Posts tagged affecting organization thru actions
tolkein part 1: living & adventures
Jan 16th
So.
IMAGINATION_by_archanN
I have been a JRR Tolkien and Lord of the Rings/Hobbit fan since grade school when one ambitious teacher read us The Hobbit during reading time (in whatever grade someone has reading time).
I was fascinated by the battles and the drama and the cast of characters. My imagination went wild with the possibilities and I would guess The Hobbit was one of the first “adult” books I picked up and read on my own when I was old enough.
Looking back … I guess I have always found joy in the metaphorical aspect of all the Tolkien books (and loved drawing the correlations).
But it was The Hobbitt that originally tweaked that understanding and began my love of words and framing of words.
It was this book that opened the door in my mind where I understood books were not just words but thoughts.
And I could probably blame Tolkien for my sense of imagination and some of the ways I view things.
Anyway.
What I really value is that he made me realize good authors/writers didn’t just write things down in some willy nilly fashion.
That authors wote with a thought. And that it was a mistake to take the words at face value but rather it was worth taking some time to understand the meaning behind the words … the messages and the lessons to be learned.
In the beginning, my impressionable youth, it probably took me a number of years to begin breaking down the metaphors into distinct conceptual quotes and truly understanding the genius of Tolkein.
ok.
Enough on all that.
As with any well written fantasy book the Lord of the Rings is strewn with a number of great quotes and soundbite thoughts.
Really thoughtful thoughts.
Not “elvin” thoughts or thoughts using some wacky made up language or simly unrealistic fantasy-like thoughts … but life thoughts.
Here are some of my favorites:
“Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.” – Gandalf
This thought is huge.
And not all people may buy it. Mostly because it is always difficult to believe that good people shouldn’t have the opportunity to fulfill their potential “good” destiny. And it becomes even more difficult when you observe obviously ‘not good’ living a long life dispensing ‘not good things’ as freely as loose cards from a dozen decks of cards.
But. It is too simplistic to suggest the bad deserve to die and the good deserve to live. Because, frankly, life isn’t all good nor is it all bad.
Anyway.
I guess the bigger thought here is that we judge people ‘as is’ (or as they are)and estimate ‘what will be (or what could be) and .. well … judge.
You can’t.
Sorry.
But you can’t.
Even the best of hearts can be cracked by life.
Even the worst of souls can find redemption.
Regardless.
Gandalf reminds us we shouldn’t be too eager to use death in judgment for bad .. or good. Why? Because, whether we like it or not … “not good” people serve a role in life.
One big role is that it is in the conflict between good people and bad people therein lies the growth of “what should be.”
Think about it.
In those who live, that deserve death, we see vivid demonstrations to remind us of “what shouldn’t be.” And in those who die, who seemingly deserved life because of goodness, it is a harsh reminder that those of us remaining have a responsibility to uphold that “which should be.”
Ok. The quote.
I do know I read this quote several times before I fully grasped it.
And, in fact, I may still be searching for the real truth within.
Regardless. No matter how wise I may become … I cannot see all ends.
And I certainly cannot judge who deserves death and who doesn’t (no matter how much I would like to).
And I think it is either silly, or selfish, to dwell on ‘what could have been’ even with who may be seemingly the best of the best.
In the end?
Try not to judge people. And judge your own life by what you are doing … because you cannot see the end. The end arrives … well … when it wants to arrive not when we choose.
Next.
“It is not your own Shire. Others dwelt here before hobbits were, and others will dwell here again when hobbits are no more. The wide world is not all about you: you can fence yourselves in, but you cannot for ever fence it out.” – Gildor Inglorion
The big thought: “The world is not all about you.”
Wow.
If the Shire were America, and Gildor shared this thought, could you see the ole blogosphere lighting up like a roman candle?
Ignorance is a fence.
And isolationism is living within that fence.
That is fencing yourself from the unknown.
I won’t suggest it’s out of fear or any number of actually good reasons … but isolating yourself (personally or as a country) is never good.
Anyway.
I think the bigger thought here is that we need to always remind ourselves that we today represent a past .. and that we are probably a blip in history (or what will be).
I guess the reason why this quote resonates with me today is that Americans are REALLY focused on what is seemingly “our problems”.
And I guess they should be (I do know I care …. but …) but this quote is a reminder that all in which we live in should have some perspective. What happens in our community is important .. but it is simply one cog in the bigger global wheel.
Bottom line?
Yeah. What you & your community is facing is important. And needs to be dealt with.
But burying your head in your own community means losing sight of the forest. And the issues that reside in the forest. And, frankly, the things the forest can bring to bear against your own little tree in the woods.
The cycle of time brings an end to everything … only to bring a beginning to another. You may as well step beyond your own shire at some point. And that’s not about being adventurous … that is simply about living life.
Ah.
But what about adventures …
“Don’t adventures ever have an end? I suppose not. Someone else always has to carry on the story.” – Bilbo
Adventures are fun to write about.
Especially when you talk about beginning or end.
Because … well .. in my eyes .. true adventures never do end. I could have included another thought … “in each end there is a beginning, and each beginning there is an end.”
A truth.
Life is an adventure. Or a series of adventures. (that is if you elect to look at it this way)
Peoples’ lives end but life doesn’t. Someone is always there to carry on.
Think about it.
Someone is always an extension of the past. No one is totally new.
Your own adventure is simply something you have found a passion for that exists and you are carrying it on … for someone else to pick up again one day and carry it on.
We are all just a chapter in a bigger story.
Never lose sight of that fact.
So ends this chapter of thought.
tolkien Part 2: glittering & wandering
Jan 16th
Ok.
What I said to open Tolkien part 1 still stands (I just didn’t want to repeat it). Here are 2 more stanzas from Lord of the Rings I like:
“all that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.”
- ancient verses of Elvish prophecy
This is one of my favorite quotes of all time.
And it is probably my most used.
While many use the first couplet I like the entire stanza.
