Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

In the wake of multiple natural disasters, exacerbated by some evil idiot with too much time and money compared with his morals, values and sound judgement, we just witnessed our President spending time in Puerto Rico and Las Vegas. Both locations devastated for entirely different reasons.

Sometimes a leader simply needs to be present. You know they care when they show up. If you were to put a meter on each side of a Leader’s head (maybe attached to their earlobes ?) to measure how much their time is worth (in terms of dollars on one side and improvement to humanity on the other) you might gain a better understanding of why they do what they do and how hard it is to balance it all.

Presence can be measured by physical, mental, emotional and spiritual metrics. The media seems to believe they themselves are the appointed hall monitor when someone shows up or when they don’t. So-and-so didn’t show up fast enough at this hurricane landfall or…not at all… Presence is implied to measure the amount that some one or some entity cares. I think there are limits to this theory and hesitate to believe the media has the general public’s interest in mind. They exist to sell papers, advertisements and clicks. To mix human interest and commerce creates a variety of results but I will never believe media exists solely to do the right thing for each and every one of us. Call it fake news, biased opinions or total crap (found in the grocery store checkout lines)…we have lost a single, reliable source of information. Instead we are left to sort out questionably motivated conjecture from facts.

No wonder we put so much weight on presence. With every other mixed-value source of data, the importance of taking the time to show up, make eye contact, press the flesh, be seen, heard, felt…and inspired… is genuine. No filters, false lighting, photoshop or editing or spinning the words already spoken. Just presence.

Consider this a note to self that you may or may not identify with – presence at work is important, presence at home is essential. For instance, Angelica, the 9 year old singer, from the recently completed America’s Got Talent season sat next to us on our plane ride to LA. tonight. Her Dad was pleasant to talk with and as a (now 10 year old) tiny girl with an enormous and now famous voice, she couldn’t tour, sing or function without Dad being present.

I’ve wrestled mightily with the world’s forces calling me to have purpose outside of home while my family continues to need me to be present. I try to do both. I travel extensively back and forth from home to work and work to home, tending to needs and sleighing dragons. The lessons I’ve learned so far;
•wherever you are, be there (engaged with focus on purpose)
•you can’t please everyone so use discretion and be disciplined and deliberate
•God has called you to where you are and what you are doing right now-you can spend all your energy questioning it or you can be present physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

I recently bought a new toy. The kind that a kid dreams about for months, a Christmas morning toy. Carole calls it my midlife crisis purchase…perhaps.
Yes, I’m feeling my mortality. Friends, colleagues, people you know and hear about are dropping like flies; cancer, heart attack, stroke or car accident.  I’m constantly questioning my purpose in life but still deciding to enjoy the journey.

I tucked it in the garage but all of a sudden I need more space for the accessories. I need to make room. Shoes, boots, spare seats, cover, cleaning products, etc.  Immediately I scan the items taking up space and it becomes obvious I need to purge, donate, reorganize if I’m going to have the appropriate space to store my new stuff.

I see parallels in business.

The question Ray Kroc of McDonalds fame asked was “Are you green and growing or ripe and rotting?”

Are you reinvesting or resting on your laurels because you thought you did such a great job last year? (Guess what…NOBODY cares what you did last year.)
They simply want to know
•Are you relevant?
•Do you add value today?
•Do you produce something or provide a service that helps other people get bigger, stronger, faster?
•Are you reinvesting?
•Are you pushing back on the effects of gravity, age, stress, and poor choices?

•Are you just gonna sit there and take less or are you going to fight for your legacy?

So our daughter stopped by after work last Friday to chat, enjoy dinner with us and organize some furniture. We took the new toy for a spin then Mom thought we should take a picture. I didn’t recognize the old man sitting on my new bike. I was genuinely shocked. He was wearing my clothes and sitting where I thought I was sitting but that wasn’t me…was it?

A former coworker whom I adore sent me a note the other day that read “If it doesn’t bring you joy, get rid of it.”

