Monday, November 28, 2022

Fear and Loathing in 2023

Let’s get right to the 800 pound gorilla in every conference room and office.

Fear. 

Your fears. My fears. Our colleagues fears. Our employees fears. Fear is rampant. If you don’t agree…candidly, I don’t believe you.

What’s next at my organization? At yours? Will your employees hang in there while you scramble to modernize your leadership style? Will your leaders be patient enough to put up with yet another “transformation project” in 2023? How many of those have you rolled out anyway?

Too many, I suspect.


Fear can easily become an excuse. It can take control simply by existing in the collective minds of the executive team. You can’t touch it, or fire it, or reassign it, or transfer it. You have one choice at the end of the day.

Confront it.

Label the factors that are driving your fear experience. 

Build a contemporary plan to address each factor.

Execute on a communications plan that tells everyone what you’re doing.

And then do what you say you’re going to do.

Easier said than done? Of course. Necessary? Absolutely.

Our employees are smart. Show them the respect they deserve with honesty, transparency, and above all else…action.

Thanks for being here.

Jay


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Monday, November 21, 2022

Life Runs Me

I don’t know about you, but I put an enormous amount of pressure on myself to stay in control.

Of everything.

All the time.

Yeah, that’s not the best option though. Damn it.

I feel better when I convince myself that I’m driving things forward in my life. I’m the one calling the shots. I’m the one who ‘gets it’ and can make all the difference.

Maybe you feel that way sometimes too.



This year I’ve discovered a painful truth. Despite the intensity and energy I bring to my work, personal life, side projects, etc…I’m not always running life. More often than not, life is running me.

Consider it a controlled slide. You know what I mean. Think back to a time you were hiking and your feet found the loose gravel as you made your way down the trail. Off you go…not falling…just sliding…and flailing…awkwardly.

That’s what much of 2022 has felt like for me.

Now, it’s not been all chaos and uncertainty. I’ve made some really big decisions this year in my personal and professional lives. More on that later. 

But that comforting feeling of control, at least for me, has been even more elusive this year. How about for you? On top of things? Have it all figured out? Barely hanging on? I’m always ready to chat if you need to.

Thanks for being here.

Jay


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Monday, November 14, 2022

My Biggest Flex

I’m not sure when this phrase became a thing. I like it though. 

Flexing means effort, sacrifice, consistency, and ultimately results. It’s more that just announcing something, or at least it should be. Flexing means success.

Often ‘biggest flex’ is a simple phrase: “my biggest flex was finally believing in myself.” Okay, sounds good. But what in the world does that mean? You never did before? Maybe. You’ve gone through a rough stretch? Perhaps. You want to join in the biggest flex trend to look cool? No comment.

Biggest flex for me has an entirely different meaning. It speaks to the culmination of years of thinking, working, planning, dreaming, worrying, convincing myself to play it safe, and then ramping that whole self-talk machine up again.

That machine is going full power right now.

It now means a long list of things ranging from mental health awareness, to relationships, to thinking far beyond what I thought I could ever do or be. 

No quickie phrases here. No Instagram ready quotes. No short little life changing tweets.

Something big is on the horizon. 

What’s your biggest flex?

Thanks for being here.

Jay


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Monday, November 7, 2022

The Brink of Insight

I’ve worked with a lot of bright people through the years. Smart, accomplished professionals who really know their stuff. And yet, they somehow miss the mark. Sure, they do a good job overall, but there’s a missing piece in there that is hard to pin down.

Able to read the room? Sometimes.

Calm under pressure? Usually.

Demonstrating confidence? Uh, sure. 

So, what is that elusive element that separates the exceptional leaders from the ranks of so many managers?

 

Insight. Sometimes I call it being savvy. Either way, it’s a tough thing to teach young leaders, right? And it’s nearly impossible to up-skill mature leaders to build this into their style. Yet each of us could name an insightful and influential leader in our lives. 

What is it that made them different? And how can we take those behaviors and internalize them so we can be just as effective?

I’ll only offer the first step today. Humility. Once we move past pride and ego we gift ourselves the opportunity to grow immeasurably. Is there a better gift? Probably not.

Perhaps it’s time to give yourself a gift as we look ahead to being our best in 2023?

Thanks for being here.

Jay


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