Listen. Learn. Do.

Black Lives Matter.

It is not a slogan or bandwagon issue. It is something we need to embrace, respect, and acknowledge as part of the momentum necessary to move our country forward on one of the most challenging topics: racism.

It saddens, frustrates and candidly angers us all because racial equality should not even be a topic for discussion, let alone one mired in senseless murders, violence, and bigotry. Yet, here we are in 2020.

George Floyd.

A victim of a senseless police murder. Mr. Floyd joins the ranks of many others who have befallen the same fate. How is this possible? Why is this still happening?

Perhaps you have felt the same anger, frustration and hopelessness too? Watching the peaceful protests with a sense of pride, a hallmark of our nation’s history, and then sadly seeing some violence erupt from those protests suddenly makes us frustrated again.

Maybe you are wondering what you can do…what can your organization do…to make a positive impact in what feels like an impossible situation?

Three Steps

Today I would like to offer three steps that I believe will help us support each other, learn more about these complex issues, and offer a variety of actions each of us can take in our respective communities.

LISTENING – We need to start inside our organizations. We need to take the risk and open up with each other…share our feelings…even if we aren’t entirely sure what we are feeling right now. Perhaps now is the time for you to step up and lead the internal effort to create forums for discussion, sharing, and support for every employee?

LEARNING – Next we need to educate ourselves on what is happening. Invest some time and explore various websites dedicated to this issue. Talk with your colleagues, friends and clergy about resources in your community, and most importantly take the time to better understand the different perspectives apart from traditional news media.

www.blacklivesmatter.com – the flagship site for this movement

www.naacp.org – one of the longtime voices for the African American community

www.charitynavigator.org – a premier charity tracking organization that will help you find well respected organizations for you to consider donating to or learning more about

DOING – Expressing our collective anger is simply not enough. As we listen and learn we are naturally more confident to take action. Doing something is what matters most. Consider supporting a peaceful protest, reaching out to local organizations in your community, or even getting involved on a broader scale.

How About You

I know it is not easy to speak up, learn about sensitive topics, or take action. We might not get it right every time; however, that doesn’t mean we shouldn't keep pushing ourselves forward.

As you consider your role, reach out and let me know what you're thinking. Communicating with each other is more important than ever.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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A Greatness Undone

...faith and work and charity and healthy eating and being productive and working out and caring for everyone and reading and listening and learning and growing and mentoring and leading and pushing and resting and balancing and reaching out and always being there...

Do you sometimes feel as if you've lost your greatness? As I think about all of the things I tell myself that I'm supposed to be and do and think...I wonder if mine has slipped away?

You see, we all have our own kind of greatness. It's in there. Most of time it's on display and we don't even know it.

Lately, though. Well...you know. The world changed up its cadence pretty quickly, and now we have to adjust.

So.

Adjust.

No, we don't have any rules on how to adjust the right way. We don't need them. We don't have a playbook on what is proper and what isn't. We don't need one.

We just need to remember our greatness...

...and show it.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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title inspiration

I Have Plans

They say that battle plans always look good until the battle starts. Then everything changes in an instant regardless of what was expected. I think the same can be true in business.

Strategic Plans, Business Plans, Marketing Plans
I like plans. I like investing the time to think through what should happen, what could happen, and how I might manage the unexpected things that probably will pop up. It's almost a competition for me. 

How can I beat the system and help my organization win?

I love to win.

However, what happens when all of that thinking and planning and communicating launches and...guess what...things don't go as planned? For real.

That is the real test, right? Table top exercises are helpful, but woefully inadequate compared to the real thing. When leaders find the courage to authorize new initiatives and put them into practice, that is when the heart rate goes up and the rush of the world of business kicks in.

At least it does for me.

I love the rush.

Fear of Failure = Leadership Failure
If plans can be so effective, even if we need to be nimble enough to adjust them on the fly, why don't more leaders invest the time to build them? Why do organizations play the "we're so busy we don't have time to build a strategy" card?

I don't get it.

Plans work. Excuses don't.

How About You
What is standing in your way to think through what needs to be done in your organization? Candidly, developing effective plans takes much longer than you think. But the results will also be better, right?

That's how planning works. 

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Inspire Sacrifice

What? Inspiring sacrifice? That sounds...well...miserable.

Vision First
Where am I headed with this notion of inspiring sacrifice? It starts with each of us as individuals. More specifically, it comes from those times in our lives when the world seems to be closing in around us. 