Part A. “not all those who wander are lost.”
Maybe because it seems a reflection of me …. maybe its because I think it is a reflection of a lot f people … I use this time and time again when teaching some high school classes and talk with students about their future and making plans and knowing what the hell they are going to do with their lives.
I have written about this thought ad nausea but the truth is that not everyone knows their “destination.”
Particularly in youth.
It takes time to figure out not only what you are good at but what makes you happy (which may not be the same thing) as well as what feeds your life vitality (the shit that makes waking up every morning fun).
People wander. Ok. Not all do … but those who do tend to be some pretty interesting people (not necessarily the most successful … but interesting).
I often use this clip from the old tv show Felicity to make this point:
- (this is called “ben’s big mom speech … and yes … I am actually using a clip from Felicity to make a point here … http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_OYgh1_MZA and the actual scene is 1:39 to 3:48 … it says it perfectly)
Ben: “I’d like to think that people take a good look at me before they make up their minds… He’s this guy, he doesn’t know what he wants to be yet, and he doesn’t have a major yet, he’s got his dad as this dark character … has a drinking problem.
I’m not really selling myself here, am I? … Look I understand why you guys needed to see Felicity with someone like Noel… I mean, he’s obviously gonna make it. And probably long before, I mean, I figure out what I ‘m gonna be in my life. But I always remember this one thing my teacher said, which was, all these people she knew they had no idea what they were gonna do with their lives when they were twenty. So, chances are, I’m gonna turn out to be a pretty interesting guy.
It’s a great clip.
And says what many of us at that age felt … even though we were still wandering. What do I mean? Well. The wanderer usually feels like there is something wrong with themselves (and adults are typically fairly quick to suggest just that). I imagine the danger is in defending yourself you stop seeking a destination and revel in the seeming rebellion of wandering.
Regardless.
Wandering doesn’t mean you are lost.
You may simply be discovering.
And all that discovery is needed to make whatever gold you have in you shine.
Time just needs to buff away the dullness a little.
Next.
Part B … “deep roots are not reached by frost.”
Well.
As I have grown older I have grown a larger appreciation for this part.
The first couplet is brilliantly crafted but inevitably I believe the genius of Tolkien was putting the two couplets together.
For the deep roots are found in your soul. This is that life vitality stuff I talk about a lot.
Deep roots is the shit you care about.
Your passion.
Your soul.
The kind of stuff that no matter how much someone may challenge or try to make sound silly … well .. they are your deep roots.
Here is the tricky part.
I think deep roots takes time.
And I don’t mean cultural roots or family roots … I mean personal roots.
Unfortunately (as I tell young people) you don’t get deep <healthy> roots until you are older.
A young person may have an old soul …. but only life experience creates deep roots.
But.
Its worth the wait.
Because even in the coldest and darkest of time … deep roots can never be touched by frost. Which means they will grow again.
Ok. Moving on.
The last Tolkien saying in part 2 … it seemed appropriate to end with this one.
I am a self-anointed nomad.
I am most happy when home is simply where I hang my hat for the moment. And sometimes that is a difficult thing to explain to people because it seems like the majority like the comfort of home … and the stability that comes with it. I find homes confining. I find settling constricting. I find comfort in roaming. I find the unknown freeing.
So.
With that said … roaming and leaving places always reminds me of this Tolkien stanza:
“The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say.
Still round the corner there may wait,
A new road or a secret gate.”
- Elvish verse
To me (and I know I am in the minority on this) Life is all about “still around the corner there may wait a new road or a secret gate.”
I thrive in the fact that we don’t really know how each day will unfold.
The fact that every day something will happen.
And every day somethings we expect and somethings we don’t will happen.
And, to me, that’s what makes Life interesting.
What you cannot see around the corner.
That new road.
Or that secret gate.
The unknown.
To me each step in life is driven on by curiosity and the joy of discovery. And then not settling with that discovery but rather pocketing it as a new experience and immediately stepping back out on the road seeking the next gate, door or errand …. ‘pursuing it with eager feet’ as it may be.
Look.
I don’t lie to myself and believe everyone feels this way.
But I do talk about it as often as I can.
Because everyone should at least try it once in a while.
Ok. That’s it.
These are just some of my favorite quotable moments but all his books are chockfull of thoughtful literary moments.
Read Tolkien.
Read any literature.
Whatever.
What I know for sure is if you read, and you think about what you read, you can gain perspective on things in a way you maybe have never thought of them ever before.
a company of adventurers
Oct 10th
Leadership is a tricky thing.
It is walking a fine line of truth (grounded in what is real as well as ‘not lying’) and aspirational (giving people a glimpse of what they can be).
And, as with anything, this is about some functional practical things and emotional soul searching things.
Oh. And connecting them. It is the connection aspect that great leaders do well.
But, ultimately, those leaders who figure it out end up leading high energy, high performance organizations.
And I tend to believe when you see an organization that ‘thinks small’ (or acts small) it is because their leaders do.
Regardless.
Just as I wrote recently about the fact we are in the ‘selling hope’ business I tend to believe great organizational cultures are also grounded on hope. Hope for being better. Being a better person. Being better at what you may do daily (even the smallest task). Being part of something that betters the world.
Great organizations, at their core, feed their people’s hope.
And great leaders figure out a way of showing them that hope.
In practical terms and aspirational terms.
All that said that leads to me to some words that made me think about this.
Sam Meek. Sam was the CEO of of the advertising agency J. Walter Thompson in the 50’s/60’s. And the words below were delivered in a 1965 speech.
Within the following words there are little scraps of hope littered throughout for people to pick and choose from. Scraps of the practical. Scraps of aspirational. Scraps of lessons that can be implemented daily in actions. All littered on a ground of a solid attitude focused on the horizon.
These are words that make you feel good about being part of the organization and yet words to challenge every one to be better and work harder (“we are a permanently dissatisfied company”).
