Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

Pardon the dark picture of the river Tyne in New Castle, U.K. The Global Power Leadership Team met to discuss the future of Power and we were treated to dinner in the view box on fifth floor of the BALTIC centre for contemporary art. The Gateshead Millennium bridge, looking a bit like the arch in St. Louis, MO, is a functional piece of art. http://www.gateshead.gov.uk/Leisure%20and%20Culture/attractions/bridge/Home.aspx

Also notice in the upper right hand corner, a lighted structure. It is a small portion of the football stadium for Newcastle United. This night they trounced their competition (6-0). Some 30,000 fans flooded the streets and the hotel we stayed at was directly across the street. Ugh.

Getting to New Castle is a bit harder than flying to London but we came to demonstrate that we are committed to a global presence in Power and New Castle has a significant group that works on Power projects.

What does this have to do with leadership, you might ask…
•Leaders go to great lengths to show support, including flying across the pond, to show our colleagues we haven’t forgotten why we are here.

•Leaders cover an enormous number of bases in a given day and don’t look for recognition but certainly do appreciate being thought of with noble intent.

•Leaders own their forward looking role. They learn by asking good questions and gather opinions then digest, articulate and work to forge a path that anticipates the future client’s needs, the future project work, the correct staffing needs so we position ourselves for success by any measure.

Similar to my respected colleagues in HR and IT, a leader’s performance is inversely proportional to their recognition. When things are going swimmingly, you don’t know they are there. In fact, it is easy to fall into the trap of believing that they aren’t doing anything. Be reassured that clearing hurdles, avoiding business-busting pot holes, pointing the ship in the right direction and influencing the right forward-momentum-forces to give a little more and pash a little harder, at JUST the right time is more than nothing.
It is everything.

We will continue to travel as part of our role. In this circle, we are global and that requires longer trips, bigger sacrifices of time with family and other direct reports. The glass of champagne, the delightful dinner and the stunning views do not replace the time with loved ones, they simply help to pass the time until we return to them.

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

This week I have been in Colorado and I must say each time I visit I wonder why we don’t live here. The weather, the natural beauty and the people are all spectacular.

The venue for the conference I am attending is breathtaking as well. I have been blessed to visit the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs once before and it is more spectacular today than it was my first time.

As is typical for the conference, they have quality keynote speakers, this year we heard Erik Weihenmayer speak. He is the blind climber who successfully climbed all seven highest peaks on the globe and took up white water kayaking as an encore. He is articulate, engaging and quite funny. Before he started to speak, he could be seen getting used to the venue with his dog and some of his team members escorting him around. He is a regular guy, no pomp, no circumstance…just a(n overgrown) boy and his dog.

I had a chance to read his first book, The Adversity Advantage and for the long time blog reader, you know I was moved by this book years ago. But to have the highlights shared with the benefit of crystal clear pictures, video and a choked up speaker gave me goosebumps no less than five times during his nearly two hour presentation.

I won’t do it justice but I’d like to capture a few thoughts he shared. First the blog title, as you might imagine, he breaks people down into three categories; quitters, campers and climbers. He said, especially when faced with adversity, it is much easier to become one of the first two. He cited his own experience losing his eyesight before junior high and watching television in the waning days, face pressed up to the tube watching a news story where a young man named Terry Fox, who lost his leg to cancer decided to run across Canada with a prosthetic leg (a far cry from where these appliances have come today). Terry used his loss as potent rocket fuel to raise awareness. His face illustrated exhaustion and exhilaration at the same time. Terry was climbing his personal mountain of challenges and inspired Erik to “climb” as well.

There were so many valuable points Erik made while he was on stage but I’ll select one that he left us with…build a world class rope team. You can imagine that climbing blind requires dependence on people around you. Climbing at all requires that. When things go wrong, the whole Team can get pulled down and if you don’t dig in and support each other, the whole Team can die. Powerful metaphor easily visualized.

Select your Team carefully. Seek to build trust. You need a relentless trust in yourself and the people in your life.

I don’t believe there is a single person who hasn’t faced adversity in their lives. It isn’t a question of whether it will happen, the only question is how you react to it. Erik, big E as his climbing partner calls him, chooses to embrace the adversity. He says he doesn’t want to just survive, he wants to flourish.

How about you?

