Yes my friends – there is little that can turn my smile upside down in the morning than waking up to find that we’re out of coffee. I am no afficianado – I just know that I rally when I smell it brewing, I inhale more deeply when I pour my first cup and I can tell it’s going to be a good day when I get the ratio of half and half :coffee just right. These are karmic messages to me that suggest the hours ahead are filled with limitless possibility. Anything that deters me from this hopeful path sets my jaw on edge, my eyes turn into asp-like slits, and for all I know my tongue becomes forked as I begin to hiss. As such, I consider it a favor to you that I am going to slither back to bed, and dream that when I wake up again, somehow the coffee canister will be full.
Category: life lessons
A Very Happy Anniversary Of Sorts
On March 31st, I celebrated my first year of ‘retirement’. I put the term in quotes, because I don’t know that the word ‘retired’ is applicable – if you scramble the letters around, I think you get to a more appropriate description of my state of mind – ‘tireder’ and/or ‘retried’. I had grown more and more tired of trying to retain a culture and philosophy that in an evolving firm had become outdated and probably to some, pretty hokey. I had tried too often to excite senior management about employee engagement, accountability, career development, and the joys of communicating in any manner that didn’t require technology. At the risk of redundancy, I was so flippin’ lucky – I worked in a firm that embraced me and my crazy commitment until I realized that it was time for me to pack it in. I wasn’t going to be able to contribute anymore – the train was pulling out of the station and I chose not to buy a ticket.
But – it’s still an anniversary. I should get a present or something (note to self – talk to husband). It’s been a year of tremendous growth, with incredible highs coming from places I would never have expected and dark blues that I hadn’t anticipated which gripped some days with vice-like intensity. I’ve learned that retirement doesn’t separate you from your convictions (I know, big duh if you’ve been reading my blog) – I still care as passionately about the principles I followed when I was working full-time. I’ve learned that you are not going to be defined by what you did for a living but how you lived while you were working. Over the course of this past year, I’m sure I have been vilified and canonized – perhaps even at the same time, remembered fondly and with derision – that is the territory of all who have experienced extended employment tenure. And I’ve learned that it really doesn’t matter – what counts is my continued love and commitment to the people who have remained my friends.
I discovered that working independently is both freeing and lonely. A side benefit of going to work each day is having people to engage with, who are also struggling with intense workloads and challenges as well as lives outside of work that they are struggling to stay connected to. The transition from 200 emails in my inbox each morning that required me to accelerate from 0 to 60 pre-coffee, to coffee and the paper first with no rush to get out the door wasn’t easy (though I have come to LOVE it). Connected to that intensity was the implicit need that others had for me in one way or shape or form, and I liked that. Finding a new rhythm was a challenge – knowing I had a groove, but not knowing where the hell I was supposed to dance. Consulting has provided an excellent segue for me – allowing me the freedom of self-exploration with the structure of developing meaningful programs and training opportunities. It’s also given me time to hang with my kids who are local (when they’re not working or with their spouses), go to the gym, make some new friends, be a better friend to my old friends, and continue to fight with a bit more focus on a body that keeps throwing me medical surprises and loops for which I’m never prepared. That old Faces song “Oh La La” reprises in my head “I wish that I knew what I know now/When I was younger”…
Finally I have learned that there are phenomenally talented, generous people out there in Bloggerland who teach me something new every time I read their posts, share a conversation online or exchange a ‘shout out’ in appreciation for their tremendous efforts. These virtual friends evoke very real emotions within me – I celebrate their success, try to answer the questions they pose of their readers, laugh, etc. Sometimes it feels like there’s lots of virtual hugging going on – and quite honestly, long may it continue. These writers have inspired and humbled me. When I started this in mid-January, I had no idea what I was doing. I still don’t – but now it doesn’t bother me as much. There are many more who have been more successful, but there are unquestionably few who have derived more delight and connection than me. So, Happy-Sorta-Anniversary to me…may new adventures still greet me each day. “Life was meant to be lived. Curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life.” — Eleanor Roosevelt (and agreed to this day, by me :-)).