I am not above stealing great words and reapplying them. I use these words all the time and, frankly, I seek to work within organizations that like these words:
When I talk of this company, I am not thinking just of a legal or business entity. I am using the word in the older sense, as in a company of scholars, as a company of adventurers, or a company of voyagers. I think our companionship partakes of all these things.
There had to be something special about this enterprise to attract the talented and venturesome people who have come together to exercise their considerable talents and to derive from it the things that make for full and satisfying life.
Our relationships are subtle and highly sensitive relationships ….
Our job must be to share authority without losing it …
The whole staff must have a proprietary feeling about the company’s work.
We are a permanently dissatisfied company and so far as I can see, we shall not run out of things to be dissatisfied about. I think our work, in most instances, is the best of its kind in the world – and yet not good enough. Not as good as it is going to be. There has not been and there should never be a year when it is not better than the year before.
Our audience is getting more demanding all the time – it is not a question of talking down to them. The problem, the opportunity, is to talk far enough up to them.
Lastly.
I use the quote below all the time.
I am not sure I have ever seen nor heard words from a leader that captured the essence of both functional practical and aspirational better than these.
“We must be dynamic for purposes bigger than ourselves.“
I admit.
I do hate when an organization “thinks small.” That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t think practical but they should think about impact. What kind of impact, or imprint, do they truly want to make. And I don’t necessarily mean making people’s lives better. I mean ‘doing good or great shit.’ Making an impact through what they do and who they are as an organization. Impacting whatever world they affect. It doesn’t have to be global (like a JWT) but it can be local or even within their own circle of friends & business relationships.
Creating a great organization, a company of adventures, needs leaders who say, who mean, who live, these types of words.
And all words that are said within a truth that it isn’t rhetoric but rather it is the soul of the organization.
Be dynamic.
Whew.
That alone is a great thought.
So go be.
expectations as an economy
May 17th
This one is about those pesky demanding consumers. And their pesky attitudes & expectations.
Oh. Expectations. Expectations are truly tricky things. They elevate quickly (even moreso in the web-based transparency driven world) and they decrease grudgingly. Once a consumer has experienced a truly 100% perfect experience the bar has been set. And in today’s world? You (a consumer) doesn’t even have to personally experience it … you can simply virtually experience it … and your expectations have been reset.
Let’s face it.
In the past a company (or a brand) could get away with not performing at its peak. Or maybe taking a day off performance wise. All because consumers didn’t experience full transparency of the best, the cheapest, the first, the most original or the most relevant.
Well.
That’s all over.
And things are bound to get even more radical.
trendwatching calls this phenomena The Expectation Economy. And it is not just a generational thing. While it is a given for the younger generations who are unburdened by an era of mass production, mass advertising and above all mass ignorance … older generations are quickly stepping into this world wondering what the hell all these youngsters know that they don’t.
Oh. And every day the older generations are getting more online savvy (even if it is simply to make sure they aren’t getting screwed) and are creating the same expectations as the younger generations.
The Expectation Economy is a consumer trend chock full of experienced well informed consumers from the US to China who has a high list of expectations that they apply to each and every product or service or experience on offer. Their expectations are based on years of self training in hyperconsumption and the flood of online information readily available. All of which helps them track down and expect not just basics even for the basics (in other words … there is no such ting as “basic” any more). Not just the lower level standard of quality but the “best of the best” for what they are willing to pay.
They have redefined quality.
Quality is now based on what they are willing to pay.
“Yes. I have one dollar. But now I know what to expect for one dollar. Oh. And it ain’t just one dollar worth of value. Its something more because I know, even though it’s just one dollar, someone out there is willing to give me more than one dollar of value because they want my one dollar.”
So.
What this really means is that in this expectation economy your product or service is no longer just judged against other products and services in your category but by experiences created by other products and services in other categories you cannot even imagine are your competition. Ok. They aren’t your competition in a true definition of the word (it is not like they are stealing sales) . But. They are stealing expectations. They are resetting the expectations in your category.
Geez. How fair is that? You aren’t even competing against them.
Well. In the new Expectation Economy face it. You aren’t just competing against those you think you are competing against but also competing against expectations being set by other companies in other categories.
The biggest difference from five to ten years ago? Word of mouth now travels the world in a flash, making product launches instantly global, turning every new brand, big or small, into a potential ‘player’ in the marketplace. Small businesses and brands can become big businesses and big brand overnight.
Basically, this is the Creative Destruction theory (Schumpeter) gone ballistic. Remember. Creative Destruction is all about how the small constantly overwhelm the big to improve the overall marketplace.
And it is happening because never before has intelligence on the best, the cheapest, the first, the most original and the most relevant been so openly available to consumers. And never before have consumers enjoyed doing research and comparisons (lets call it ‘personal competitive analysis’) as much as they do now. In fact consumers are conducting the competitive analysis more diligently than most corporations do (including possibly the most anal comparative corporation of all time P&G).
Blame (or thank) sites, blogs and magazines such as:
- Core77, Inhabitat, Design*Sponge (design, furniture and objects)
- Gizmodo, Engadget, Ubergizmo (cutting-edge gadgets and electronics)
- Treehugger (eco-chic products)
- Curbed (real estate)
- Cool Hunting, The Coolhunter, Josh Spear, NOTCOT (cool, beautiful, have-to-have ‘stuff’)
- Gridskipper, superfuture, Jaunted, Wallpaper, TripAdvisor, Monocle (hotels, restaurants, architecture)
- Flavorpill (coolest city events)
- FlyerTalk, SeatGuru, Skytrax (best airlines and seats)
- Luxist, Born Rich (most desirable luxury goods and services)
- Autoblog, Jalopnik, Hybrid Cars Blog (automotive scoops)
- JC Report, The Sartorialist (fashion and style)
- Kotaku, Joystiq (video games)
- Styledash (beauty)
- Slashfood, Chocolate & Zucchini (food and beverage)
- EUKicks (sneakers)
- Vinography (wine)
- FirstShowing, /Film (movies)
- Digital Photography Review (photography)
This avalanche of consumer competitive intelligence has even spawned consumer information as a job – where consumers inform each other on the best of the best without feeling the need to actually purchase anything or even get paid for what they are doing.
