» Posts about ‘Interesting Stuff’

This 7-part weekly Leadership series is about R.E.S.P.E.C.T. – How to get it by earning it!

Over the next 7 Wednesdays, I’ll describe 7 remarkably simple components of R.E.S.P.E.C.T. that you can apply to your everyday conduct. The ability to earn R.E.S.P.E.C.T. is a critical Leadership quality … and we have absolute control over the actions we take to earn it. Since it’s impossible to be an effective leader without it, let’s devote some time and energy to learn how to give it. Are you with me?

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It was one of those days when I was already behind plan. I got to the meeting destination on time but I didn’t get a chance to find the missing file I needed for a later meeting or grab the dog food I swore to

my wife I would drop off at the vet. I was already a little irritated by all that, particularly by forgetting the coffee I had carefully prepared for the drive … and now getting even more irritable …

… because the other party still wasn’t there after 20 minutes! When he came bungling in, it was with that bit of insouciance that makes you want to pour cabbage soup down his jumpsuit … and then with the … “sorry, man, my other meeting ran late and I tried to call you but my cell battery was almost dead and I had to use the juice to call a client and I was rushing to get here” …. yeah, blah, yeah.

What are you and I thinking when this happens to us … other than channeling Carnac the Magnificent and hoping that an evil genie will plant splinters in his bathing suit? We know that there are lots of excuses reasons why people are late … and at one time or another, we’ve all probably used them. But, do you know the universal reason why most people are late in the first place?

You never make it out of the driveway when you think you will

Answer? We think we’re actually going to get out the door at the time we’ve chosen to leave … but, here’s the problem. By the time you pack up, find the coat your wife took off the back of the chair and actually hung up, turn out the lights, let the dogs out one more time, locate that file you almost forgot, the vet food … you see where I’m going?

Even though we’re smart enough to know when to leave … and might even allow a few extra minutes for unpredictable travel events … that’s not when we really leave. We think departure time is when our car is backing out of the driveway … but it’s never backing out when we figured. If you’re like my darling wife, you may also be checking to make sure the gas is off? … for the 2nd time … did I lock the back door? … did I leave my scarf in the trunk? … etc.

Doesn’t leaving early waste time?

There’s a mind-numbingly simple cure for the curse of tardiness …  

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Imagine that you are so remarkable that all the world stands in your honor, swinging and singing, tiny flashlights dancing across the ceiling, oblivious to the world around them? How do we achieve such an astounding level of recognition and praise for our own talents and accomplishments?

That’s what was going through my mind when I tuned in late last night  to the Kennedy Center Honors featuring Paul McCartney. Yes, there were other honorees … Oprah Winfrey, Merle Haggard, Jerry Herman and Bill T. Jones … but there were goosebumps aplenty as I listened to some of McCartney’s and the Beatles’ memorable songs … sung by luminaries like James Taylor, Steven Tyler, Gwen Stefani and Mavis Staples. Members of every generation ravenously devoured his music. You can watch many of the performances here.

What is our special gift?

Wow! How can we do that, I wondered? How do we, as Steve Jobs said, “get rid of all the crappy stuff” and stay focused like a rocket heading to its target? How do we apply the unique characteristics that define and differentiate us to achieve excellence in our chosen field? How do we stay unshackled from the constraints of everyday living and get our star to shine like Sirius?

And when the night is cloudy ….

It’s easy to ponder McCartney’s accomplishments and overlook the turbulence that has surrounded his life … from the screaming crowds and adoration beginning  in his early 20′s, to later encounters with drugs, the deaths of his wife and John Lennon, a more recent divorce …. Just a few of those distractions would overpower a weaker individual, and yet with all of it, he created an enduring musical catalog that lives in the hearts of billions of people across the world.

Hey Jude, don’t be afraid ….

I watched the “shiny eyes”, borrowing the words of Benjamin Zander, that stared in wonder at Paul McCartney. He was standing in the balcony reserved for the honorees, awash in the crescendo of adulation and applause. The musical set finished with Let it Be, which rocked the house, and when the huge choir assembled on stage for Hey, Jude, the crowd came to its feet, flashlights in hand, arms raised, McCartney singing, the President, Oprah and special guests swinging and swaying like they were in a totally different world. At that moment, McCartney’s music and lyrics transcended time and generations, with intoxicating power.

What are we doing to get there? What inspires you to sharpen your focus and accelerate your journey in 2011? Do you have the desired outcome and the next action steps clearly in mind?

How could I NOT share this email with you?

Seriously? Isn’t this all about Exkalibur … really? Pretty cool, huh? Maybe somebody’s looking out for us? (BTW, I might have to “borrow” the image of that sword handle.)

How many of you know of The Teaching Company and their terrific Great Courses catalog? If you’re a lifelong learner … and you wouldn’t be here if you weren’t … it’s a great resource that provides access to the great teaching professors from prominent universities. They offer more than 350 titles … in innumerable subjects ranging from the fields of science, fine arts, history and archaeology, philosophy, wine, music, mathematics … there is nothing really outside of their realm. You should check them out. Their stuff is really good.

