining an Artist this way:  “An artist is someone who uses bravery, insight, creativity, and boldness to challenge the status quo.  An artist takes it personally.  He further defines art as “A personal gift that changes the recipient. The medium doesn’t matter.  The intent does.  Art is a personal act of courage, something one human does to change another.”

What inspires you to make your art?

The artist needs to tap into the source that inspires creativity.  Increasingly, so does the Sales Professional, HR Manager and Chief Marketing Officer.   The rules have changed and almost every leader and manager is being required to solve new and increasingly more complex problems that mandate creativity.

A likely source of inspiration are the people around you.  Friends.  Family.  Colleagues. Co-Workers.  Collaborators. Working and spending time with people that are inspired, creating, contributing and taking bold steps forward is essential to my own personal and professional growth.  The people around us have enormous impact on our being.  How we think, act and experience the world around us. I was also fortunate to spend this past weekend with a very talented, emerging artist who drew incredible inspiration and ideas from the Art Basel experience. I always get inspired watching people I care about get switched on.

The artist has an advantage. Most people prefer to play it safe. Work in the confines of comfort. Minimize risk. Continue the familiar. Playing it safe provides a feeling of security. Unfortunately, in the new economy, it’s dangerously false. The best ideas and breakthrough moments often remain elusive in the safety zone. Those that are willing to take a risk, venture into uncharted territory, color outside the lines and create what is next and new have an increasing opportunity to thrive.

Those skills are necessary. They are deeply coveted by progressive organizations. They move us forward. They make business happen.

Posted in Brand, Leadership, Performance, Uncategorized

Tags: Art, Art Basel, Artist, Linchpin, Seth Godin

Yesterday I had the privilege of delivering the luncheon keynote address to the 1,000 volunteer leaders gathering in Washington D.C. for the annual Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM) Leadership Conference.

It was a fitting conclusion to my conference keynote schedule for the year and marked my 12th engagement in partnership with SHRM this calendar year.  My relationship with this Association has provided me an opportunity to address thousands of their members, attend keynotes, breakouts, workshops, round tables and take an active role in the ongoing conversation about the future of work.  It has afforded me some perspective on the challenges and change associated with the way we accomplish meaningful results in the workplace.

The way we organize work, elevate productivity and improve performance is changing.  Right now.

It will be incumbent upon Managers and Leaders to be increasingly more open, transparent, flexible, creative, and collaborative.  Collaborative Leadership is simply the new and improved model for navigating this ever complex, constantly changing business landscape.

Human Resources is perfectly positioned to guide and shape this transformation.  To evolve work style design. To have increasingly more impact on the business.

To get there will require both HR and Leadership to step boldly into the opportunity, challenge the status quo and exert change from a position of influence.  The enclosed Flip Cam clip from yesterday’s keynote offers a thought and a killer question around influential leadership.

I left this conference yesterday truly inspired by this leadership community, their collaborative work effort to make a difference and the impact they are going to have on the future of work!

I always learn more than I share and I continue to be grateful for that opportunity.

I look forward to continuing the conversation in 2012.  Hope to see you in the ATL.  Until then, stay connected!

 

Posted in Leadership, Performance

Tags: Change Agent, Collaboration, Collaborative Leadership, Keynote Speaking, Leadership, SHRM, SHRM Leadership, Work

I recently returned from my first visit to Caracas, Venezuela.  This was my first trip for business to South America and I was inspired by the generous spirit, intellectual curiosity, courage and commitment of the people I was fortunate to meet.  I was also reminded that the world is becoming a much smaller place.  I was reminded that we are all global citizens and can find more commonality and connectedness than we might imagine.  I was also reminded of my first visit to South America several years ago and my walk through The City of God.

I walked into the hotel lobby in Rio de Janeiro immediately after breakfast.  The meeting had been called for 10:00 am.  The agenda unknown. Immediately upon entering the lobby I knew what was coming next. I had seen that look in his eyes before. That crooked smile. I had known my friend for years. Traveled with him plenty. I knew that he was hatching a plan that most assuredly would push the confines of my comfort zone. He was heavy on the adventure agenda with a risk tolerance in business and life that far exceeded my own.