What started with amateur “cottage industry” travel, chef & shopping experts is now applied to virtually every industry or any object that consumers’ desire. In fact consumers can now vicariously consume everything and anything through the eyes of curators/experts and other consumers, and the written/spoken/taped reports they freely share (note again … without getting paid to do any of this).
And all this sharing of knowledge leads to creating expectations. Expectations with regard to everything. And that leads to …
Irritation and Indifference
Think about the consumer as someone with ongoing annoyance interspersed with occasional boredom and indifference.
Whew. Now that sounds tough for any marketer out there.
Why will consumers’ moods be like this?
Once high(er) expectations have been set, they are bound to go largely unmet, since the majority of brands still choose not to keep up with the best of the best (because that “isn’t our positioning or what we are about” or they simply just cannot match the best of the best).
Well informed consumers will thus find themselves in a perpetual state of indifference and/or irritation.
Indifference will hit those brands that consumers know are underperforming, and that they can avoid due to sufficient availability of the best of the best. If you’re working for one of those underperforming brands, the scary thing is not just selling less (or nothing). It’s that indifferent consumers will stop being forgiving, they will stop being cooperative and giving you feedback on how to be more like other, better performing competitors. They’ll just leave and never return, without telling you why.
Perpetual irritation is just as bad: this will occur when consumers are forced to buy from an underperforming brand, due to limited or no availability of what they already know is the best of the best.
In this light, pay special attention to fake loyalty and postponed purchases:
- Fake loyalty: consumers will continue to purchase from underperforming brands if the ‘real thing’ isn’t available. To the underperforming brand, all may seem quiet on the western front, until the best of the best suddenly does become available. Good examples of fake loyalty can be found in the airline industry: millions of frequent flyers around the world know that Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines and Emirates offer a superior experience, but since these airlines don’t fly on all routes, consumers have no choice but to fly with subpar airlines now or then, or all of the time. Count on them to vote with their wallets every time new routes are added by these ‘best of the best’ carriers, even if they’ve never flown with them before.
- Postponing purchases: some ‘best of the best’ brands like Apple actually manage to indirectly convince consumers to postpone certain purchases. Many consumers would rather wait for the iPhone or MacBook Air to become available, than to buy a new phone or laptop. Again, due to the dissemination of information, even local product launches are instantly global. Digital services have already succumbed to phased distribution; the physical world is next.
The Next Generation
Let’s face it: in the past a brand could get away with not performing at its peak, since consumers didn’t enjoy full transparency of the best, the cheapest, the first, the most original, the most relevant. That’s really over. And things are bound to get even more radical: the EXPECTATION ECONOMY is a given for younger generations, who are unburdened by an era of mass production, mass advertising and above all, mass ignorance.
So: not knowing who’s doing exceptional things and setting your customers’ expectations is not an option. Which brings us to the following:
Looking cross-industry is Imperative
Sure, we know that what you really, really want is to look at which trends will dictate your industry. If you’re in automotive, you want to know about the future of transport; if you’re in food and beverage, you’re no doubt interested in everything healthy and green and organic. And of course you have a near-obsession with what your main competitors are up to. But in an EXPECTATION ECONOMY, business professionals should obsessively think and look cross-industry, as opposed to suffering from industry tunnel vision.
Here are three reasons why looking cross-industry isn’t just great for inspiration, but a prerequisite for understanding how to succeed in an EXPECTATION ECONOMY:
1. Your Competition could be Anyone
First of all, focusing solely on your own industry will obscure the fact that in economies of abundance, consumers are increasingly spending their ‘play money’ on goods and services that net them the experience, the indulgence, the excitement, the satisfaction they’re looking for at a specific moment. Which could be new sneakers (even though they already own five pairs), or a new cell phone (even though their current one is perfectly fine) or a long weekend away (even though, if they’re European, it’s probably their fourth getaway this year). So if you’re, let’s say, Nike, you’re definitely competing with Reebok and Adidas and Onitsuka Tiger once a consumer has made up his or her mind that it’s sneakers he or she desperately wants. But before minds are made up, when shopping for a certain kind of excitement, it may as well be Nokia or Starwood Hotels. Or Zara. Increasingly, you’ll be competing with anyone and everyone, which means you need to keep an eye on anyone and everyone.
2. Expectations are Often set Outside your Industry
Secondly, limiting yourself to your own industry will make you miss important changes in consumer expectations, and will thus put you at risk of disappointing or even annoying consumers. Every industry has its own ‘innovation competence’, and the innovations they’re bringing to market not only excite their own customers, they also shape their expectations for other industries. Whether it’s Singapore Airlines’ sense of status, Starbucks’ understanding of indulgence and rituals, H&M’s obsession with making up-to-the-minute fashion affordable, or Apple’s prowess in design and usability. And while flawless execution is never easy, the thinking and attitude behind it isn’t impossible to mirror. Consumers know this, too. Hence their aforementioned indifference and irritation when it comes to the non-H&Ms, the non-Singapore Airlines, the non-Apples.
3. Just copying Competitors is a Race to the Bottom
Last but not least, if you’re obsessed with what your direct competition is doing, you will always end up copying new concepts in your industry. Which means that, unless you’re comfortable with being a ‘smart follower’ and being really really good at it you won’t be successful.
Now, all of this is of course not to say that you shouldn’t actively track what’s happening in your own industry. But also constantly ask yourself: who are our other competitors? What experiences could our product or service be traded in for? And what can we learn from other industries setting consumer expectations across the board?
Oh.
Smart follower. 
That’s management speak for waiting to see whether innovative initiatives by more creative and daring competitors are worth copying: if they are, you’re too late, and if they’re not, well, by then they’re probably working on something newer that does work.