By visiting King Arthur: The Power of the Legend, you can watch the free video yourself and get an idea of some of the wonderful offerings from this great company.

The Power of the Legend

So, maybe there are even more lessons in store from the legend of King Arthur? I’ll take a look at the video and report back to you. If you get a chance to watch it, let me know what you think.

Do you think you could distill a lifetime of experiences into a handful of sentences … so that when your grown children read them, they would hold them as dearly as they once held their teddy bears?

I’ve recently published several lists of “life lessons”, for lack of a better term, that keep coming my way from a variety of sources. These lists, scratched on the back of an envelope found in a plane crash, or tucked in a wallet for 50 years, are treasures because they’re personal … and each person believed he or she had captured the unique nature of their humanity.

So, now come the Guideposts of business philosophy taken from the book, Marriott — The J. Willard Marriott Story by Robert O’Brien. It’s longer than most … not a note card but still a single sheet of paper … maybe Willard did more than most? Some may seem old-fashioned, others a little harsh for the more indulgent company cultures of the 21st century … but most of them are rooted in sound business practices. Work your way past some of the pedestrian entries to uncover a few nuggets and valid reminders that you can add to your own list.

1. Keep physically fit, mentally and spiritually strong.
2. Guard your habits – bad ones will destroy you.
3. Pray about every problem.
4. Study and follow professional management principles. Apply them logically and practically to your organization.

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How many times have we been told to write down our goals so we can keep them in focus … and make sure we tell everyone around us so they can support us and cheer us on.

Derek Sivers strongly disagrees and shares what he’s learned from psychologists going back to the 1920′s. His TED speech is provocative and compelling and suggests that the more we tell people our goals, the less we accomplish … because afterward, we tend to behave as though we’ve already accomplished them. By the way, Derek Sivers is a rock star to the musicians he serves, having launched CD Baby and sold it 10 years later when its revenue exceeded $100 million. He continues to serve the musical community with MuckWork.

Wanna have some fun? How about logistics? Now that’s some fun, ain’t it?

Social media has stimulated countless phenomena … but connecting with our communities is probably one of its most valuable outcomes … which is why this new UPS commercial really caught my eye. Remember the lesson that if the railroads realized they were in the transportation business, they might not have collapsed?

UPS believes they’re really in the “life” business … that logistics is making life better … parts on time, always in sync, compete effectively, track everything, no lost gifts … logistics just “makes the world work better”.

So, isn’t that the shocking truth about having fun … that it’s actually possible to build it into our work if we work at it? If UPS can put fun and some pizzaz into logistics, shouldn’t we be able to add some fun and excitement to our products and services?

Surely they’re more exciting than shipping and delivery? Am I right? Am I? Right?

It’s exciting, isn’t it, when we stumble across crumpled notes that have been lodged in our wallet for years … to discover timeless gems that we may have forgotten? I’ve earlier reported on the piece of paper carried in the wallet of  John Wooden, famed UCLA basketball coach, which bore the words written by his father on Wooden’s high school graduation.

Harvey Mackay, author of Swim with the Sharks, recounts the story about Gordon Dean, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission under Harry Truman. When Dean died in a plane crash in 1958, it’s been said that among his personal effects was an envelope with nine life lessons scribbled on the back, none of which had anything to do with atomic energy or science.

Here they are:

1. Never lose your capacity for enthusiasm.
2. Never lose your capacity for indignation.
3. Never judge people – don’t type them too quickly. But in a pinch never first assume that a man is bad; first assume that he is good and that, at worst, he is in the gray area between bad and good.
4. Never be impressed by wealth alone or thrown by poverty.
5. If you can’t be generous when it’s hard to be, you won’t be when it’s easy.
6. The greatest builder of confidence is the ability to do something – almost anything – well.
7. When confidence comes, then strive for humility; you aren’t as good as all that.
8. The way to become truly useful is to seek the best that other brains have to offer. Use them to supplement your own, and be prepared to give credit to them when they have helped.
9. The greatest tragedies in the world and personal events stem from misunderstandings. So communicate!

Tim Berry called my attention to a great post on the ThinkGeek site. If you’re hungry, dig in … dig in, that is to the hilarious post showing the “cease and desist” letter they received from the National Pork Board claiming that they infringed on the slogan “The Other White Meat”.

You’ve got to read the ultra serious letter from the law firm, even the first page, along with ThinkGeek’s rebuttal. What a hoot!

I wonder what they’re serving in the lawyers’ dining room?

Everyone knows WHAT they’re doing … no exceptions … and most know HOW they’re doing it … but few know WHY they’re doing it! Simon Sinek argues that people make emotional decision to buy or follow someone only because they BELIEVE what YOU believe … which is all about WHY you’re doing it … NOT what or how you’re doing it.

Watch his provocative video from the TED conference and see if you’re clear about WHY you’re in business. Do your customers understand this? Does this provide the foundation for your relationship with them? If not, how can you go deeper to create that connection?