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

After watching the political circus unfolding to the entire world’s amazement (horror or humor) I wondered why this behavior is acceptable? Why do we allow candidates to talk about their opponents? Shouldn’t they stick to their accomplishments and capabilities and shouldn’t they also be restricted from casting shadows and stones on their rivals?
Shouldn’t the networks do the fact checking before printing or broadcasting?
This isn’t an issue of free speech. It seems to be an issue of expensive TV advertisements and greedy behavior.
With all the negativity, I wonder what good can come from it?

What do voters rely on for basis behind who they choose?
-Debates?
-Newspaper articles?
-Network or cable television coverage?
-Wikileaks?
-Spousal opinion?
-Family history?
-Least offensive behavior or commentary?

What minuscule percentage of the voting population focuses on substantive issues that will absolutely affect the future quality of life, for us and those we care about?

Are we going to allow ourselves to be diverted by hypocritical and misogynistic behavior … the days the obvious candidates are predictable, aka their better days?

Who says a good politician has to be a good person? In fact, maybe they are mutually exclusive. I’ve seen plenty of candidates exhibit good behavior in the past but we, the people, put forward this slate of choices. We created the problem and we will all live with the results of this election so … dig deep enough through the rhetoric, the smear campaigns and locate the facts to make an informed voting decision … or lay in the unresolved muck for four years of political and economic heartache.

Abraham Lincoln was one of the greatest examples of presidential character and leadership that came from our country. Below, he provides some insight on what not to do that ultimately implies what to do.

“You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away people’s initiative and independence.
You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves.”

Abraham Lincoln

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

As soon as it starts to get cold and wet, critters start looking for a warm, dry spot. Who could blame them? … Maybe me. Remember when you left the door open at home and your mom asked, “Were you born in a barn?” Mr. mouse could respond affirmatively. That is where it should be seeking shelter, not in the laundry room.

I currently spend more time at work and away than at home so it was with mixed emotions that I watched the fuzzy little tenant scamper across the floor when I turned on the lights to leave for work the other morning. My first thought was, “Oh Carole is NOT going to like this.” and “I’m glad I was here to take care of this.” Immediately followed by, “I better catch this thing before I have to go to work” and after shuffling through the furnace room that it ran into, the unsuccessful squash or capture routine became “I better get to work!”
Carole woke up after all the ruckus I was making so I had to come clean. “Honey, we have a non rent paying tenant setting up shop in the laundry room.” I can’t tell you the lengths I go to attempting to avoid the look of disgust that followed.

I called the exterminator later that day and paid someone to spray for bugs and bag the country turned city mouse. Carole said she heard it rustling in a bag when she signed the invoice. Apparently we’re practicing catch and release now? I wonder if they tag it so they know whether we catch the same visitor more than once.

The lesson for me in all of this is a reminder of just how hard it (still) is for me to let go of tasks I used to do to save a buck. My time used to be of less value and I would spend it on miscellaneous things … like catching mice. Now, there are more demands on my time and I paid a few Benjamins to evict Mickey.

Today, peace of mind had a price I can afford.

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

Ok. I’m officially in Manhattan often enough that people recognize me in the headquarters foyer, at Starbucks, at the hotel and local restaurant.

This latest trip was to discuss our division budget submission for next year. We were promised at the beginning of the meeting it would not be a colonoscopy. Whew! … Wait a minute, at least they put me under for my last procedure. What did he mean? Who cares?
Blood pressure? … normal.

We were asked by the end of the meeting with the pre-submitted numbers to do more, a lot more. I love a challenge. Bring it. At the end of the meeting, with clarity through directive, my boss’ boss sitting next to me said in his hush-toned voice, “We need to grow Power”. I simply responded, “Understood.”
Blood pressure? … still normal.

They had a tragedy in Hoboken Thursday with New Jersey Transit so I decided to take Uber to Newark to get out of town. I didn’t get excited about the phone blowing up with delays from the three different apps telling me to hurry up and wait, didn’t even leave the office until after the original flight was scheduled to leave. Stop-n-go traffic, multiple flight delays, a TSA pre check gate that never opens, incredibly tight quarters in planes. I am fluid, multi-modal.
Blood pressure ?… normal.

Who have I become?!

