Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

How many of you are controlled by your calendar?

How many of you double, triple, quadruple book your time?

How many of you are courageous enough to block out time just to think? …and actually do it…AND feel good about it?

In my last CEO role where my calendar was slammed continuously, it felt odd if I had a break in it. It made me uncomfortable.

•Was it lunch time? Nope, I’m supposed to be networking over meals.

•Was it a dentist appointment I forgot to go to? Nope, my business partner would have prompted me and my dentist was very proactive.

•Was it a mistake where I fat-fingered another appointment and deleted the one that should be where this blank spot on my Outlook calendar stares back at me now? Nope, I was meticulous with my schedule.

So how did that white space get there?Was it, perhaps, deliberate?
Hmmmm.

What’s that law about an object in motion tends to stay in motion? Newton understood.

So what do leaders do to overcome what seems to be inevitable? We defy gravity. We push back against what people say is “natural”. We stay vigilant and don’t give up until we’ve achieved what we said we would.

So how does that apply to your calendar?
*Be selective

*Honor your values

*Learn to say No (professionally, respectfully)

Why?

So you can get comfortable not being on the phone, on a video conference or in a person to person meeting all day long? No.

Clearing your head starts with clearing your calendar.

•Take a walk to restore your being.

•Spend some of your new found time to observe your Team functioning without you being an integral cog.

•Rise above the fray and spend some time praising people doing the right thing and making a significant difference.

•Think strategically, not tactically.

•Do something special on an ordinary day for a loved one.

Start today and begin to reap the rewards that come from stepping off the hamster wheel, if only for a brief moment.

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!
I think tolerance is a leadership attribute that seldom gets the attention it deserves.
We hear about all of the bold, courageous, innovative things that go on in the business world where leaders do heroic and extraordinary things but are seldom, if ever, noticed for simply turning a cheek or letting something slide because they know it’s small stuff and we shouldn’t sweat it.
Not to be mistaken with indifference, tolerance is to care, think it through and decide to not react… at that moment. Rather, make a mental note and when tempers are calm and receptors are active and willing to listen, a kind-hearted reminder of the inflammatory issue is resurfaced, reminded and a better path for future application is discussed.
To tolerate and do nothing, to not follow up is not just tolerance, it is disinterest and inexcusable for a leader.
Let’s explore an example,A CEO visits a branch office and notices some bad behavior. A manager is yelling at some of his direct reports. A mistake was made and the manager felt it was his place to publicly reprimand his subordinates to make an example of them. •A tyrant CEO rips into the manager right then and there and trumps the public demeaning exercise with one of his own, reflecting badly on all parties and giving insight as to why the manager behaved the way they did.•A tolerant CEO chooses to say nothing at the time but follows up that evening with a call, an email and a scheduled appointment in two weeks to monitor progress.•An absent CEO looks the other way while at the branch office (because they have other business while there) and chooses to forget the incident ever happened.
Which one would you work for?
What lingering effects from the “tyrant” or “absent” examples can you imagine might impact the branch office, the HQ and the company?
People come to work each day with the basic intent that they want to do their job well and make their supervisor, company and family proud. When managers and leaders get in the way by not caring, not trusting or not tolerating-they remove value instead of adding it.
Picture your day today. You might have a situation happen similar to the example provided. Whatever your role, consider being tolerant, professional and courteous. Leave the situation better than when you found it.
Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

I’m reading one of John Maxwell’s many leadership books where he reprints a poem included at the end of this blog. It has no acknowledged author but it is worth repeating.Before I type it in though, I wonder who the intended audience is…

•A 6 year old aspiring entrepreneur excited to set up their first lemonade stand?

•An 18 year old high school graduate getting ready to take their next step?

•A 22 year old college graduate anxious to put their advanced degree to work?

•A 40 year old breaking away from a large bureaucratic organization to become independent and do things differently?

•A 56 year old longing to leverage their experience in meaningful ways?

•A recently retired 67 year old who still wants to live a full and purposeful life, directed more by weather than commercial need?

•An 86 year old who contends with additional physical limitations but still yearns to add value?

The truth is that all fit into the intended audience. Dreaming big isn’t limited to an age or time of life. It’s an attitude of being deliberately bold regardless of the head trash you’ve momentarily allowed to steer your personal ship. Mustering courage isn’t limited to the battlefield, it could be getting out of bed as a cancer patient tired from chemotherapy or fighting depression for decades or going to work at a job you don’t love.