Being a smart follower is not a science. In reality it is all about mixing experience, intuition, and knowing your sources.
In my world i grab a notebook and camera and start taking notes and pictures roaming the streets. And secondarily scanning the list of best of the best sites/publications. Note that I prioritize “the streets” first.
Always remember. “The streets howl with the truth.”
Find competitors and non-competitors, big and small, who are setting consumer expectations much higher than you’ve ever been able to (because whether you like it or not you are being compared to them).
Maybe they’re more fun.
They have better design. Their stuff tastes, looks, feels better. Their customer service actually responds to emails. They’re cheaper.
Then build what you think are the standards for which you will be measured against. Those are the expectations you need to manage whatever it is you do against. That is where you need to start thinking. Maybe in developing new products or services or just experiences.
But in this new Expectation Economy you have to at minimum incorporate people’s expectations into what you are doing. And, of course, seek to outdo them somewhere.
Ah. The Expectation Economy. It certainly isn’t dull.
source: thanks to trendwatching for contributing to this post.
Being Erica and Dr. Tom and life quotes
Mar 4th
So. There is this random TV show from Canada that is chock full of quotes. Its called Being Erica. It’s a quirky show where therapy takes place thru time travel. It kind of gives life lessons (which I like … when it is well done) but in general the only redeemingly fun part of the show is the therapist a guy called Dr. Tom. He is constantly cranking out these cheesy but awesome quotes to make a point. And (because it is a TV show) this Erica chick always has something in her life for him to comment on.
But she is facing change in her life as a mid-late 20something:
Erica: “Change. Sometimes it sneaks up on you. Sometimes it hits you over the head. And sometimes you turn a corner, only to find you’re different in some small way, and the world doesn’t look quite like it used to. So, where do I go from here? No idea.”
Anyway.
The quotes.
Here are some samples:
“Pressure makes diamonds.” – General George S. Patton
“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein
“Do not weep; do not wax indignant. Understand.” – Baruch Spinoza
“The life which is unexamined is not worth living.” – Plato (paraphrased)
“We learn to do something by doing it. There is no other way.” – John Halt
“There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” - Leonard Cohen
- I had never heard this one before and it is AWESOME. I wish I had seen this one when I wrote my broken people post. This is a great thought and perspective for when life breaks you down every once in awhile. What an awesome thought to look at how being broken, or cracked by life, may be painful but it also allows light into places that maybe had never seen light before. Now that, my friends, is a powerful thought.
“The most exhausting thing in life is being insincere.” - Anne Morrow Lindbergh
- I have but one thing to add to this quote … “Amen sister.”
“It takes a lot of courage to grow up and be who you really are.” – EE Cummings (paraphrased)
“Those that fail to learn from the past are doomed to repeat it.” – Winston Churchill (paraphrased)
“If life’s journey be endless, where is its goal? The answer is, it is everywhere.” – Rabindranath Tagore
- I had never heard this one either and I love it. I love it mostly because I have never really liked the whole ‘life is not a destination but a journey’ quote and this one is, just … well … more expansive and more thoughtful and more open minded. Probably it will never be a favorite quote for people who like specific goals and milestones but for a joker like me who likes the randomness of life and finds pleasure not in linear success but the spontaneous successful moments that appears in life … it is a perfect quote.
“Learn to be what you are, and learn to resign with good grace all that you are not.” – Henry Frederick Emile
- I hadn’t seen this one before either … and I like it. one of the hardest things in the world for anyone is to embrace their flaws. Ok. maybe not the flaws … just the things they are not (which aren’t necessarily flaws). Each of us ‘are not’ a lot of things. Recognizing those things is actually pretty easy. We notice them all the time. I guess the difficult part is accepting them. and resigning yourself to ‘not being something’ with grace. Yeah. being able to do that is a full measure of one’s character.
“Darkness is only driven out by lightness, not by more darkness.” – Martin Luther King
- MLK thought big. And I am no MLK. So let me think small. Personal. Over the past 2 or 3 years maybe 5 people I know have fought depression. And depression is like darkness. Maybe sometimes it is only like a gray darkness but when it is at full strength it is a black darkness. A lightless darkness. And if not careful it is so dark that any lightness struggles to have an impact. But while I am a ‘personal responsibility’ type of guy (kinda believe that most people, if they suck it up, can impact whatever they may be facing) I do believe that friends can make a difference with this darkness called depression. We can bring a light into that darkness when maybe that person just has forgotten what light looks like. No. I don’t believe a friend can drive out the darkness with light. Only the person in the darkness can do that. But sometimes they just need some help. Sometimes they need someone to bring them a light to get them started back out of the darkness. And we do it because that is what friends do.
So.
The show is okay. It is about life and regrets and learning from decisions and shit like that (stuff that I typically like) but Dr. Tom dispenses some good advice throughout. Because of that if I am ever in front of my TV and it is on I will flip over to it.
Regardless. Good quotes. And that I love.
500 & my Mother asked what makes me credible
Jan 11th
So.
Yesterday I celebrated my 500th post. On 400 I broke down everything I had written to see if I was being useful to anyone (and in my own mind looking at the numbers I said “yes” …. Oh … but I also wake up every morning and look at myself and say “my, what a handsome man” to the reflection so I may tend to discount the ‘yes’ slightly).
But on 500 I remember number 1. And my mother.
When I told my mother I was going to start writing about things and build a website she hesitated a second … and then asked me “so why should people care about or believe what you say?”
And, interestingly, recently I was faced with a similar question in the workplace. It was kind of a “feel you make things up” and “why should someone care about your opinion?”
So. On two fronts I faced an issue I guess I haven’t faced in … well … years I would guess. For years based on my experience and curiosity based knowledge gathering personality I have been able to stand up in front of some of the smartest business people in the world and have my point of view seriously considered. Without question. And acted upon or facilitated the discussion that needed to take place.