Whether it's a personal issue, a complex professional challenge, or your desire to change your life for the better, two things (at least) are in play:

1. The pressure of getting through whatever "it" is
2. Finding the strength to make the necessary changes to "get there"

For me, it starts with a vision. What do I want my professional life to look like? How do I want my life to be outside the world of work (remember, work is not your life, it's just an important part.) How do I want to feel from a health and fitness perspective. All of these pieces are linked together. We literally can not separate them into convenient little buckets.

Trust me on this one...I've tried many, many times.

Finding Strength
Moving our grand visions from concept to reality requires much more than wishing them to be true. How exactly does one move past pain, challenges, frustration, disappointment, anxiety all the while staying fired up and believing they will achieve their goals?

How do you inspire this kind of sacrifice?

Where do you draw the strength necessary, when you have run out of resources, but still need to push harder?

How do you continue to challenge yourself to excel when you are exhausted?

How do you push beyond every boundary when you are ready to collapse physically, emotionally and mentally?

When it must be done...how do you get there?

Go Deeper
There is more to draw upon actually, but there is a powerful barrier in the way.
It is our mind. It tells us we can't continue. It tells us we will get hurt, physically, emotionally and mentally. It never stops telling us to take the easy path.

- No need to push for that organizational change...it will be too political
- No need to do any more reps, you've worked hard enough in the gym today
- No need to have the tough conversations in your life, just shut down and it will pass

Well my friends, our minds are wrong. We can withstand so much more. Our minds are in fact constantly searching for the easiest path forward. However, the easiest path produces zero results, physically, mentally and emotionally.

The easiest path is paved with familiar, and sadly, comfortable excuses for you to remain mediocre.

It is only when we reject our soft self-talk that we achieve breakthroughs. It is only when we decide to push through the pain and stress and fear that we achieve greatness. It is only when we decide to be something much better than we are today, that we take our entire lives to a completely new place.

How About You
So, what is the secret source of the necessary focus to "get there?" For me it is a combination of faith, self-reflection, and a bold commitment to turn off the noise (my own, and from everyone else) to achieve things I never thought possible.

Who's with me?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.


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Extreme User Interviews

"The way to get good ideas, is to get lots of ideas and throw the bad ones away."
- Linus Pauling

Launching A New Idea
Over the course of my career I've come up with plenty of good ideas. At least I thought they were good ideas. A valuable lesson I learned along the way was to utilize a small group of bright people to review my ideas, offer their feedback, and then improve or reject my "good idea."

Experienced Users Know the Hacks
How does that get put into practice? It's not as difficult as you might think, but it does require a healthy dose of trust and humility. Both are challenges for me!

My process was straightforward, and based entirely on my experiences with other leaders in the organization. Those that I knew were engaged, big thinkers, knew our culture, and were well respected were put on a list.

Next step, I reached out to them individually and asked them to serve as my sounding board group. If they were uncomfortable, it was, of course, perfectly fine for them to decline.

None ever did...and I suspect the leaders you ask will also jump at the opportunity to contribute and help you.

And then...the humility piece. Once the group was assembled and I walked them through my idea, it was time for them to offer their gut reactions, their insights, their unique perspectives on what I thought I had completely worked out in advance.

On more than one occasion their feedback was humbling; but was always provided professionally. The best part was, it helped me make much better decisions than if I had relied on myself. 

How About You
Who do you rely on to help you work through new ideas or changes to your organization? Is the pressure to come up with everything on your own locked into you head? Let that go...and reach out to all of those bright minds around you.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.


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Crush the Industry

I'm feeling particularly fired up to start the year. Now before you roll your eyes and write this off as another "New Year, New You" post, hang in there. Since when was it a bad thing to get fired up?

Focus
A state or condition permitting clear perception or understanding

I like that...particularly the "clear" part. What a gift to have a clear understanding of what we're supposed to be doing. How many times have you launched into new projects or assignments with a general sense of what needs to be done, versus a clear one?

Competitive Drive
Trying to be more successful than others

Absolutely. Do I want my organization to thrive? Of course I do...and you want yours to as well. That competitive mindset fuels our commitment to not only improve our company's performance, but our own as well.

Am I thinking about big new things in 2019? Yes!

How About You
What is pushing you this year? How are you going about crushing everything ahead of you? Is it a new job? A new side gig? Taking a risk in your current role that will change things in a big way?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Big 3

Today's post is short and to the point.

Transitioning to a new year means we sometimes think about making changes in our personal or professional lives.

Let's cut to the chase...