Numb to the world’s stimulants that normally overwhelm the senses?
Let’s do an inventory-
•The steak, the whiskey, and the mousse still tasted good.
•The honey roasted nuts, the “everything” bagel and the real NY pizza all smell just as good as the subway smells funky.
•The lights are still bright, the rain and breeze still cut through my suit and I can hear every other pedestrian cuss, complain, or some who even scream at the roses in front of the Italian restaurant across from Penn station…not a typo, just another New Yorker.

OK, I still have feelings.

I no longer look up to see how tall the buildings are, I don’t look down at the countless homeless and I don’t make eye contact with the people walking toward me.
The police, ambulance and firetruck sirens are continuous making it difficult to have a cell phone conversation on the street (and sometimes even in the office). I am insulated by my surroundings. I have become acclimated – and remember what old blue eyes sang – “If I can make it there, I can make it anywhere, New York, New York!”

I do feel proud of my growing Team’s resilience. I do look at Freedom tower and unconsciously push out my chest. I do tell myself we will never forget and we won’t be intimidated by … anything.

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

Greetings from Montreal! Obvious home of the Montreal Canadiens. I sat at the bar in my hotel for a late and light dinner when I arrived and received a crash course in what sport is important … along with every sport that is not. The bilingual bartender, fluent in French and English, immediately made me feel I should fire up my Rosetta Stone French course previously purchased and summarily ignored. No brownie points for the investment…just a guilt complex now compounded by an unsatisfied opportunity.

I came here with my leadership team to collaborate with our counterparts North of the border. We met in Detroit 6 months ago and this was reciprocation, familiarization and strategic planning, deliberate about what the future will look like.

Conversations were continuous from the time I arrived until we flew out. This demonstrated for me not just the need to get together but the criticality of communication. Sure, some things got hashed over more than once…I’ve heard that it requires seven times in seven different ways before a message is properly absorbed, understood and acted upon. No matter who you are,
•People want to be heard.
•People want to be listened to.
•People want to contribute and be part of something significant.

It also struck me while here conversing with counterparts and corporate leadership that
-Leaders recognize this, facilitate this and develop environments and opportunities to make it a reality.
-Leaders build teams through trust, transparency and clear expectations.
-Leaders don’t look for the spotlight to stand in it, they position themselves to elevate their team to shine in it. (I think this is an element of humility.)

By the time we finished our meetings, we had affirmation that we will continue to meet with intentionality, we will be deliberate about sharing ideas, challenging each other to drive for results, hold each other accountable and grow the business together…collaboratively.

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

Pictured above is an electrical adapter for European application. Symbolic for me:
•This week was the first time I have been to Europe
•As an electrical engineer, it is a small reminder of me engaging contacts and transforming my previous experience to one in a foreign environment (which worked flawlessly with my domestic equipment),
•An indicator that something; time, objects or additional experience is required to convert from one set of conditions to another.

It was a good week, involving more travel, this one internationally and was surprisingly unnerving beforehand. I got over it, slept through some of it, and …adjusted. I joined the leadership as the top 1/2 percent of the company met in Sweden to learn, network, identify hurdles and discuss solutions for the future of the organization as well as how we will approach providing solutions for the globe.

The urbanization of the global population (expected to be 2/3 living in Cities by 2050) makes one think about what future cities will look like and how we will shape those to be livable, sustainable, functional, renewable, beautiful…based on our size, scope and geographical reach, we are well positioned to be actively involved to shape the future.
As solution providers, one of our primary remits is to consider public safety but successful companies don’t just satisfy a set of preordained criteria, we raise the bar, set the trends and show people what is possible.

We stretch our imaginations as designers and solution providers so we can incorporate the newest technologies (like micro grids, high speed rail, and LEED platinum buildings), overcome the negative impacts of previous generations (like brown field remediation), develop efficient ways to preserve our precious resources (like efficient water treatment plants, wind and solar farms and hydroelectric dam refurbishment / recertification), and find new ways to thrive rather than accepting mere survival.

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Leaders! It’s Friday!

The past seven days have been chocked full of counsel.
•I spoke with two former attorney colleagues this week. We caught up on family and living and spoke not one word about cases or issues or bad actors…because it would have spoiled the reunion.

•I traveled to the Mayo to seek physical counsel on a certain getting-older-kind-of-matter no one ever tells you about
-the doctor told me two things
•as men grow old, four things getter bigger; your nose, your ears, your cranial bones (skull) and your prostate.
•you must train your bladder instead of waiting for it to scream at you…use the rest room every 2-3 hours. So much for driving through for hours to save a few minutes between points. Minutes on the road in discomfort may translate to years in a diaper at the wrong end of the lifecycle.