Thought For The Day
I Was Only Kidding
In the great big scheme of things, I’m not too surprised I didn’t win the lottery. Recognizing that the odds weren’t really with me was the first clue. The fact that I didn’t buy a ticket was the second. I would have liked to have won though – and I don’t really believe anyone who says otherwise. Come on – it immediately takes the term ‘winning’ away from Charlie Sheen, so right off the bat, it’s a good thing.
I think we kid ourselves a lot – and not always in a way intended to make us laugh. The biggest fibs are not those we tell others, it’s the ones we tell ourselves. The reasons are understandable – we don’t want to change something about our environment or ourselves, the risk of admitting the truth is too great – sort of like touching the house of cards upon which our ego strength rests. Is it necessary to always be truthful to one’s self? I think it’s a moot question, for I doubt that the most self-actualized person (Dalai Lama excluded) can lay claim to complete inner candor. I do think though that as we face spring cleaning – of our yards, closets, garages, etc – we may want to do a little dusting off of some of the lines we’ve been repeating in our heads and see if we can’t box them up and put them away. Here’s my top ten list so far – in no particular order…
1. I’m my own worst critic (no I’m not – I only self-flagellate to the point where I feel some discomfort)
2. It doesn’t matter
3. I need those shoes
4. I can handle it – whatever ‘it’ may be
5. I’ll do it tomorrow
6. I’m not good enough
7. I’m too good
8. It doesn’t bother me – rolls off my back like water off of a duck
9. I don’t care
10. It’s just how I am
The corollary of course is that the flip side of such statements are undeniable truths. The tricky part is figuring out where the two meet. I’ll let you know when I figure that out – after all, spring cleaning typically takes more than a day if it is to be done well. Who am I kidding? I haven’t even started yet.
Who Steals The Lorax??
Someone stole the Lorax! I can’t believe it’s true
Don’t people around here have better things to do?
A Lorax bronzed and proud perched among Dr. Seuss’ flowers
We’re all pretty pissed here, we’re all pretty dour
I need to repeat this – some people forget
If it belongs to another, it’s not yours to get
Leave our garden alone! Bring our Lorax back home!
Go hug a tree, save the whales, write a tome
Your fifteen minutes is up, you looked really dumb
And since this is G-rated, I flip you my thumb.
Um..Are YOU Googling ME??
Dear Young-Talented-Eager-Person-Seeking-Challenging-Employment-Opportunities;
Thank you for your interest in our company. Your education and experience closely parallel that which we consider in candidates for employment. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate you on your recent Oscar win for ‘Best Short Film’ – the images of the hollers of Appalachia were hauntingly beautiful and Morgan Freeman’s voice overs provided a lyrical gravitas. When I think that you are also under consideration for a Pulitzer, you should be applauded for accomplishing so much in your relatively short tenure in the work force. As an aside, we are all beneficiaries of your full-time efforts while in college to discover the cure for the common cold. You are truly an impressive individual.
As such, it is with great ambivalence that I must advise you of our decision to extend an offer to a candidate who we feel may enjoy greater success within our organization. In the interest of full disclosure, the suggestive pictures on your Facebook page, coupled with the salacious conversations between you and your friends gave us pause. Also, in the future you may want to Google yourself, for there are some rather unflattering comments about you written by some anonymous person claiming to have been held as your unpaid valet during elementary school. We found the incident concerning the rain boots particularly disturbing.
In closing, I want to thank you again for your interest in employment opportunities with us. We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors and great success going forward.