Both situations are versions of the infamous credibility question.
And I guess in both situations I was a little dumbfounded (but I guess, in the case of my mother, a fair question – even though I am her son … the other still has me scratching my head a little).
Well.
Let’s see.
Let’s talk a little about credibility. Mine or anyone’s I would imagine.
I am reasonably smart.
I can add up to ten without an abacus (although using an abacus confuses me).
I know not to put my hand on the hot water pipe (although I did against my parents’ instruction when I was about 6).
I know the difference between there and their (but I do have a nasty habit of dangling prepositions at the end of sentences).
I do know to capitalize the first word in every sentence but I tend to write everything in lower case (don’t ask me why … I have no answer).
I know that the web is worldwide now (and possibly intergalactic we just haven’t found anyone to confirm usage in another galaxy yet).
I know Perez Hilton and Paris Hilton are not related nor sisters.
So.
How about education? (I wonder if that counts towards the whole credibility thing).
Geez. I have a degree. A couple in fact. But I am still unclear how I got them and admit I was pleasantly surprised they offered them to me graduation day.
That said. I have met as many idiots with Harvard degrees as I have brilliant minds (so maybe a college degree isn’t the code).
And I have met people with only high school degrees who have PhD level common sense versus people with PhDs and high school common sense.
And experience? Geez.
I have met senior vice presidents who had administrative assistants who were smarter (but not as politically savvy).
So what the heck is the code for credibility?
Christ. I have no frickin clue.
A great resume? Ok. How many people highlight times they may have received a bad review or a time they may have been passed over for a promotion?
So. Maybe not so much.
Great recommendations? Ok. How often do you ask an enemy to write about why they hate you? (none is the answer in case you didn’t know).
Great grades in school? Ok. What happens if you didn’t go to school? Or maybe had two bad semesters?
I further struggle as I pose hypothetical situations in my head.
If I were an economist would I would be more credible if I had a statistics degree?
Would I have a more credible opinion on law if I had a legal degree?
Well.
Hate to break the news to people but non economists can have some pretty articulate and smart thoughts on the economy.
Oh.
And while someone may not be able to quote Finch versus Mockingbird 1888 tort reform (boy. I bet I just hacked that one up) there are a lot of people who can tangle with a legal trained mind (I would exclude supreme court justices cause I kinda think they are in a league of their own).
Wow.
Moms are tough enough as it is but this is a humdinger of a question.
So here is what I do know.
I cannot answer the credibility question for everyone.
But here is how I define it (and hope I am judged the same way).
Ultimately it comes down to the face to face encounter (face to face can be in person or in a piece of their writing), i.e., what someone says face to face or in what I read from them.
I seriously cannot judge without that stimulus.
Sure. I guess I am not surprised if I read something from someone and it is really smart and articulate and they say they graduated from Yale or Stanford.
The trouble is I am equally unsurprised if I find they list Devry as their higher education.
I believe people have opportunities to collect moments of learning (and some don’t collect).
People have opportunities to do different things (and some don’t do).
I guess what I find most credible is a combination of depth of learning on a topic (doesn’t have to be a degree just learning) and perspective (call it a counterbalance knowledge).
Ok. I guess an asteroid physicist if all they know is the physics of an asteroid they would be credible.
In the end.
So what do I tell my mom? (and I guess people at work if pushed)
Why should anyone believe what I have to say? Heck. I don’t know.
On day one with my website I didn’t have shit to say (do not have that problem at work).
Today? (maybe about 11 months and 500 posts later)
Gosh.
Maybe what I say makes sense.
Maybe I offer up a logical reason to believe.
Maybe in my own little world people have actually listened to what I had to say (so for some warped non linear logic flow I reason that other people will listen).
I have some education (but others have more and less).
I have some experience (but others have more and less).
Maybe all that matters is if I say something that makes sense and I can defend it, well, who cares if I am credible as long as my ideas are credible.
There’s the answer. “Mom, people should listen to me because my ideas and thoughts are credible.”
Whew.
I hope that is all that really matters.
Hopefully after 500 posts and articles written and published I have achieved some level of credibility.
On the other hand if I don’t … I can also hearken back to my original post which suggested all that was important was that I write for me and if no one came to my party I wouldn’t be disappointed for I had not waited for people to attend to have fun.
I had a party all by myself.
(but if anyone is reading this and actually believes I have written anything credible send me a note so I know I wasn’t at the party alone).
Thanks.
Ok.
On to article 600.
character and leadership
Sep 21st
“Leaders are visionaries with a poorly developed sense of fear and no concept of the odds against them.” Robert Jarvik
“A well adjusted person is one who makes the same mistake twice without getting nervous.” – Jane Heard
Let’s talk about leaders and leadership and character.
Great leadership is inspired by great ideas and great beliefs and a great vision and the ability to make mistakes with nerves of steel.
Bottom line? Strength of character.
They may not be the smartest.
They may have charisma and they may not.
They may not be the best at any responsibility they have had up until that point (functionally).
But they know how to lead.
And people follow.
Yeah.
A leader needs a sense of a leadership philosophy with certain beliefs to clearly guide attitudes and action and behavior.
So. I read this following logic flow awhile back about leadership.
Trust is the foundation of leadership. Character creates trust and trust makes leadership possible.
It’s hard to argue with that logic.
I personally believe it is through their character they involve a balanced combination of work, pride <or spirit>, soul and home life all of which enables this ‘trust’ in the leader. I wrote in a TED discussion thread that leaders have a desire to increase the overall wealth of their employees – overall wealth being a combination of “head, heart, wallet.”
And in the end the people, those following, trust that the leader will do right for the organization (business) and the people (personally).
It’s a tricky balance.
I do believe leaders with character make empowerment an internal attitude and mindset cultivating that attitude and lead while still empowering.
They also have an ability to tap into the soul of the organization (and a significant number of employees) as they engage the minds.
Both of those last to things seem to create a connection with the organization without losing status as a leader.