1. Pick three things to work on this year (not resolutions.)
2. Write them down with deadlines to make progress throughout the year.
3. Start today.

Stop with the self-talk noise.
Stop with the "I'm too busy excuse."

Just freaking go.

Happy New Year...and as always...

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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You Made My Day

I had something pretty cool happen recently. Someone told me that I "just made their day." Here's the coolest part...

...it was a stranger
...it involved public recognition
...and it leveraged his company's rewards program for the public to use

Wow! Right?

Practicing and Preaching
I've spent many years proclaiming the power of recognition. We all know it's an important tool for building relationships, trust, loyalty, and engagement. Sometimes I'm better at practicing it than preaching it, but I never lose sight of how impactful it can be.

The Story
Some of you may know that my professional life involves a heavy amount of travel; and with that, comes a familiarity with the staff of Southwest, the carrier I use. Well, one of the gate agents in Tampa is not only incredibly positive, but he is consistently positive every single day. 

Let's face it....gate agents don't get much glory. They don't sing you the safety instructions or bring you cans of water. They are stuck announcing flight delays or gate changes. 

Absolutely no glory whatsoever.

Well, Southwest has a rewards program whereby they send reward coupons to customers like me (think drink coupons, but targeted at recognizing their team members.) The coupons are personalized to me as a frequent customer, and allows me to recognize their team.

How good is that?

Which leads to his comment as I was walking by him to board the plane.

How About You
Are you doing more preaching than practicing when it comes to recognition in your organization? It's funny how it actually works out. His response made my day too.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Crash and Burn Leadership

Wait, what?

We're leaders. We don't have time for anything ever, let alone ourselves, right? 

We care for others!
We care for our teams!
We care for our CEOs!
We care for the employees!

We...crash and burn. That's what we do.

We crash. 
and. 
burn.

Give Give Give
What is it about being a dedicated leader that makes us all feel like we're supposed to work ourselves into oblivion? I mean, seriously...sometimes over the years I've pushed myself beyond what would be a reasonable limit.

And for what? How many of us were recognized for arriving at 6:00am everyday? I know the answer.

None of us.

But, wait a minute. Those early hours, late nights, and weekends diving into that task list paid off for us! We were on top of our workload...connected with everybody...and executed on time, every time.

But at what cost?

Self Care is Beast Mode
For those of you that believe self-care is a soft cop out I have news for you.

"There is no glory in pushing yourself so hard 

chasing an imagined super-hero image 

that you have nothing left to give. 

You've simply failed."

The real "A-players" of leadership focus on a lot more than their Inbox and task list. Here are a few things that make it to the top of their priority list:

- spending time listening to the employees

- exercising

- intentionally slowing down

- reading

- eating (reasonably) healthy

- meditating or praying

- networking for the sake of connecting, not for pure professional gain

- reading (a real book or a digital one)

- taking time off

...and you can continue to add to the list...

How About You

Do you matter enough to your organization, your team, your family and to yourself to go all beasty with your own self-care? It's not going soft...it's actually stepping up in a profound and impactful way.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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The Great Unsaid

"Oh, yes...he has always acted that way. It's just part of life here."

"She does that all the time...her team has learned to work around her."

"When he gets in one of his moods, look out!"

"She's always rude and interrupts..yet we hold everyone else accountable for that."

All Quiet on the Corporate Front
We've all experienced this bizarre phenomenon. Leaders are allowed to behave poorly, yet we're fast as lightning to hammer employees who act the same way.

What holds us back from speaking up? Do we actually believe our career path will be compromised by leading? Could we be ostracized from our peer group for addressing the very public skeleton in our shared corporate closet? 

"It is perhaps the greatest failure of leadership...that is... to passionately espouse the values of the organization, and fail so miserably to hold it's leaders to that standard."

Speak Up or Fail
Consider what happens to the front line employees when leaders are allowed to behave like fools:
- morale tumbles
- engagement evaporates
- turnover rises
- revenue dwindles

Why would we ever wish for these things to happen to our organizations? Yet, when we remain silent on leadership behavior, we are stating quite loudly that we WANT these terrible things to happen. 

There is no in-between stance...if you do not speak up and coach, counsel, or discipline poor leadership behavior, you are in fact endorsing a dark and painful course for your company.

How About You
I don't even have to ask...you already have the name of the person in your head that fits this post. So, what will you do the next time they 'do their thing?" Perhaps stare at your shoes and hope they stop talking; or, have a very direct, professional, and purposeful discussion with them?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

Reunited and Returned

A question for you today...do you feel as if you've 'figured it all out?' I'm not being a smart you-know-what here. I'm actually curious if you feel that way. 