Best regards,
Will Nothire
There’s been quite a bit of press about the appropriateness of employers asking for the Facebook passwords of potential employment candidates. On its face, there is nothing legally wrong with an employer asking for this information, just as there’s nothing wrong with you denying to provide it. This is however a far thornier problem than access to a personal site, which may or may not have anything to do with one’s ability to perform a job satisfactorily (I can hear some employers arguing that such information can tell you quite a bit about one’s judgment, but so can really good interview questions…I’m just sayin’)
In the days of MySpace, employers could (and did) access people’s pages and discovered some very disturbing material that certainly impacted their views of prospective and/or current employees. People would share confidential information about their employers, posted pictures of themselves in compromising situations, wrote about co-workers in ways that bordered on the libelous. Under circumstances such as that, what would you have done as the employer? The answers are complicated, and reveal a gold mine of questions pertaining to personal and professional integrity.
Do employers ‘google’ applicants? I know that some do – and rarely consider that some of the information on the ‘Net may be completely inaccurate (like the ex-boyfriend who posted an article about his girlfriend on a professional web site, which became part of her technological footprint without her knowledge). Most firms do background checks – carefully ensuring that the information they are seeking is part of the public record and relevant for the position being sought.
But you need to know that nothing is private. Whatever you put on your FB page;
the article you wrote for your university that called for a boycott of classes until the administration conceded to lowering the number of required courses in order to confer a degree; the tweets full of epithets and disconcerting shout-outs to the judges on “The Voice” – it’s all out there for the world to see. And judge. Whether it is right or wrong is not the issue we will solve today – or tomorrow for that matter. But the presumption of privacy when all of our information is dancing around on a cloud with everyone else’s is naive. Think before you post, consider who may end up being your audience. And if you really want to be safe – here’s a crazy thought – pick up the phone and talk.
Marlon Perkins And Me
My husband thinks he’s Marlon Perkins. I don’t want to dissuade him, for it gives him such joy and feelings of power that can’t reasonably be replicated in any other aspect of his life. I feel like I’m a bit player on “Mutual Of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom”, though we live about 25 miles outside of Washington, DC. I don’t think of myself as Bill necessarily – I always felt bad for that guy – Marlon would narrate as Bill was sent to wrestle the alligator, run from a charging silver back gorilla, etc.. I am more of a hysterical observer as I watch my husband approach his nemesis, his focus nothing short of laser-like, his exhaustive knowledge of his prey’s behavior shames those of us lesser beings who are just simply grossed out.
He is in search of the notorious brown marmorated stink bug. For those of you who live on the East Coast and/or China, these interlopers are not uncommon to you. A few of them apparently booked vacations here, arriving by boat only to find the environment conducive for permanent re-location. The vineyards were plentiful, the fruit crop bountiful, job prospects were strong and the housing market very competitive. What a place to raise a family – very large families.
These are disgusting bugs. I’m sorry if I offend those of you who find all of God’s creatures to be wondrous, but these guys rate right up there with cockroaches in my book. They have these hard brown shells and emit a potent, offensive odor if challenged (or squashed or vacuumed up). They prefer the warmer weather, so after hibernating in the eaves and crevasses of one’s home, they emerge in the spring. Needless to say, they don’t even have the good manners to bring a thank you gift for allowing then to stay rent free on your property for part of the year. At first I thought they were a new form of psychic terrorism – like water torture – they just keep coming back over and over and over…They have no known natural enemies ( but for a specific type of stingless wasp who is still hanging out in China), are virtually impossible to completely eradicate and make their presence known in some very inopportune places (I have had one crawl across the keys of my computer – while keying; take a car trip with me to the supermarket; one even jumped out of my briefcase when I went through security at the airport – until then I had never heard a TSA agent scream). I love the outdoors; I hate sharing my space with these pre-historic looking insects who actually think they are entitled to be here.