•I met for lunch with a colleague a couple of days ago and received tremendous spiritual counsel on forgiveness
-putting things into perspective, if God can forgive everyone for all of their sins, who are we to not forgive the comparatively petty things we suffer while here on earth.
-the false self (any voice we listen to that is not that of Jesus) lures us away from critically important things and tempts us to focus on self serving garbage that has no value-fools gold, if you will.

Three solid experiences with different counsellors on different topics.

On different days, in a position of a leader, I counsel. Providing advice, provoking thought, increasing self and situational awareness, mindfulness and inspiring innovative thinking.

How is it that a counselor requires counseling?

Well, even top golfers have coaches. Top professionals in all vocations seek experts to improve their performance. I think they call it lifelong learning. Learning requires humility and genuine humility tends to win over any situation, learning or otherwise. Tim McGraw sings about it with lines like
“Don’t hold a grudge or a chip and here’s why:
Bitterness keeps you from flyin'”

Seek counsel.
Forgive because you’ve been forgiven.
Stay humble and kind.
Open your heart.
Open your mind.
Lead.

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

I have a successful businessman friend who says his attention span is seventeen seconds. On the surface, it sounds like self deprecation. The more I dug into it, I realized he’s bragging! Interesting enough the average human attention span has decreased from 12 seconds in the year 2000 down to 8 seconds today, officially below that of a goldfish, weighing in at 9 seconds. The blame for the dramatic decrease … the smartphone.

Have you noticed more distracted driving lately? Look close enough and you’ll see a large number of “drivers” looking at their phone for email, texting, calling, checking the navigation or whatever it might be that steals their focus. Steals their focus to stay between the lines, use their signals, brake gradually…avoid running over the curb, into another car, or over a pedestrian or a bicyclist.

Art imitates life and I make reference to movies often because I have a short…time and space to write blogs (you thought I was going to say attention span, didn’t you). If a picture is worth a thousand words, a movie is worth millions. In that light, have you watched the movie “seven pounds”? Will Smith plays a character who can identify with this topic and spends the rest of his life trying to rectify an irreversible mistake.

Another movie that highlights a severe lack of focus is “Up”. The adorable dog character Dug struggles to stay on point and frequently breaks a conversation looking for a “squirrel!”

We used to think it was funny. The shiny object syndrome (SOS) or attention deficit disorder (ADD) can be comical as the YouTube clip shows but it’s become a more significant issue not only to be made fun of but to be immensely more aware of.

Naturally, the next question might be how do we overcome this? If smartphones had such an impact, what do we do to reverse the effects…or prevent them in the first place?

Being present, mindful and start putting your phone in the “glove” compartment before you put the car in gear.

Have a blessed weekend!

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

We probably think most about the heart on Valentine’s Day. Vendors like Hallmark cards, Brach’s candy and FTD flowers make us ever so aware of and stay busy in preparation for that day.

Second thing most people likely think about is the American Heart Association and their information campaign that has improved the quality of life for those who listened and took action in how they approach physical heart health.

I’d like to look at the heart from a slightly different perspective. Not paper, chocolate, flowers or the incredible blood pump but part of us often connected with feelings, compassion and a connection to our souls.

Each day I pray for God to open my heart, cleanse my heart and fill my heart with his word.

A friend who was providing counsel on an issue I’ve been struggling with offered the following bible passages as well as a testament of some of his own dealings of the heart.

Proverbs 4:23: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”
Proverbs 27:19: “As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.”
Proverbs 17:22: “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”
Psalm 31:24: “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.”
Psalm 90:12: “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

My takeaway from digesting these passages:
•You cannot function well as a person (whether in the capacity of a spouse, a parent, a child, or a friend) if your heart is misaligned
•You cannot function well for others if you don’t understand yourself
•You cannot function well as a leader if you rely solely on your mind and ignore your heart

My typical purpose is not to assemble all the answers or even hammer home a point. Rather, I prefer to provoke thought. This morning is a substantial provocation that should set in motion your mindful journey, your personal deliberation of what your heart means to you and whether you are aligned.

Have a blessed weekend.