Honesty is the Best Policy
To be honest with you, I kinda feel like I had it all figured out for a while. That turned out to be a pretty self-centered viewpoint. Think about it...with all of the challenges of work, our personal "stuff" that we carry...or have carried around with us...plus a world that seems to be so bitterly divided, how in the world could anyone have it all figured out?

Lots to process. Lots to think about. Lots of people we interact with each day, and all of this internal noise blasting nonstop.

Or maybe it's just me?

Stepping Up
It's an odd thing...wanting to step up and be better. Who puts that pressure on us? Is it our coworkers or family? Is it clients or our network of peers? Perhaps it's our faith perspective, or simply our sense of justice, duty or doing the right thing that is the source?

What drives us to push ourselves so hard to improve? 

Yes, I'm going deeper today...it's good for me...and you too. When do we thoughtfully, intentionally, commit to 'being better people' and then execute on that plan?

I'm all in.

How About You
What drives you? Is it work, personal healing, an inner passion, or something else happening in the world? 

For me, it's as if I've been reunited with...well...myself. Returning to that person who saw everything as an exciting opportunity to make a difference.

I'd love to hear from you

No Excuses.

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inspiration

For Soon Is Yesterday

I've been thinking a lot lately about how I...well...think about things. I like to have a clear understanding of what's behind me, as well as a vision of what's ahead...develop a game plan...execute well...and get to where I just knew I would get to.

Sure.

Back
I easily fall into the trap of looking back at my life, both professionally and personally. What could I change? What might have happened if I took that other job? What about that big decision I made...what if I made a different one?

These back-facing questions are helpful for us to understand things, but aren't necessarily productive if we spend all of our time looking backwards.

Forward
Conversely, I L O V E spending time planning what's next! Big thinking! Big ideas! And best of all..acting on those plans! In my business life this is an area where I get the most satisfaction.

Personally, plans on a massive scale can shift and move resulting in us investing lots of energy on plans instead of embracing the incredible moments that we are blessed with each day.

Of course I want to plan in my private life...but not at the expense of my life.

Are you with me?

How About You
Looking back to learn, and looking ahead to dream are both important parts of our life experience. Those investments of time can help us understand, learn and prepare. But we must not lose sight of the incredible things that happen each day. Those small moments that make life special are so important.

I'm still going to think about everything...but savoring each day is going to take a little higher priority than in the past...what about you?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Cold Sweat

You're asked a question in a big meeting and your mind goes blank.

You completely forgot to follow up on an issue and the information is due in 5 minutes.

You realize you are in over your head with an assignment and have no idea where to turn...paralysis sets in...and your credibility begins to evaporate.

Keep Breathing
Now before you do something rash like quit your job because you don't think you'll be popular anymore and won't have any 'friends' at work consider these points:

- you're not going to die because you've hit a rough patch

- you actually can do the work if you remove some of that self-talk clutter from your mind and start attacking the issue one little step at a time

- you can reach out to your colleagues for help...that's what real colleagues do...they help each other

Now Focus
Once the wave of anxiety has washed over you...and you've decided that your entire career is over and there is no hope for you professionally...

...get your head back on straight and start building your plan.

What needs to be addressed immediately? Write it down. Map out the deadlines and the resources you'll need to get there. 

Who can help you? Who also has a vested interest in this issue being executed successfully?

Find those people. Talk with them. Write everything down.

Breath Again
Think about how your mind has shifted. You have now documented a preliminary action plan, have connected with important internal resources to get the necessary results, and most importantly, are now back in charge.

This can not be overstated. Your mood will change. Your confidence level will change. And, by the way, the results will change dramatically from where you started.

Breath.
Focus.
Execute.

How About You
Is it going to be hard sometimes? Yes. Is it going to be embarrassing sometimes? Yes. Is it going to be worth it? Absolutely.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Ruthlessly Eliminate Hurry

The pace. 

My pace...the hectic, busy, sometimes chaotic whirlwind of life can be a bit much at times. Easy to complain about, right? And also, easy to be thankful for in a world with so much pressure. 

Something More
Amidst the noise, deadlines, expectations and overloaded calendars is something else waiting for us. However, we often don't notice this opportunity because we're always "in a hurry."

When we find ourselves asking if all of this craziness is worth it, I wonder if we also ask how we might offer ourselves in a different way? 

That's right. I'm talking about exploring new ways to contribute.