Enter my husband, pith helmet jauntily placed on his head, shorts, knee socks and a safari jacket to die for, stalking his prey with his weapon of choice – The Bugzooka. This is a large cylindrical contraption with suction-like properties (sold by Ronco or some such company). If you bring the tip of the Bugzooka within touching distance of the offending bug and press a button, it sucks the insect into a holding cell. There they remain imprisoned, no doubt wondering what happened to the free food and room service, before being unceremoniously flushed down the toilet. Of course, we have a septic system, so you can imagine my anxiety when considering how many of these ugly little buggers are clogging the tanks (my apologies in advance to the people who will come and empty those tanks – it will be a really awful experience which I hope doesn’t leave them permanently damaged).
My husband has quickly become my hero. I just have to whisper “stink bug at 2:00” and he is at the ready, calmly pursuing his prey and dispensing his swift, unequivocal justice. I think he has probably developed a reputation among the stink bug population, for there do seem to be fewer this year. I am a member of the Humane Society of the U.S., the SPCA and really believed I loved all animals great and small. Yet I now must admit that I have been bested by the brown marmorated stink bug, and saved by my very own Marlon Perkins.
When In Doubt – Be Grateful
“You have brains in your head.
You have feet on your shoes.
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
You’re on your own and you know what you know.
You are the guy who’ll decide where to go” — Dr. Seuss
Today for reasons I don’t fully understand, everything seems complicated to me. Attribute it to lack of sleep, the relentless beating of the rain on the roof, the aches and pains that seem to accompany me uninvited with greater regularity these days. Decisions are playing hide-and-seek in my head (so I’m choosing not to play, for I hate that game), the banal rituals that provide an outline for my day seem purposeless and silly (ok, brushing one’s teeth is always a good thing). So, I’ve decided to write about these last three months or so and see if it can help define my day’s path – even if it’s temporary – something that produces more than my frustration with the NY Times Sunday crossword puzzle.
I started blogging because I was curious to see what would come out of this crazy head of mine, because I now had the time to pursue alternatives which had piqued my interest in the past and because I am driven by this nauseatingly neurotic need to make a difference. Let me clarify – a positive difference. When I was working, so many people encouraged me to write a book – I’m not sure that will happen. Blogging seemed like a logical step towards exploring the feasibility of publishing. I could see if a) I was entertaining enough, b) had a message worth sharing and c) had the discipline to do it. I’m still not sure I have these answers, but I am truly enjoying this experience even though I will likely never be a candidate for ‘freshly pressed’ (not sarcastic or wry enough, don’t use enough media links in my posts and arguably may not write well enough either). But – in less than three months, over 2600 people have checked me out (figuratively speaking of course), some incredibly smart people have commented on my entries with cogent, inspiring wisdom (family and friends exempted ’cause they’re already pretty awesome) and I am slowly beginning to find my uncensored voice about work, life, leadership etc – I can only imagine what will flow from these keys once I feel my own personal FCC beginning to fade into the distance.
I have learned that there is so much friggin’ talent out there, that I’m humbled to be part of a circle of people who truly question and opine with thought and humor. I don’t know any of you, and yet I look feverishly for your responses every time I put up a post. And you never disappoint. Every time someone ‘likes’ a post, I feel like Sally Field during her ridiculous Oscar acceptance speech (“You like me! You really like me!”). When I see a comment, I feel the same anticipation as I did when I used to get my report card in elementary school (that’s when the comments were kinder, but for the standard reminder that I’d learn more if I socialized less).
Specifically, there are bloggers who have kept me going, totally unaware that their generosity, opinions, and ‘atta boys’ were providing me with commitment to this exercise when my spirits began to flag. These are people you should read – for their originality, entertaining perspectives, experience and life stories. Props to them all – and my abundant thanks for keeping me engaged in this process as I figure out where I want to go next. Here’s my list of tremendous writers – I hope you take the time to check out their sites: kungfuleadership; manage better now; david kanigan – lead.learn.live; misunderstood genius; greg blencoe; rlagee; business coach steve; girl on the contrary; the good greatsby; where’s my T-back and other stories; never contrary and the middlest sister. I could go on – there’s truly some terrific talent on WordPress. But I know what I know and I said what I meant/Your talents inspire me 100 per cent.
