Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

Leaders are learners.

I’m reading a book called “Living an Examined Life, wisdom for the second half of the journey.” It’s Carl Jung-based and written by James Hollis, PhD. 

For loyal followers, you’re probably all asking yourself, will this guy ever stop reading books about personal growth? Short answer is no. I want to end up better; wiser, stronger, more articulate, more tolerant and happier when I finish (life) than when I started my adult journey. I don’t beat myself up, but I do think if I uncover a truth that shocks me, moves me or just makes me go Huh!…others might also be interested. I hope you concur.

Nugget #1: Like cleaning our house, going through clothes and fashions, discarding the no longer germane…we need to go through our accumulated histories, driving attitudes, reflexes and responses, and discard what is no longer useful, productive, relevant or serving growth. (Read it again and unpack that one)

Nugget #2: Everyone has wounds to their self-esteem, some wounds devastate and govern their entire lives. Jung observed that behind the wound lies the genius of the person. The key is not what happens to us but how it is internalized and whether those messages expand or diminish our resilience.

Nugget #3: Philo of Alexandria, two millennia ago said, “we should be kind because everyone we meet has a really big problem.” I quoted my old Pastor Jerry many times with the same message. It’s a call for general empathy. To look outward instead of inward. The author professes he can extend this to others but has a hard time not subjecting himself to radical scrutiny over the things he does or the impact he may have on the world. I say, forgiveness is for self as much as for anyone else.

Nugget #4:When it comes to doing something significant, like writing a book, for example, few ever do it. “They fail to understand that they have to lay themselves down before their fears and sacrifice their persuasive comforts to do so.” It requires showing up in a larger way than what feels comfortable. Seems like common sense but we shrink from greatness, regret it our whole lives and grieve what could have been.

I’m a little past half way so I’m late to the read. Regardless of age, I suggest you navigate the $15 words and read this one yourself. If you choose not to, at a minimum, I hope you see ways to incorporate each of these nuggets into your journey.

Authors note: Many have wondered about the photos that accompany the message. Last week was obvious. This week, less so. Sometimes there is no photo and one of my favorite humans and vocal critics challenged me to be better. Am I a storyteller with mandatory visual aids or am I a truth teller who gathers beauty and occasionally incorporates an interesting landscape, artwork or characterization? It depends on timing, my mood and my sense of humor.

If you’d like to see the written and the visual be more aligned…register your vote by responding and I’ll consider a change to content alignment.

Have a blessed weekend!

E

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

I was in Sturgis, SD this week, pre-rally. I rented a bike at the airport, pictured above. It was fine, but I’ve lived most of my life believing nothing should ever stay stock. Modifications allow you to express who you are and if deliberately curated, becomes an extension of your personality.

To that point, last weekend Anne and I met up with friends and heard about a book from Mark Scharenbroich titled “Nice Bike”.  Per Amazon description, It’s a “collection of stories based on making meaningful connections with others in both your work and in your life. It’s about being a part of a community, knowing that contributions matter and experiencing a greater affiliation with others.”

I’m in a new role at a new-ish employer and I’m working to develop rapport with my coworkers. One of them bought a new motorcycle, while keeping his old one, until the right buyer showed up 2 weeks too early for me to simply borrow his.

The point for me is I took the premise of the book literally and reached out before meeting him in person and arranged a ride while in town this week. The conversation was the best. The weather may have impacted the ride but that wasn’t really the point.

Wherever you are, whatever you ride, try the nice bike theory and watch someone light up.

Have a blessed weekend!

E

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

I started watching a light-hearted movie last weekend and the description came up as “mild action and crude humor”. Made me smile. Then I thought about that combination and the intersection of those two things uncovered some very distinct memories. Of course, I always look for the lessons in all of it so here you go…

The first thing that came to mind when I read the phrase captured in the blog title was a weekend bowling with a few couples from our condo. We were all lucky if we broke 100 (mild action despite really trying) and one of  the guys in the group leaks out a few stories to get the ladies to giggle nervously until he gets a few more drinks down … then he makes the old bartender blush and his fiancé considers riding home in a different car.

Digging in the memory bank I recall wrapping up an office tour sharing with the company a change of direction, a restructure of sorts, where leadership covered a lot of ground driving and flying and answering hard questions. It was a lot of ground covered in a short period of time. On the way back from one of the bigger offices, our HR representative made some crack about taking the dirt road with a smirk that said she knew we had nothing but interstate in front of us.

The last and oldest I’ll share today goes back decades when my brother and I were hauling gravel for the county with a crew of independents who would drive hard to get one more round in before the end of the day. Some thought they were NASCAR drivers complete with their favorite driver’s number on their truck. Citizens band (CB) radios were filled with clever phrases, bad jokes and the occasional comment that would startle law enforcement or incite action from the FCC.