Another former coworker who I could take or leave, used to pluck his gray hairs to slow down the appearance of aging. We all understood the futility of his effort but enjoyed watching the struggle while we secretly hoped he’d lose all of his hair for discriminating one follicle from another.

We are all humans who seek comfort, familiarity and security. That does not mean that you stop introducing new into your life.

New ideas
New friends
New investments
New information
New business models
New staff
New business partners

New freedom from oppression

New gray hairs

You need to make room. It’s what keeps you feeling young, vibrant, and meaningful.

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

In the foreword by Peter M. Senge to Arie De Geus’ book, “The Living Company”, he gets to the heart of the matter, starting on the first page…

•”Like individuals who are unhealthy and can expect an early demise, most large, apparently successful corporations are profoundly unhealthy. The members of these organizations do not experience that their company is suffering from low life expectancy. They experience poor corporate health as work stress, endless struggles for power and control, and the cynicism and resignation that result from a work environment that stifles rather than releases human imagination, energy, and commitment. The day-to-day climate of most organizations is probably more toxic than we care to admit, whether or not these companies are in the midst of obvious decline.”

•”What happens to the life energy of a living being when it is unable to pursue its purpose?”

•”Are struggles over control not the root of most corporate politics and game playing?”

•”…working together can indeed be a deep source of life meaning. Anything less is just a job.”

As mature leaders in companies we are all compelled to make things better at our workplace for our business partners. Continuous learning and evolution leads to sustainability, longevity, and predictability, but the road to get there is treacherous, riddled with timid souls afraid to change because of their pervasive desire to maintain status quo (regardless of financial performance).

I don’t work like my dad did. My adult, educated kids don’t work like I do. My grandkid(s) certainly won’t work like my kids do. In fact, who’s to say that the changes in the workplace have clear demarcation points based on when you, the worker, start and leave the company you are in? It’s constantly evolving!

I remember as one of my previous organizations was experiencing dramatic change, I spoke with someone exiting…an interview of sorts. His misalignment with the direction of the organization was so palpable that he said he’d drive up to work and sit in his pickup right up until he had to walk in in order to be there on time…his stomach twisted in knots. For him, the “day to day climate was toxic” and it was manifesting in his stomach. He made the right call (to exit). The company has continued to thrive.

The company/work environment/place of employment is changing…because it has to. The relationship between employer and employee is changing faster yet…but we don’t seem to know how to. The systems aren’t keeping up with the world. We are well past the industrial age but our educational systems, our vocational systems and basic support systems still reflect an era long gone.

Let’s start living.

Let’s start paying attention to things that affect us most, like:
People
Relationships
Opportunities
Development
Innovation

And put less priority on:
Control
Politics
Profitability
Time constraints
Physical locations

Because when you get the first list right, the second list sorts itself out.

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

What are we supposed to do?

Life throws us curve balls and there are times we don’t know how to react.

How many times are we supposed to rally, persevere and move on?

Here’s a hint:

Until-
•It’s over
•It doesn’t hurt any more
•The debt is paid
•The mess is cleaned up
•The papers are signed
•The cows come home
•Faith is restored
•You’ve completely forgiven whomever you’ve identified as the culprit…often times found in the mirror

We are surrounded by tragedy. Hurricane Irma and Harvey are some of the most recent colossal storms filled with stories of loss and despair. The clean up efforts will take years for full restoration. If you are affected directly or indirectly, what will you do? Stand in your driveway and shake your fists at the sky?

Perhaps my three favorite sources said it like this-

Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.
Winston Churchill

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.
Teddy Roosevelt

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you pass through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; The flames will not consume you.
Isaiah 43:2

Now is the time for conviction. Stay sharp, work hard, learn from your situation so you may apply the lessons going forward. Muster up the energy, patience, tolerance, tenacity, and passion to emerge on the other side of whatever you are currently dealing with stronger and wiser than before.

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

If attitude is the rudder, then confidence is the governor and a unique blend of skill, talent and experience is the driving force.