That you for your shout outs on Twitter, your encouragement and ability to remind me of the beauty and insanity on this little planet of ours. I feel like I have found an invisible, yet powerful cohort group, as understanding and accepting as my friends and family. People who understand that on days like this, sometimes all one needs to do is breathe – and be aware of all there is for which to be grateful. Consider yourself counted.
B-B-B-Bad To The Bone
There’s something to be said for being bad – and there are many who have become quite successful for their complete lack of ability (presuming of course that one is represented by some tremendous PR people). The examples come quickly to mind – any Kardashian, reality tv (I’m sorry, I know many of you love it – I just think watching people reduced to tears because of their appearance, love life, swapped spouse or horrific fashion sense is just not, well…good), shock jocks, Paris Hilton, etc.. I get it – there’s a lot to be gained by being talentless – fame, money, one’s own personal posse, Louis Vuitton doggie carriers, an interview with Dr. Phil…
So I’m here to help in the only way I can – I can provide you with some very clear guidance on being a lousy, really bad boss (without violating any federal or state labor laws). Please, please – no need to thank me. If this is what you’ve been searching for all along, I share your surprise at the dearth of information than can help you be a terrible supervisor. Perhaps some of this has been obvious to you all along, yet with all the emphasis on self-improvement, professional development, challenging one’s self to embrace excellence, I can see how the simple steps one needs to take to reach farther down can get lost in all of this positive, ‘you-can-do-it’ energy. Sit back and relax dear friends – let me offer some basic actions that you can apply today in your quest to hit new lows in lousy leadership. I promise – you too can make your company’s “Worst Supervisors” list and begin your descent into infamy.
– Don’t give a hoot about the people for whom you have responsibility. This can be done in any number of ways – ratchet back your feedback to the barely relevant; assure you’ll get back to someone asap and don’t do it; provide conflicting information about a project’s requirements.
– Say ‘no’ as often as possible. Leave any affirmative responses for times when you are under untenable duress and see no other alternatives.
– Gossip as much as you can – ideally about people within your department. If you can manage to engage in these conversations with others on your team, all the better.
– Complain – a lot. Don’t feel that it is your responsibility to make the workplace a collegial, energized, collaborative environment. Put that on someone else and then find fault in whatever efforts s/he makes.
– Own as little of your job as possible, and demand that your people take full ownership of theirs.
– Play favorites if you can, though I caution you that you may begin a slippery slide down the path of discriminatory practice. I’m not looking to help you become a defendant here.
– Take everything personally and react as defensively as possible. After all, isn’t it all about you?
– Keep your people in tall, separate silos – the less they know what is going on around them, the better.
– Try to understand as little as possible about what your people are doing – there’s nothing more demoralizing than having a boss who has no clue what the hell you do everyday.
– Maintain an opaque quality to your communications. God knows what could happen if you sought the maximum amount of transparency – people may get ideas, offer their thoughts about a given objective, feel part of a bigger whole, etc. Ix-nay on the communication, ok?
– Don’t commit to doing what you assure people you’re going to do.
– Keep your door closed, don’t walk around and whatever you do – try not to smile – even to those who may acknowledge you warmly. The good news is that if you keep doing these things, you will quickly not have to concern yourself with anyone greeting you at all.
– And finally, I would tell people that all that matters is results, though I wouldn’t disclose what those measures are.
See? I told you this wouldn’t be tough. I am confident that if you follow these simple guidelines, you too can be really bad at what you do. Of course, if you are one of those people who responds to reverse psychology, I apologize in advance. You may end up responding in the exact opposite manner than that which is outlined above – and we all know where that gets you. You’ll become one of those people who is driven by the challenge of making a positive difference in your day and the days of the people with whom you work – ugh!.