Here is a short version for those who prefer brevity over art, from Robert S Kaplan,

“Reaching your potential is not simply about dreaming or being idealistic. It is a process that involves specific actions, exercises, discipline and hard work. It is challenging, rewarding and unending.”

Now,
Dream Big

If there were ever a time to dare,
To make a difference
To embark on something worth doing
It is now.
Not for any grand cause, necessarily –
But for something that tugs at your heart
Something that is worth your aspiration
Something that is your dream.
You owe it to yourself
To make your days count.
Have fun. Dig deep. Stretch.

Dream big.

Know, though,
That things worth doing
Seldom come easy,
There will be times when you want to
Turn around
Pack it up and call it quits
Those times tell you
That you are pushing yourself
And that you are not afraid to learn by trying.

Persist.

Because with an idea,
Determination and the right tools,
You can do great things.
Let your instincts, your intellect
And let your heart guide you.

Trust.

Believe in the incredible power
Of the human mind
Of doing something that makes a difference
Of working hard
Of laughing and hoping
Of lasting friends
Of all the things that will cross your path
Next year
The start of something new
Brings the hope of something great.
Anything is possible
There is only one you
And you will pass this way but once.

Do it right.

-Author unknown

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!
If you sit down for a special meal with your favorite guest and find the menu contains exactly what you’ve been craving, are you likely to order a kids size meal or are you deciding how to get enough for a doggy bag to cover you for the next three, non-breakfast meals?

Did you know it typically takes on average 20 minutes for your stomach to send a message back to the brain that it is full.  Knowing this, do we eat slowly to wait for “the message”, do we eat the portion dished up for us to be polite or do we order extra and keep shoveling until we are stuffed beyond comfort and pay dearly with cramps and other gastrointestinal chaos.

Let me pause and share that an old friend would often caution me and others with,  “Be careful what you wish for.”

What if your favorite meal scenario was a microcosm of your life?
•What if the food symbolized everything you needed to live a full and meaningful life?•What if you knew how long you’d live and could manage your resources to maximize joy, minimize pain and optimize your life?•Do you think that portion you selected would be less than you currently enjoy or more?
Is it possible that glutinous behaviors through life are like the gastrointestinal chaos if you’ve stuffed your face (or drank yourself stupid or smoked a carton of cigarettes a day) or … pursued more than what was healthy, necessary, prudent or wise?
I grew up with little and longed for more. I was willing to work harder than anyone I knew to acquire the next level of success, at times neglecting some of the most meaningful parts of life along the way. The cost of pursuing more is higher than we realize while under the trance of the pursuit.
They say perfect is the enemy of good. Similarly, more might be the enemy of sufficient.
Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!
Today, a good man’s family is saying goodbye to his life here on earth. He passed a week ago and like so many other things that COVID has taken away, a well represented and well attended funeral is among them.
My second earthly father did not aspire for fame or high praise. He had a sense of duty and honor and a strong desire to build and provide for his family. He wanted to create a healthy environment for them to grow up in and he surely accomplished that.
His civic leadership included city council and mayoral service for decades. He would clean snow off the streets that he made certain were constructed and maintained well to begin with. He sought safe passage for all who lived and visited their town.
He would monitor the water plant to ensure proper chemicals were distributed for clean, safe water.
He would mow the grass at the city and church cemeteries so people could honor those who passed before them in a respectful way.
He transported friends and family to countless medical appointments over the years to ensure their quality of life was the best it could be.
Most importantly, he was a leader at home. He prioritized his time around family. He led where it mattered most and showed me how to do the same.
Rest In Peace, Neil.
Have a blessed weekend!