Per Google search
Confidence con·fi·dence
ˈkänfədəns
noun
1-the feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust.
“we had every confidence in the staff”
synonyms: trust, belief, faith, credence, conviction

2-the state of feeling certain about the truth of something.

3-a feeling of self-assurance arising from one’s appreciation of one’s own abilities or qualities.

What strikes me about confidence is the Goldilocks factor (too soft, too hard, and just right) but in this case it’s excessive humility, hubris and confident!

We live in a country where we typically believe bigger is better. More land to homestead, more opportunities to cultivate and prosper, bigger cars, bigger houses, somehow we equate excess with success. Confidence might be one of the rare exceptions.

Driving fast on the Autobahn in a finely tuned German car is probably loads of fun but outdriving your headlights on a rainy night with weathered wipers on any roadway in any car, is ill advised. High speed under the wrong conditions can be catastrophic.

Taking the driving metaphor one step further, if you’re just putt-putt-putting along at 35 mph on the interstate while cars are screaming past you at more than twice the rate, you’d best speed up or be run over. Being too timid in the wrong environment might be just as deadly.

“Step away from the vehicle (analogies)!”

What does it sound like when leaders lack confidence?

*That’s not my strong suit
* I don’t know what to say
* You should ask someone else
* We better give (them) a raise or (they) might leave
* It’s not my problem
* Don’t talk to my customer
* I don’t agree with the CEO’s Vision
* The dog ate my homework
* It will take a month to get that contract put together
*I’d better stay late because I didn’t get enough done today

What does it sound like when leaders are overly confident?

* I know how to do everything well
* I often speak at conferences and get the highest ratings
* I know the answers so come to me first
* My direct reports love me, they are the best in the company and I make sure they are the highest paid in every category
* I don’t have any problems
* My customers prefer to talk to me exclusively
* I could be the CEO tomorrow (why can’t everybody see that?)
* I don’t need to study/read/prepare for the interview
* You don’t really need that at all, I’d work without a contract
* I’m leaving early because I solved all the problems with time to spare

Confident leaders say:
•I know myself; my strengths, my weaknesses, how to delegate and how to deliver
•I work hard to be articulate, pragmatic and add value
•I prefer to empower my managers but mentor them and provide support so they can learn to solve issues on their own
•I subscribe to the pay for performance philosophy
•Problem solving is a team sport. Frame them properly, build consensus, gain buy-in and execute
•I look forward to working with our customers. It offers the chance to introduce team members/skills and provides growth opportunities for emerging leaders
•I support the direction of the company openly. If I have concerns I voice them privately to resolve any differences. If I cannot find agreement with Mission, Vision and Core Values, I may be best suited to leverage my career assets elsewhere.
•I enjoy learning new things and am always ready to expand my knowledge and wisdom base
•I have a need to expedite my contract agreements quickly. If our internal processes don’t support a quick turnaround, I’ll seek help from our outside legal provider so we comply with the client’s schedule as well as the risk appetite of the organization.
•I work diligently and in day tight compartments. I exercise, pray/meditate, eat well, work hard on important initiatives, decompress, support my loved ones and rest so I’m restored for another day of challenging and purpose-filled work.

Which list best fits your daily responses?  If it’s not where you want to be, what do you plan to do about it?  Will you be starting today?

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

This is really about perspective. As I walked around my neighborhood today, I could have taken pictures of the dying weeds sitting in the gutter, the flat frog remains in the street or the porta-potty’s set up by the temporary storage for the roof replacement crew dispatched after the recent hail storm.

Instead, I chose to snap shots of natural beauty all around us. Not one in a hundred would pick me out of a crowd as one who appreciates blooming flowers. Hell, even when I was a kid and someone took a dandelion and held it under my chin, I didn’t give any sense that I liked yellow, butter, or dandelions.

We see … what we choose to see. This applies to our physical environment (like flowers versus frog guts) but I’m learning, way too late in life, that there is beauty EVERYWHERE. God made all of it. Some of it seems tragic and as humans we struggle understanding the value of death and disaster. Just because we can’t understand it doesn’t mean it’s wrong, unjust or inhumane.