A guest had joined us. A Brazilian man. The presentation started with a question. “Gentleman, I trust you’ve all seen the movie, “The City of God?”

Affirmative. A cult classic.

He proceeded, “Today, we are going into the Favelas.”

I immediately replied, “I’m out.” The Favelas tend to be ruled by drug lords and are infamous for the drug trade and regular shoot-outs between traffickers and police. Not exactly the ideal afternoon vacation activity.

The objection was expected. This was perhaps the part my friend relished the most. He had counters. He had procured a guide that assured us safe passage. He had his pitch down cold. Per usual, he closed.

Two hours later a van dropped us off at the base of the Favelas and we started our walk into The City of God.

I have been a few places. Seen a few things. I am Delta Platinum heading into Diamond territory. When I was asked recently what was the most memorable experience I had from all my travels I can tell you these few hours were at the top of my list. It was a once in a lifetime experience.

Here are 5 things I learned on my walk through The City of God:

Everyone needs hope: There is so much hope in the eyes of a child.  Two of the my favorite photographs from my trip to Brazil are the first two enclosed of the children we met in the Favelas.  While clearly impoverished they were full of hope, happiness, light and life.  They were fascinated by us and when you smiled at them they would smile a mile wide right back.  I suppose in the circumstances they are faced with the light of hope can easily extinguish.  Unfortunately, there was also plenty of hopelessness on display. Great leaders inspire hope in others and instill confidence in the future.
Most people are generally good and want to do good: Of course there are exceptions. Walking around anticipating those exceptions will ensure you miss out. I had a lot of people discouraging me from traveling to Caracas.  Sure it can be dangerous.  So is St. Louis. Most people are good.  Most people aren’t that different from you or me.  Empowering others to become the best of themselves and embracing our differences is real leadership.  Business can be a force for good.
I have nothing to complain about: I got up this morning. Put clothes and shoes on my body. Buttoned a warm coat. Walked down the street to my neighborhood coffee shop. Purchased a cup of coffee and scone. I consumed clean water. The plumbing in the coffee shop was functional. I wasn’t threatened. I wasn’t injured. Not once this morning did I fear for my life or think about my safety.  I sent e-mails on my MacBook Pro.  Freely shared my ideas.  Feel very confident about where my next meal is coming from. These things make me quite privileged.  I live amid abundance and opportunity.  Could it be better?  Of course.  But in considering and comparison, there isn’t a person in this coffee shop with me right now that isn’t so very fortunate to be sitting here.
We all can make a difference: We all have the power to make a difference.  We all have the potential to contribute. We all have the permission to create change.  One conversation.  One connection.  One meaningful moment that inspires action.  How we make a difference is up to each of us.
Go Places. Meet People.  Being somewhere new and being open and proactive about putting new people into our lives is well worth the effort. Those places and especially the people will help us evolve if we let them. New places and people wake us up.  Challenge us.  Provide a sense of adventure and renewed spirit.  Inspired experiences can translate into inspired thinking and action.

Here are a few photo’s from my memorable walk.

Wherever you are walking today I wish you safe passage, meaningful memories and inspired thinking that leads to action.

Posted in Leadership, Performance, Uncategorized

Tags: Adventure, Brazil, City of God, Flavellas, Travel

Are you the VP of Sales that mandates a walk through of the entire pitch deck script?  Do you take over the call and dominate the conversation when you are on appointments with your reps?

Are you the Creative Director that stands over the Designers shoulder while they are making art offering “direction”?  Point. Click.  More.  Less.

That isn’t development.  That is a command and control leadership style that is antiquated and proving to be increasingly less effective.

Let go.

Autonomy is a highly coveted, culture characteristic of high performing employees.  We all have the fundamental desire to direct our own lives and our own work.

Additionally, traditional control mechanisms stifle creativity, innovation and the opportunity for employees to elevate the work product beyond what may have been originally thought possible.  This runs counter to what is going to be required (breakthrough thinking) to compete and succeed in the new world at work – in the “People Economy”.

According to the new Modern Survey Research 70% of employees are now either disengaged or under engaged at their job – a record high number!