Good afternoon, Team! It’s Friday!
I was introduced to white lithium grease 40 years ago. We maintained our own construction equipment so we became used to grease guns, the need to keep things greased to minimize metal on metal wear and how dirty the job was to grease trucks and loaders and rock crushers and everything else that had a grease zerk.
The physical properties of lithium grease could be “applied” to situations in a business setting. I’m not talking about a bunch of tin men and women standing around waiting for someone to shoot some grease in the right zerk allowing them to stay mobile. Rather, there are friction-filled conversations and situations that grind on and create more tension than most are comfortable with. Typically, some thing or some one breaks prior to maintenance/full reconciliation.
Last week I encouraged you, as leaders, to train some plumbers and run a tighter ship. This week I’m digging into another physical activity that revolves around preventative maintenance.
Metal on metal friction produces heat, creaks, sloppy joints and when neglected long enough broken equipment that could lead to physical damage and personal injury.
Person on person friction, especially in the work place, can lead to hurt feelings, arguments, resentment, and retention concerns resulting in an unnecessary career path change. Wouldn’t it be great if all you had to do was reach in your desk once a week and find the zerk on your colleague that needs a couple shots of grease?
Maybe you can, and without the mess.
All relationships require maintenance. Instead of grease, maybe you need to demonstrate concern by regularly asking how your coworkers are doing. A shot of care. Discover what their interests are and what matters to them. Think about that regular maintenance as a way to keep the machine running smoothly. If you are listening to the cogs in the machine (the people in your company) you can prevent things from binding up.
I hope you have someone in mind after reading this blog and that you will reach out with genuine and deliberate effort to express your concern for them, lend an ear to what they need and look forward together.
Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

I like to process map an organization to see how things pass through; efficiencies, inefficiencies and downright leaky spots. If it were pipe and the liquid in the pipe were your product or service, you’d want as much of the end product to get through the pipes as possible, wouldn’t you?
I recently installed new toilets in our condo. Talked about it for months and finally found a style we could agree on, tore out the old ones and installed the new ones. I’ve had some practice doing this in other residences and learned most of the lessons that go along with the install, but apparently not all … and some not well enough.
I have respect for plumbers because if you don’t do the job well, it shows immediately. [Leaky]. New materials make it simpler and typically less hassle but that’s not always possible. This install was pretty straightforward but I didn’t account for new gaskets and grommets leaking, imperfect manufacturing (maybe why they were on sale?), stains on new, highly visible equipment or even the hellacious disposal fee.
Today, we still don’t have leak-free toilets. I learned more about plumbing and a thing or two more about life; the true value of my time, peace of mind and a reminder of the joys of a job well done mixed with the reality that things in this world rarely go without incident.
Think about your organization, your household or other places where your leadership could…notice, repair and prevent future leaks? Do you get irritated when you encounter drips and how do you communicate, facilitate and remediate? Do the people you enlist to reduce and remove the drips feel part of the solution so you can count on them resolving future drips? Or did you create a new dependency where they alert you to the drip but don’t repair without your permission and involvement?

A tight ship doesn’t leak and is common reference to something that runs efficiently. If leaks persist, they typically get worse and cause collateral damage.
Find your leaks. Train some plumbers.
Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!
I believe I have reached the age where it is more important to walk with purpose in a navigated and deliberate direction than to run with vigor until exhausted pointed in a direction by others only to find I’m not gaining ground but powering the treadmill snuck beneath my feet.
Have you ever taken a test where the instructions state you must read each page of instructions in advance before writing … but the desire to start writing answers is so compelling that you ignore the instructions and start testing away? You pull your head up at some point realizing others have put their pencil down and sit with a smug look on their face. The point of the test was to follow all of the instructions and the last page instructs to not take a test at all but to sit quietly until everyone reaches the same point. Ahhhhh.
What if that applied to more than just a test? What if life was more about preparation than perspiration? What if following instructions fully, practicing patience and tolerance and having faith served you best? Is that wisdom?
Three examples of how people suggest we approach wisdom and aging:

1. Socrates– claimed not to know anything and suggested we should all examine our lives, not believe we actually know anything.  His mission was to enlighten spirituality, humility and modesty.
2. Bob Buford-author of Half Time: Moving From Success to Significance, One of his quotes “The Human tendency, largely driven by ego, is to believe we can do it all….It maybe humbling to admit there are only a few things you do really well…you will free yourself to focus on those things which will lead to greater personal success and significance.”
3. Stephen Covey-Covey’s mantra, “Live your life in crescendo, not diminuendo,” As you continue down the path of life, your list of things you’d like to accomplish should grow not diminish.  Covey was known for his continuous search for health (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual) and lead by example.