Unfortunately, this could also describe how some people approach business. Mild action, as if there is a choice whether we play to win or just play to not lose. Crude humor always leaves a victim or demonstrates the one flapping their gums is far too insensitive for anyone to really want to work with.

The leadership lesson today is:

Find your urgency, work (and play) like you mean it and mind your tongue.

Just smile and wave, boys!

Have a blessed weekend!

E

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

As I returned from time off and rededicated myself to a healthier lifestyle, including a regular workout, I took the information I’d gathered on macronutrients over the first month and decided to do something about it.

•Information without action is worthless

•You also can’t manage what you don’t measure

My takeaway is measure and manage by taking appropriate action after reviewing the data. If you use it in a bias way to simply support what you planned to do anyway, the effort of measuring was a waste of time.

The anabolic window refers to the 30-60 minutes after strength training where your body is most receptive to protein and helps with muscle repair and growth. There are skeptics that believe this is a myth and they support the idea that a balanced diet and proper protein intake at whatever time of day will give similar results and perhaps be more sustainable.

My rationale is this:

1. Exercise is good for you-physical as well as mental, emotional and spiritual
2. After measuring a 100g daily deficit for my individual goals, I needed a boost and regular diet change is challenging to pick up 100g additional protein
3. If I’m going to do something, I like to do it well
4. After a 40 year pause of focus on physical health, it’s time to get right
5. If there is a chance that paying attention to the anabolic window might optimize muscle development, increase health and support the effort I’m making to tone up, I’m in (besides, I just bought a crap load of protein shakes with different protein levels for different purposes). I’m really in.

There is a relation here to business. Timing matters. If you have assessed a performance issue and realize something should be done to extend the life of the business and improve results, there is a window.

I’ve seen how hesitation creates doubt. I’ve seen how conflict avoidance, masked as patience, can destroy credibility and increase attrition.

There is an optimal time to do something about issues once you learn what they are and devise a plan to get it done. It’s pretty close to the 30-60 minute window.

Have a blessed weekend!

Eric

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

I’ve been taking a break from the blog as I sharpen the saw.

While painful to do, I left the work phone and computer at home. A good choice to create a true, restful break but not all positions afford that. I’m fortunate in this regard.

Our tour included castles and murder holes and a famous stone getting lots of attention. We went to pubs with live music, tried our hand at hurling and of course saw miles and miles of gorgeous, emerald green landscape. The sun was out for most of it. Very enjoyable time away.

Now to reengage after being refreshed and renewed, I am ready to tackle the issues at hand.

If there is a lesson for me, a long time in the making, we all work hard and require a break. I met several people retired, semi-retired or still working who identify primarily with what they did, can’t stop working or never plan to. A peek into the future or perhaps an example of where I’d be headed if I didn’t see the world through someone else’s experience.

Have a blessed weekend!

Eric

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

The Latin definition for emeritus is “veteran soldier”. Today, we associate it primarily with a professor who wants to stay affiliated with the institution they left in good standing. An education honorable discharge, if you will.

Retired is a word less used today as anything from health to quality of life span to social security benefits to level of desired engagement has changed dramatically in the past few decades. People don’t feel as worn out and realize the best end to life is to give back as much as possible.

A quick Google search of modern description of retirement yielded a couple of salient points worth repeating:

•Modern retirement is evolving beyond a simple end to a career, encompassing a wider range of experiences and activities. It’s becoming less about a complete exit from work and more about a flexible, adaptable, and purposeful way of living, often including continued work, volunteerism, or pursuing new interests. This shift reflects a desire for more active, engaged, and meaningful retirement years. 

•In essence, modern retirement is about creating a fulfilling and meaningful life after work, one that is tailored to individual preferences and goals, rather than a fixed point of departure.

There are veteran soldiers in every walk of life who have fought (and continue to fight) battles every day. Some soldiers take their skills to multiple theaters and continue to fight … for improvement, accountability, education, exposing truth and delivering results.  In my experience, they are often misunderstood during times of change due to lack of ability to share total perspective, but a good soldier is willing to fight anyway…helping people, businesses and institutions to reach their full potential.

I do take umbrage with the portion of the general definition calling out “in good standing” for a variety of reasons. For one, If you’ve spent productive time somewhere and had significant, positive impact, the contributions last beyond your time there. Not all exits are graceful but often cause a lot of head scratching (think Thibideau, Knicks coach or a pile of accomplished, excellent government officials) because they seldom make good sense to the majority. Catalysts don’t always expect graceful exits but do prefer to be regarded for the value they bring.