For instance, hurricane Harvey is pounding Houston with rain and wind. Flooding has already made things horrible and as of Sunday night, it’s predicted to get worse this week. Adversity has a place in the circle of life and it sucks when we go through it but how better to gain appreciation for better times.

Beyond the physical attributes, I think the more interesting beauty lies within each of us. We are each a miracle and despite our imperfections, our little hearts beat and our timid souls awake each day to another miracle sunrise we are blessed to experience. Most of us are way too busy to fully appreciate the beauty because we race to work to get another task completed to move the needle one tick forward. As it pertains to people, we compare what we perceive other’s lives to be with what we know ours to be.

Diversity is beauty. We are not all alike, but we are all similar. We bleed, we feel, we strive, we aspire, we love, we learn, we hurt and we heal.

Open your eyes to beauty, your heart to others, your mind to infinite possibilities and your soul to everyone who crosses your path.

Have a blessed and long Labor Day weekend!

 

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

Imagine what’s going through the blue bears head…

How you doing?
What’s going on in there?
Why am I out here?

I’m back in Denver for multiple reasons but you could sum it up with one word…curiosity.

How are things going with friends and colleagues?
What is the work environment like?
How far can I take an Uber before I can’t find one back to my trip origin?
How many people can I have a meaningful conversation with while I’m here?
What industry trends should I be more aware of?
How are my competitors doing?
What should I be doing differently?
Where are the market opportunities?
Which companies possess the skills, talent and willingness to partner for a larger opportunity than what either could tackle alone?
How do we navigate industry trends, regulations and basic bureaucracy and still provide timely solutions to the clients and industry we serve?

There are a thousand and one questions running through my head at any given moment. I’m curious.

I contend that leaders are learners and you have to ask the question to prepare yourself for the answer.

One of the industry pundits I joined this week is far beyond his title. He is Chairman of his company but if you call the front desk, they will tell you he is “retired”. He had as many questions as anyone in the meeting. He hasn’t stopped learning. He is genuinely curious and still consuming data and interpreting information to make himself and the organizations he is associated with better.

Another Chairman in the room also posed questions, made assertions and conveyed a level of interest through questions and curiosity. His company provided the venue, administrative help and food to make this gathering possible. He hoped to learn something, gain knowledge or make a statement that he is still in the game…looking to contribute.

Surrounded by leaders at an industry organization function filled with volunteers simply looking to make a difference was enough reinforcement for me that curiosity is the key.

When you stop asking questions, you’ve thrown in the towel.

Have a blessed weekend!

 

 

 

 

 

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

Webster defines redemption as: The act of making something better or more acceptable.

While in college, I took a class more than once if my achieved letter grade was below an acceptable level. I had to demonstrate that I reached a certain mastery of the concepts taught in order to move forward. If you never went through this yourself, Congratulations!

If you are familiar with this process, you likely pushed your preconceived capabilities or you sloughed off, maybe drank too much, worked your way through to pay for school, started a family before you could afford them or some derivation of the common events listed above. Congratulations for having gone through it!

I never envisioned going through this life-lesson route once, let alone again. Academics and life having some direct relationship? Hmmmm.

Is it possible that even after reaching the executive leadership level in an organization, that a new opportunity be presented offering reconciliation of scorched earth created by former decisions required to perpetuate a previous business? If that is God’s plan, it is. As if he is saying, “Do it again. This time, be better.”
-to your family
-to the people you influence
-to ALL of the stakeholders involved, regardless of their predisposition…

Everything happens for a reason. Your life is a set of experiences that prepares you for what’s next. As they say in Dale Carnegie training, “practice makes permanent”.

Reflecting back on my time on earth, specifically while holding leadership roles…
I didn’t shake every hand every time every day. (Not a politician)
I didn’t make everyone feel they were special (Not Oprah Winfrey)
I didn’t convert every brilliant idea into billions of dollars (Not Elon Musk)

But,
I did commit to a series of challenges that most sane people would have walked away from, and most did.
I did commit to finishing what I started.
I did point out the true potential of the people and organizations I encountered and refused to buy in to the same excuses they used themselves to take an easier route and concede before the race was over.