Stop and Listen
Before we can understand how we might contribute beyond our "busy day full of responsibilities" we must first stop. Simply stop for a few moments, and listen. 

What is your heart calling you to do? 

Who has been whispering in your ear about making a change and adding value in ways you had not previously considered?

How will you eliminate the "hurry" in your life, so you can focus on the most important things? New things? Life-changing things?

How About You
Investing a few moments...or a few hours...to just stop and listen could have a profound effect on you, and those around you. 

Do you have the courage to even give it a try; or, will you quickly glance at your To Do List and hurry along to the next task?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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Invisible Boundaries

Balance.
Crossing the line.
Setting expectations.
Role clarity.

Boundaries.

Work/Life Boundaries at Work
Okay, I need to say right away...I struggle with this. In my mind, I need to be available, on-call, and ready to jump into the action at any moment. That's what leaders do, right? 

We're available!

We've decided to forgo a large part of our personal life for the greater good of the organization!

We're role models of leadership effectiveness!

Well, I do love being all of those things...but I'm learning that I don't love being all of those things, all the time.

Boundaries at Home
Where is the balance point between committed leader, and committed person outside of work?

Where is that fine line that separates "dedicated" from hurtful intrusion? 

Is there a sign I should be looking for; or, perhaps that sign comes in the form of a tangled plan that is influenced by our work?

There is no easy answer. One of the thrills of leadership, for me, is the action and drama and sudden intensity that requires a savvy response as the "world" is getting all worked up. But when that world is always worked up it can begin to negatively impact our personal lives.

That's not good...for us as people, or as leaders.

How About You
How do you find the 'life balance' that integrates all of your responsibilities? Where do you draw the lines that ensure you don't give too much of yourself away?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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This Is Not the Edge of the World

The rollercoaster world of work is...

exhausting.
exhilarating.
maddening.
exciting.
frustrating.
rewarding.
the worst.
the best.

No matter what it is for you today, remember you're not living on the edge of your world. It's just the thrill of the ride. Hang on tight in good times and bad, and embrace every minute.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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The Best Form of Self Interest

Now that's an odd title, don't you think? Of all things to be discussing on a human resources leadership blog...self interest?

Them, and Me
One of the challenges I face in my leadership practice is balancing my nonstop desire to push harder, faster, and better than my competition; and, understanding that the risks involved with my leadership personality can create casualties.

Casualties, on my team.

Understanding my role when mistakes are made, as well as the others involved, is more complicated than it sounds...at least for me. You see, I have this fairly large ego that continues to get in my way. My intentions are good, and often the results are rock solid, but it's the occasional collateral damage along the way that is unacceptable.

Is every miss my fault? Of course not. But every one of my reactions is completely on me. No one "forces me" to react too strongly. No one requires that I have a quick response that sometimes could be perceived as harsh. I am the only one who has the power over my responses.

Finding Forgiveness
When I find myself moving too quickly (which happens a lot) I need to build a new step into that frenetic pace. A step that allows me to ensure my words match the situation. And when I miss the mark, or realize that even though the "other person" made mistakes, I still need to lead the way.

I need to lead the way, every time.

If we think about forgiving those around us that make mistakes vs. running them over with our frustration and disappointment in their performance, a couple of interesting things happen.

First, forgiveness is not about the two people involved exclusively. Forgiveness is about resetting how the world is supposed to work, far beyond individual relationships.

Second, forgiveness, through that re-alignment, creates opportunities for individual forgiveness to be effective and long-lasting.

How About You
Is forgiveness a sign of weakness, or an attempt to simply 'forgive and forget?' We actually never forget; but when we focus on a more global reset, along with the individual healing that goes along with it, we demonstrate for our teams that forgiveness is actually a powerful leadership tool.

What do you think?

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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New Year, Old Challenge

"The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward."
- Amelia Earhart

The start of each year is often filled with self-reflection, motivation to create change, or a list of 'goals' for the months ahead.

Perhaps this year, we should all focus on one simple task in our work lives...

...making decisions.

Indecisive leaders are perhaps the most frustrating, ineffective, and candidly useless members of the team. 

They don't add value, because they never make a decision. 

They don't command respect because no one is really sure where they stand on the issues. 

And, they don't instill confidence in their teams because their employees see the fear of failure in their eyes every single day.

How About You
Which leader in your organization do you need to reach out to this year to help make the decisions required in their role? Go to them today. Have an open and honest conversation...and help them realize their full potential this year.

I'd love to hear from you.

No Excuses.

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