Basic Inspiration
“Each person has inside a basic decency and goodness. If he listens to it and acts on it, he is giving a great deal of what it is the world needs most. It is not complicated but it takes courage. It takes courage for a person to listen to his own goodness and act on it.” – Pablo Casals
You can probably tell by now that Machiavelli and I wouldn’t get along. I have a very firm belief in the fundamental goodness of people. For the most part, I don’t believe people intend to be hurtful, mean spirited or relish opportunities to display their most unpleasant qualities. This in no way runs counter to my earlier post about the abhorrent (and aberrant) bullying behavior that is evident in schoolyards and offices. On the contrary, I believe that such aggressiveness is more environmental than innate, more learned than inherited (with a nod to the studies that support a heritability factor associated with aggressiveness).
What I love about Casals’ quote is the implication that honoring one’s goodness takes courage. Doing the right thing isn’t easy. Opening one’s eyes to the wonder that passes throughout the course of a single day requires a conscious shift in focus from all that we rarely notice – or worse still – all that we see that disappoints us. So I introduce you now to one of my constant sources of inspiration – Archie. This picture captures him in a moment of brief repose – or exhaustion – resulting from his relentless pursuit of happiness. Archie approaches our driveway and yard as a constant source of amazement and surprise regardless of his thousands of explorations. Today, the cherry blossoms are falling from the trees, and Archie pursues each falling blossom with limitless unbridled excitement and delight. Of course, the wind blows them into multiple directions and he loses them before they hit the ground. Nonetheless, he forgets any other reasons why he’s out there – he is on a mission fueled by sheer joy (and a sizeable absence of grey matter, but none of our dogs have ever ranked high on the intelligence scale – except for Bubba the Wonder Dog – a story for another day). Archie makes me pause and look around – I stop and notice that the buds on the Japanese maple are beginning to slowly swell under the warmth of the sun, hear the neighbors’ kids laughing hysterically as they try and double jump on their trampoline. I sit on the porch realizing that I’ve been touched by more good karma than one person could ever take for granted. I sip my tea and giggle as Archie is outpaced by his older, smaller and more dignified partner-in-crime Teddy (he didn’t want his picture taken today). And in this moment, I am inspired to find the time in each day to pause and look around me. To consider it an honor to be able to share my ideas with an increasing number of fantastically gifted people. To make a conscious effort to make one person’s day a little better through word or deed (I have no illusions of heroics here – just take the time to be slightly kinder than the day before). Now Archie, Teddy and I are going to take a walk and see how many of their friends we can track down, kibbitz, sniff and play with, see how many blooms are opening on the magnolias and pause for a moment to experience the indescribable inspiration that begins with gratitude.
Written From The Bully Pulpit
The new documentary dealing with bullying of school age children is getting a lot of well-deserved press. The excerpts I have seen and heard evoke my tears, rage and yes, personal memories. Nothing can justify what these children endure on a daily basis. There is no rationale, explanation, excuse or defiant bluster that can in any way mitigate the pain – both physical and psychic – to which these kids are subjected. In these situations there is no such thing as ‘toughening up’ in order to take it. The only acceptable response to such behavior is that it stop.
The reality is, bullying doesn’t stop with adulthood. There are bullies in the workplace – different from those who harass others within the context of federal and state EEO and Sexual Harassment Prevention statutes. There’s time enough to write about the latter; my passion this morning is directed to the leaders and managers who are aware of the bullying that occurs on their watch. While I agree that education and zero tolerance must begin with and for our youngest children, the fact that such behavior is deeply affecting adults in the workplace suggests that perhaps we need a bifurcated approach. In more basic terms – we should not condone any hostile or aggressive behavior in our offices – hard stop.
“In a prevalence study of U.S. workers, 41.4% of respondents reported experiencing psychological aggression at work in the past year representing 47 million U.S. workers (Schat, Frone & Kelloway, 2006). The research found that 13% or nearly 13 million workers experienced psychological aggression on a weekly basis”. This is inconceivable to me – and I hope you are as enraged as I am.