Emeritus are we all. 

Have a blessed weekend!

Eric

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

Memorial Day is over but summer has just started and we likely have aspirations of taking some time off. Well deserved, I’m certain. While you have your family at the lake or you and your significant are on a road trip or it’s just you in the wilderness with your dog and your thoughts, I propose you leverage some drift time and be deliberate about what you do when you reengage. This is magical time. The most intellectual of our time carved it into their calendar. Why wouldn’t you? Then leverage it for a better future.

I believe the human condition thrives with a clear goal, so find your mountain!

Plan the ascent … and the descent.

Prepare your mind, body and soul.

Take notes before, during and after.

Visualize the end state and begin your climb!

Do you want to lead people?

Create incredible value?

Solve a wicked hard problem?

Find your purpose, your calling, your mountain and start climbing.

If this comes across like a platitude, reconsider.

I’ve had noble intent since before I knew what that meant; do the right thing, obey your father and mother, etc. 

When not deliberate about what you want to do, you will encounter challenges but they may not have specific purpose. The first challenge might be a practice run but why would you want to continue to climb someone else’s mountain? There is a good chance you are right now.

Have a blessed weekend!

Eric

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

I think everyone asks this question one way or the other. Whether on the surface or deeper down, we all want to have purpose, add value, and make a difference. We also want to know how our efforts are perceived by others, especially those we work for and those our efforts are intended to benefit.

Performance reviews have traditionally been a once a year event, but we now know five minutes a day or half an hour every other week is much more effective. If you relate this to your significant other, if you only told them once a year that you loved them, how do you think your relationship would be going?

As leaders, we hope that our efforts to influence, grow and … lead people, business units or companies will make a significant difference. Not just to pay the bills but to enrich the soul.

A few weeks back, I received some feedback from a leader who I worked with fifteen years ago. She said “You taught me some great life lessons early on in my career.” I’ll take feedback, constructive or otherwise, and whenever it comes. This was humbling and validating. It came from a time when we were in the throes of a corporate turn around. You hope you are doing the right thing but you never really know until you close the feedback loop. The numbers reflected the business performance and the company in question made the transition and is thriving today! The people are what really matter. Investing in them so they can pay it forward is the real reward.

What’s the takeaway? Provide feedback to your people. Regular feedback. It shouldn’t feel like you are complying with an HR mandate. It should be conversational but professional and leave them feeling like you care…because you do.

Have a blessed Memorial Day weekend!

Eric

Good morning, Team! It’s Friday!

I read an article recently from Todd Gagne titled “Scaling Like Alexander the Great: When systems Break Empires”

The money line-

“When modern companies encounter scaling obstacles, they blame their tools or teams. But the math suggests a more fundamental problem: some limits can’t be engineered around.”

The mathematical laws-

“The math holds true today: Double your speed, quadruple your costs. Triple your distance, multiply your resources by nine. These aren’t management problems…”

Think about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the number of data centers being built by tech- based companies today. They all require power, lots of power. The electric grid is aging and requires significant maintenance, hardening due to extreme weather and upgrades due to load growth. This won’t happen overnight. It’s been in the works for decades and will require hundreds of billions of dollars each year just to keep pace with maintenance and the energy transition without adding 25% load growth due to super high, concentrated loads in congested areas. 

We have limitations to be aware, both in our electric grid and our personal lives. Pushing harder or cracking the whip is not always the answer. Understanding limitations and the math behind it should help with optimization; working smarter, not just harder.

Have a blessed weekend!

Eric

Good morning Team! It’s Friday!

I was reading an article this morning about the dead internet and all of the bots that make up fake influencers and impact ratings on products and services that unassuming people put their faith in.

Last night, at a playoff basketball game, the fans behind us were especially obnoxious spouting expletives every other word, roasting opposing team fans sitting close and babbling the entire time loud enough for me to know they were clueless on a number of fronts.

Anne and I watch national news four nights out of seven (on average) and local news maybe three out of seven. In general, the focus on bad behavior, negativity, disasters, corruption and the like would leave you to believe that we are all on a fast track to hell. Just a spinning ball of garbage. Ugh.

Today, you have to make hard choices when it comes to what you’ll listen to and what you won’t. Not in a selective hearing kind of way as much as deliberate filtering of information that you feed your brain. If your ears had lint-trap-like devices where you could stop the spin, clean the trap and go about your business, this would be a little easier. But that’s not a thing.

Turn off the TV sooner. Put down the phone more often. Be selective with your sources. Do not succumb to the overwhelm of bullshit. Pause before you react. Breathe. Things are never as bad as you allow yourself to believe.

Have a blessed weekend and Mother’s Day!

Eric