In the end they lead people and manage things (not manage people and lead tactics/actions).
Oh.
And they get the hell out of the way of their people and let good shit get done.
“The best leader is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.” Theodore Roosevelt
At its extreme?
I love this following quote:
“There go my people. I must find out where they are going so I can lead them.” Alexandre Ledru-Rollin
Imagine the type of fortitude and character necessary to have an organization be dynamic and actually follow. Whew.
Ok.
Let’s think about who can be a leader.
Well.
I guess anyone can be a leader.
And, in fact, in a broad sense everyone is a leader.
If you have influence you have leadership responsibilities.
Yeah. Whether you like it or not if you influence the way people think or work then you have a level of leadership (sorry about that).
And it is because of this influence factor I kinda think everyone should be concerned (or at least pay attention to) about what kind of influence you have on others.
But.
Let me stick with business leaders here (although some of what I am going to say is extremely relevant to all of us in our everyday lives).
Character leaders typically seek to have a positive influence on the people around them. Influence through trust, honesty and respect.
I found this image which describes the ‘sphere of influence’ a character driven leader impacts (or influences).
It is interesting but even with leadership with trust an honest a character driven leader may not always be always popular (or well liked) mainly because they don’t fear telling people that they are wrong (because they are influencing the organization through a set belief/attitude structure).
This type of leader pushes out into this sphere of influence their philosophy and beliefs as guidance for ideas.
A character driven leader tends to be respected (but not always liked).
A character driven leader works towards what is “right” (not what will make people happy) and the benefit of the organization & people rather than acting in order to be recognized.
A character driven leader empowers responsibilities that enhance the people and the organization (and often will be almost invisible in the success … unless they also combine charisma with character).
Bottom line.
The best leaders don’t just lead.
They have character.
That may sound obvious but you can be a great leader and not have a strong character.
Or maybe better said you have another characteristic that is more important to the situation at hand. And that is okay.
Organizations typically need different types of leadership at different times (so it would be silly to suggest there is only one type of “great” leader).
But, if you have an opportunity to work with a character driven leader, jump at the chance.
Chances like that don’t come often.
And it is worth every minute to be part of that type of an organization.
respect the burden
Sep 2nd
“respect the burden” – Napoleon Bonaparte
Ah.
So, yes, I wrote this in combination with Nelson’s ‘don’t fear the event.’
Two charismatic leaders who didn’t fear the event and respected the burden that came along with being a leader (and managing the event to the extent they could).
Before I get to the ‘burden’ it is interesting to note both of these excellent leaders of men were excellent delegaters. Excellent delegaters.
Nelson? Huge advocate of independent command. He was always clear on his expectations (‘when in doubt put yourself as close to the enemy as possible’) but delegated responsibility to individual commanders on how to do so.
Napoleon? Huge advocate of independent command. He was a ‘reactor’ to the situation. Gave his general’s direction and independence to act depending on the situation (he just chose excellent commanders).
Regardless.
They respected the burden.
They understand the burden. And they understood the aspects of the burden.
Being a leader carries with it huge responsibility. Not only are you constantly under a microscope but while under the microscope you are carrying the burdens of leadership.
But I find it interesting that the great leaders rarely invest a lot of energy discussing ‘burden’ but rather responsibility to others.
“A leader is a dealer in hope.” Napoleon
Part of the burden is giving hope in the face of fear.
Encouraging action when there is a temptation to freeze.
Part of it is ‘showing the way’ or at least showing ‘what could be.’
And be believable.
And.
Part of the burden is decisions. Or ‘guiding independent actions.’
“Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide.”- Napoleon
There is a burden to make decisions … and to permit others to make decisions.
Part of the burden is understanding the importance of communication in leadership.
Included in that is the understanding of a responsibility for peoples actions even though you have delegated the actions.
“An order that can be misunderstood will be understood.” Napoleon.
Part of the burden is understanding the depth and breadth of the leadership responsibility. Understanding it does not rest solely in one decision or a great decision but rather the great and the many and the ongoing. It is a burden to be a leader because the weight remains regardless. Maybe the best example I have seen of this was on West Wing where the president character’s most common phrase spoken was “what’s next.”
Part of the burden is always knowing that what’s next is just as important as what just was.
Resting is rarely an option for leaders.
“Greatness be nothing unless it be lasting.” Napoleon
And lastly.
Part of the burden is understanding the role they play with some humility.
“A throne is only a bench covered with velvet.” – Napoleon
The heights of leadership is rare air coupled with a burden of many aspects.
The greatest accept the burden.
And even better?
They not only understand all aspects of the burden but accept the burdens with grace and character and intelligence and some characteristic of charisma.
So.
Don’t fear the event.
Respect the burden.
Great management lessons.
For life and business.
elephants and leaders
Aug 31st
“All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common: it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership.” – John Kenneth Galbraith, U.S. economist, “The Age of Uncertainty”
So.
I am not sure if this is becoming a characteristic of this generation of business leaders or I never noticed it in the last generation of business leaders. “This” is the inability to deal with the elephant in the room. Or even worse is the ignoring of the “herd of elephants” stalking through the organization.
Yes.
Being a leader of an organization (and size almost becomes irrelevant) is difficult and comes with challenges.
No.
Leaders shouldn’t ignore the elephant in the room or the herds of elephants wandering the hallways.
Elephants?
There are so many to choose from I couldn’t list them all. And no leader in their right mind will do an “employee survey” and expect to uncover the elephants that are seemingly walking invisibly through the hallways and offices of their company. No one trusts internal surveys any more.
Anyway.
Here are the ‘big 3’ elephants I see leaders kind of having their head up there ass on:
- Senior manager flaws.
For some reason leaders are becoming blind to their semi-peer flaws. I don’t know if it’s the “kinder gentler” management of this generation or if they are just focused on what is being done well because it is one less thing to worry about. I don’t care what it is but it is elephant numero uno.