When I started working at the firm, we had an unwritten (but enforced) ‘no asshole’ rule. I found this to be part of the firm’s value system that I respected the most. The vetting process was almost absurdly extensive – potential associates and partners traveled to as many offices as possible, meeting as many people as possible to learn about the firm and vice versa. Believe it or not there were some pretty impressive business producers who were not pursued after this exercise – they couldn’t pass the ‘no asshole’ rule. Was the firm replete with only genuine, engaged, gracious, respectful people? Of course not – sometimes somebody made it through. Parenthetically, none of these people were put into positions of power; their sphere of influence was limited as much as possible and of greatest importance – they were told why their contribution would continue to be valued in money, but never in leadership roles.
That was then, this is now and I’m not there anymore. Further comments about whether or not such a philosophy is still in practice is specious and of no value to this dialogue. But I will always applaud the organization for uncompromisingly articulating its abhorrence of bullying and those responsible for its horrible consequences.
Aggressive behavior in the workplace can range from subtle to overt. Being the frequent recipient of invalid hostile criticism, receiving continuous unwarranted and/or fictitious blame, being sworn at, experiencing social and professional isolation and/or exclusion are examples of bullying. I ask that you apply a ‘reasonable person standard’ to this description, for I am aware that an occasional misguided comment or decision doesn’t meet any threshold that is being discussed here.
As a current or future leader, you must be acutely aware of the ramifications of such toxicity. If you consider the impact purely from an economic perspective, you will find decreased performance, higher turnover, distorted information flow and high levels of distrust. Bummer for your profitability. As a compassionate leader, the consequences are equally dire – disaffected employees, higher incidences of medical leaves, depression, misdirected frustration and criticism, dysfunctional collaboration,etc. Bummer for morale.
To me, the larger issue is the need for us to address this with unrelenting, unwavering commitment in our schools and in our companies. It is not enough to say that we are anti-bullying – we need to step up and be as unequivocal in our actions as we are in our words. I realize I do not sound like a compassionate therapist here – the workplace is not the backdrop for working through the long standing issues that plague most bullies. The bully is hurting your people, diluting any humanistic value system that your organization holds dear and eroding your profitability and reputation. Zero tolerance policies are truly that – without caveat, rationalization and multiple do-overs. Your people are entitled to be led by the best you have to offer – and that includes establishing and invoking a ‘no asshole’ rule.
Back To Basics – Part 1
I was going to write a little bit today about inspiration – those intrinsic, palpable exchanges or moments that propel us forward with renewed purpose and passion. I realized however that two of my favorite bloggers – the authors of kung fu leadership and lead.learn.live, had recently posted thoughtful pieces in a similar vein. Imitation may be the best form of flattery, but these guys stand on their own.
That said, it’s been a thoughtful kinda day and I wanted to share some basic truths which I invoke daily. I have a mirror in the sitting room off our bedroom which used to hang in my office. Framed in wood, there are nine life lessons which I know by heart, for they are now etched there. My kids probably know them with similar confidence, because it has been around for so long, they’ve acquired this knowledge by osmosis. My team at work knew that these were certainly the simplest life rules one could follow – if not because they came to believe them but simply because of their ever-present position on the wall opposite my desk. So…I thought I’d share them with you.
On the right side of the frame the following squares appear:
– Seek peace
– Learn lessons
– Vote honestly
– Share
The left side of the frame holds the following truths:
– Stay on track
– Know love
– Be calm
– Dream
And at the apex are the following words “Do the right thing almost every doggone day of your life”. I remember someone telling me that I “had full authority to do the right thing”. We all have that authority. We all get sucked into the occasional eddy that swirls around us forcing us to lose our footing. Sometimes all it takes is a little bit of ground to stand on, to allow us to re-balance and get back to the basics. You can’t skip any of these steps in your path to personal and professional success – not unless you accept that by doing so, you are destined to slip and fall. Simple truths on a beautiful day.
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Waiting for the Karma Truck 