This time, I’ll do it with noticeable compassion and demonstrated empathy.  Do you need a hug?

Save yourself the trouble and show how much you care before you try to change the world. Otherwise, you’ll be destined to repeat it … until you get it “right”.

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

No profane words were used in the creation of this blog.

I was 14 when it really started. Today, we hear stories of 4 year old children…and ultimately their parents…reprimanded at daycare for simply repeating choice words heard at home. Maybe even played out with some body language for dramatic emphasis. Comparatively speaking, I’m a novice. In reality, my inspiration was survival.

I was driving a gravel truck working alongside grown men, a black swan trying to fit in a game of white swans (I thought it would have been flock, too). One particularly crusty old man (call him Bud for the story sake) seemed to be offended by my presence. We both had spots on our face; mine were pimples and his were basal cell carcinoma. I thought we were kindred spirits. Bud probably just smelled like spirits.

It had rained the night before and county road shoulders get soft and aren’t all accommodating for two loaded trucks passing each other. Bud crowded the crown (no center line stripe in rural Minnesota) and I got sucked in like it was quick sand. This incident triggered a stream of profanity from both drivers and my boss/father/rescuer who had to back up his loaded semi half a mile to pull me out.

I still blame Bud because even at 14, I sensed intention which he denied vehemently later when questioned by my protective boss. His disposition was vocational and mine was innocent, naive and dutiful. Frankly, I was tickled to spend time with Dad. The myth, the legend, the self-made man who seemingly willed his way through the work world. Easily the hardest working man I ever knew…and I just wanted to make him proud (Eh, Freud?).  Hard to do that from an f’n ditch.

In order to do that, I had to perform, in order to perform, I had to fit in. In order for a 14 year pimply-faced kid to fit in, I swore, like it WAS my job.

I found little empathy or humor from the gravel pit masters. So I listened, I mimicked for approval’s sake and I carved a sliver of approval by cussing like…a truck driver.

Many people are offended by the language abuse for whatever reason; preference, religion, intelligence. I recognize I leave an impression when I use it for impact, for emphasis or a throwback to playing to the crowd for approval.

In the future, I plan to watch more carefully what I say. Discretion is important to exercise when it concerns matters of the tongue. As leaders, we have a megaphone (or live mic) placed in front of us at all times, whether we see it there or not.

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

If ever I lacked time to write a quick and sticky thought, it is this week. However, this regular contribution to my weekly journal of interesting leadership tidbits has been marketed as “tenacious” so I best suck it up and convey some gritty wisdom.

I started a new gig this week and as I’ve told a number of my new colleagues, I’m enamored with this place. I am genuinely excited!

•I respect, empathize with and support the CEO in his mission to make this organization world class
•I have purpose doused in significant challenge
•The entire team of peers have substantial talent, drive, intelligence, professionalism and preserve ample energy for humor, albeit with a hint of wasabi-like irreverence
•The environment has been uber welcoming and associates are already seeking my input, insight and opinion
•The vernacular regarding exceptional client service, professional accountability, excellent operational performance, and nimble adaptability inspires me
•Finally, there is room for improvement

The leadership landscape in this corner of commerce is almost irreconcilable:

*I’ve worked the network and the companies who have it all figured out (or at least the outward projection would convey that) have little time or opportunity for a seasoned vet to occupy a genuine leadership role.

*This industry continues to consolidate like we saw yesterday where one behemoth bought another (Jacobs to buy CH2M – for those don’t track this industry). They will be shedding talent at a pace similar to the AECOM + URS deal.

*Political uncertainty combined with legislative gridlock makes me wonder if the government will ever get out of their own way, let alone mine.

My point with all of this…

You have to have a place to practice your craft if you’re going to stay lucid and effective.

I am blessed to be given the opportunity to lead with other leaders, iron sharpening iron.

Have a blessed weekend!