This begs the leadership self assessment:  Am I contributing to that number?  Do my employees feel trapped or stuck?

Hire the right people.  Prepare them.  Put them in a position to be successful. Set expectations.

Serve to guide, coach, support and counsel when needed.

Get the hell out of the way.

Programming Note:  Based on our last three years of research and practice we’ll be introducing new Future of Work/Future of Leadership programming for 2012. Details to follow soon on  Collaborative Leadership.

Posted in Employee Engagement, Leadership, Performance

Tags: Collaboration, Modern Survey

In an era of all the time connectivity there is increasing competition for the attention required to engage in meaningful conversations that move a connection forward and make a relationship better.  The downside of the being constantly plugged in is that it is increasingly more common to be alone together.

Conversations that connect us matter. They create clarity.  Establish expectations.  Evolve understanding.  Elevate emotional commitment.  Resolve conflict.   Solidify trust.  Serve to validate and acknowledge the ideas, opinions and importance of another person.

If you are finding that technology has replaced talking or simply has become a distraction to deep dive dialogue, consider these 4 keys for more effective interpersonal communication:

1. Power Down: Turn off the technology from time to time.  You cannot have compelling conversation while text messaging, tweeting and updating your status.  You cannot connect when you are consistently distracted.  Demonstrate respect by offering a moment of your absolute, undivided attention.

2. Eye contact:  Maintaining eye contact is essential for elevated engagement during a conversation.  It demonstrates sincere interest and helps you remain focused and present.  It also helps you make a stronger, more meaningful connection.

3. Ask important questions:  I don’t have meetings without a question map (effective, open ended questions prepared in advance designed to serve the agenda and outcome objective).  I don’t want to waste anybody’s time. Skill with questions can be the difference maker between average and extraordinary sales performance (and average and extraordinary leadership).  Skill with questions applies to life.  And this question is still the single best question of all time for initiating new relationships.  Give it a try at your next cocktail party and see what happens to the conversations you are having and the connections you make.

4. Listen:  Acknowledge what you are hearing by reinforcing key points.  Ask probing questions to layer the conversation and create the next level of understanding.  Don’t interrupt.  Don’t focus on what you are going to say while someone else is talking.  Relax and really work to develop understanding.  Perhaps the best rule of interpersonal communication comes courtesy of Dr. Stephen Covey, Habit 5:  Seek first to understand, and then be understood (a habit you will rarely see in practice on Twitter).

Conversations that count can lift us up, move our spirit and serve as the catalyst for making new friends and connecting in our most meaningful relationships.

Sometimes it just requires a little more effort to not be alone together.

Posted in Communications, Leadership, Sales, Social Media, Uncategorized

I have shared these ideas before.  They are worth repeating.

You don’t need a title to lead.  Titles don’t earn followers.  You earn followership based on your own ability to contribute value to the process, people and performance.

You don’t need permission to influence.  You impact others and initiate change through action.

We all have the power to make a difference.  Especially among the people that matter the most to us.

We all have the power to create change.  One conversation.  One connection.  One meaningful moment that inspires action.

Leadership isn’t about you.  It is about them.  A leader exists to help, guide, develop, teach, counsel, coach, correct and consistently elevate  the potential and performance.  Your success is achieved through others.  Through change.  Through making a difference.

Not everyone cares about making a difference.

Not everyone is meant to lead.

When others entrust you to guide and develop their talent and career path it is an awesome responsibility.   Stepping up to that responsibility is incumbent upon today’s effective leader.  Especially during a time of such extraordinary challenge and change.

Effective leaders embrace change.  Challenge the status quo.  Commit.  Cultivate confidence in the future. Connect people to each other and to a common purpose.

Effective leaders care.  They go all in to make a difference.  They inspire by living the change they want to see in others.

It is a time where true, authentic leadership is required.  What an extraordinary opportunity to have an impact.  To make a difference.

This video preview for the new book The Leader Who Has No Title offers a bit of inspiring insight from some of the most influential leaders of our time.  A great message about work.  A great message about responsibility.  A great message about making a difference.

A great message about leadership.

 

Posted in Employee Engagement, Leadership

Tags: Change, Influence, Leadership, Robin Sharma