I’m reminded that we are a product of our choices, both current and past. As we age, we may regret some of our past choices like smoking, not pursuing the next level of education or a sedentary lifestyle. The good news is, it is never too late to change your current trajectory.
Retirement is a common English reference to reaching a point where you stop working at a paying job and begin to draw from your savings, etc…a demarcation point, destination, a point you commonly wait for with anticipation. I think it’s time we redefine the term and the intent.
At 56, I have aspirations and obligations. By age 66, I will still have obligations and aspirations but they will look different than they do today. I don’t plan to wait to enjoy life between now and then, I will simply shift focus and transition my thinking how I will take care of myself and others. My financial obligations will transition from saving to managing the downside to spending. My leading will shift from large commercial organizations to charitable contributions. My articulations will shift from influencing business to influence humanity.
Transition to wisdom.
Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

Sometimes lessons are best taught by examples of what not to do. This is one of those times.

The two words in the blog title may never actually belong together in modern society, at least not to an average consumer.

If you have an issue with

•the cable provider

•your cell phone provider

•other utility providers

•electronics supplier

•appliance manufacturer

•mortgage company

•airline

•insurance company

•investment broker

•pizza joint

•or a host of other companies that regard you as a customer…you may have experienced one of a variety of ways we, as customers, are currently regarded, or disregarded as it were.

Example:You get put on hold for 30 minutes or more with horrendous music, variable volumes, constant interruptions by a recording telling you they know how valuable your time is but they are receiving “higher than average call volume”. I suppose that might be true of any hour of open business if you shut down your phones for 16 hours per day. Is the statement meant to invoke sympathy or simply another way of saying “We are open for business”. It might be a way of telling customers, “You don’t matter enough to us to actually staff enough representatives to answer the phone, we hope you hang up and if you call to complain, we’ll probably transfer you to a line that will ring constantly or just let you sit on hold indefinitely”.

If you are actually connected to someone, it seems a high chance it will be to someone who reads off of a screen and spends more time verifying you are who you are than actually solving your issue, concern or problem.

Leadership, in this case in customer support, requires you treat your customer well enough to invite them back, not drive them away.
It seems we’ve allowed a number of areas of life to devolve because someone wanted to save some money and we pay now with our time…waiting…for someone to pick up the phone…answer a chat message…or simply ignore us until we fall asleep or give up the request altogether.

Challenge:Stand up to the pressure to drive humanity out of your business under the veil of cost savings. Customers will pay for service (and respect).

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

Let’s define a few related words to lay the groundwork…

According to ethicsunwrapped.com

Integrity, said author C.S. Lewis, “is doing the right thing, even when no one is looking.”  Integrity is a foundational moral virtue, and the bedrock upon which good character is built.

Acting with integrity means understanding, accepting, and choosing to live in accordance with one’s principles, which will include honesty, fairness, and decency. A person of integrity will consistently demonstrate good character by being free of corruption and hypocrisy.

Integrity is revealed when people act virtuously regardless of circumstance or consequences. This often requires moral courage. Indeed, integrity is the critical connection between ethics and moral action.

According to www.assignmentexpert.com:

Ethic of civility defines morally acceptable behavior towards fellow human beings. … Civility includes “politeness, reasonable, and respectful” behavior. In its essences, ethics of civility constitute the heart of morality.

According to www.indeed.com:

Leadership principles are the set of actions or guiding beliefs that leaders can implement to move them toward success. … Leadership principles are a framework of actions you can take as a leader to inspire others to work together toward a common goal—they are the foundation for success.

The world longs for these three descriptors to be wrapped into one person, one approach, one human being who can make a positive difference and help others reach their full potential.

Recent events have increased the desire for such a combination of principles to be more evident, more prevalent, more … common.

Why can’t it be you?

Why can’t it start with you?

Why don’t we all approach our world as it sits today with a pledge for integrity, modeling civility and embracing leadership behaviors and overwhelm the negativity with positive, not-what-I-saw-on-the-evening-news examples.

Someone posed the question tonight, “How do I explain the recent events (that took place in Washington, DC) to my children?”

How about, “This is an example of what NOT to do. Violence and chaos and hatred have no place in our democracy and it will not prevail. We quickly and courageously picked ourselves up, restored order and got back to the business of leading the free world.”

Have a blessed weekend!