Here’s the deal. People have higher expectations the bigger the title. And they should. A bigger title means a higher standard to live/work by. A leader HAS to set his management team to a higher standard. They cannot be expected to play by the same rules as the rest of the organization. Oddly (having been in so many executive meetings I am surprised I haven’t had a natural lobotomy) leaders want to set up a standard of stricter rules for junior people and more flexible standards for senior.
It’s wacky. Senior people are supposed to be role models. The trickledown effect if you permit senior people with obvious ‘flaws’ is lack of respect, a belief that management is flawed, and a belief that anyone can be a senior manager (which isn’t true) and, well, confusion on how “they” (employees) can see something that should be obvious to a leader.
- Making specialists generalists.
The way today’s business seems to work is no matter what your responsibility is in your ‘growth’ stages you get promoted (assuming you do well) and get rewarded with a generalist management role.
Look. I am not suggesting specialist cannot become generalist nor am I suggesting that a specialist cannot assume some responsibilities as executive leaders, but I do see organization leaders permitting the title/responsibility role reward based on merit not on ability to do the reward.
And the trickle down to those decisions (beyond the obvious that many just don’t deserve that role and mismanage) is that the organization staff see it and get confused (and join the herd of elephants wandering the hallways)
- Inability to deal with younger employee dissatisfaction.
Whew. This one is a humdinger these days. This elephant isn’t even invisible and it gets ignored. In fact, many leaders just stare at the elephant and shake their head and go “oh well, there’s that damn elephant but there’s nothing I can do about it.”
It’s crazy. I have written about this before and, yes, I am going to generalize … but … this doesn’t have anything to do with “this generation’s work ethic” or “young kids just don’t have the same attitude as we did” (gosh, anyone reading that I would hope would feel old if they know they have said it themselves) … this is about leadership.
It’s not about being cool or wearing flip flops to work to show you ‘relate’ to the generation.
In fact, dear leader, they don’t want you to relate … they want you to lead.
A leader doesn’t have to be a ‘giant’ like I have written about before but they have to be a leader. Employees don’t have to like you (although it helps) they have to respect you. And that crosses any generation at any time with any age employee. Being a leader (and however that particular leader utilizes leadership-like charisma) will overcome 90+% generational issues (flip flops in the office should take care of the rest).
Those are just three.
But I would imagine the point here is that I tend to see a diminishing ability in leadership to effectively deal with the elephants within their organizations. They are either oblivious, ignore them or accept them. Any of the three are unacceptable.
Ah. The biggest argument I get from senior people? I have other things more important at the moment, I am simply prioritizing.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ….
I have a tendency to want to point out that an elephant is … well … an elephant. And they are big.
Deal with it.
Anyway.
This is just a trend I seem to be seeing these days.
One last thought (because some of the elephants live outside the office building but come in attached to employees when they come to work every day):
Brian Dyson, CEO of Coca Cola Enterprises from 1959-1994
“Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling five balls in the air. You name them – work, family, health, friends, and spirit – and you’re keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls – family, health, friends, and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life.”
Nice way of looking at it if you ask me.
Okay. My advice to leaders? Go elephant hunting.
architects of fate
Aug 19th
I don’t really believe in fate. And it appears good ole HW Longfellow didn’t believe in it either.
He wrote a beautiful poem called The Builders (see below) suggesting that we, the people, are architects of fate.
In fact.
The beauty of what he writes (and this is a truly awesome thought) is that everyone does something, no matter how small or how large, that builds the structure of life.
That each and every one of plays some role. That is a really nice thought. And a nice reminder that no matter how inconsequential we may feel or the things we do …. We play a part in the tapestry of life.
Now.
I am a business guy.
And a business guy with a long history in the service side of the business world.
The side of the world that you often feel helpless and moving about at the whim of someone else and often not really doing anything important.
And I have used this poem several times with companies to remind us, employees, that our actions have consequences.
Even the smallest actions.
Each action contributes to the structure of who we are as a company and what we do.
It is a valuable thought in every organizational behavior or culture sense.
It is a valuable thought in encouraging each employee to understand that their actions contribute to the architecture of the fate of the organization (no matter how inconsequential they may actually feel buried down in the mailroom or the bottomless pit of account receivables department or the office manager ordering heavy stock paper for the copier because someone is bitching).
And (as my good friend Luke Sullivan points out in his book “hey whipple squeeze this”) this also pertains to output. Actual things we do for customers or actions we take in front of customers. Each action is a part of the overall tapestry of the architecture of the company. He also points out that each action often begets another action (in that once you have done something once it begins to feel more ‘okay’ to do it again … I would call that a slippery slope discussion).
Anyway.
As we hustle our way through each day trying to make sure we cross off everything on our to do lists and make our bosses happy and answer customer’s questions and requests it is nice to remind ourselves we are truly architects of fate.
Our company.
Personal life.
Life in general.
Go build.
The Builders
All are architects of Fate,
Working in these walls of Time;
Some with massive deeds and great,
Some with ornaments of rhyme.
Nothing useless is, or low;
Each thing in its place is best;
And what seems but idle show
Strengthens and supports the rest.
For the structure that we raise,
Time is with materials filled;
Our to-days and yesterdays
Are the blocks with which we build.
Truly shape and fashion these;
Leave no yawning gaps between;
Think not, because no man sees,
Such things will remain unseen.
In the elder days of Art,
Builders wrought with greatest care
Each minute and unseen part;
For the Gods see everywhere.
Let us do out work as well,
Both the unseen and the seen;
Make the house, where Gods may dwell,
Beautiful, entire, and clean.
Else our lives are incomplete,
Standing in these walls of Time,
Broken stairways, where the feet
Stumble as they seek to climb.
Build to-day, then, strong and sure,
With a firm and ample base;
And ascending and secure
Shall to-morrow find its place.
Thus alone can we attain
To those turrets, where the eye
Sees the world as one vast plain,
And one boundless reach of sky.
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
