Archive for the ‘Inspiration’ Category
IT TAKES A LIFETIME TO MOVE MOUNTAINS
Tags: Business, endurance, Inspiration, Lance Armstrong, Leadership
I regularly find myself being frustrated and discouraged by what “seems” to be insufficient progress in my efforts to make a significant impact in life, in business… and even my own personal leadership. My guess is that from time to time… you do too.
Lance Armstrong once said… “When we make incremental change, we are on our way to monumental change.”
Max Weber (pronounced maks vaybere); one of the founders of the modern study of sociology and public administration, once said… (paraphrased) “Progress is the slow boring of hard boards, and anyone who seeks to do it must risk his own soul.”
Doesn’t life, business and leadership seem to take on that same challenge? Change comes in excruciating increments to those that want it. If you want to move mountains, it takes a lifetime.
ARE YOU A RAINMAKER?
There’s been a lot of discussion around our office lately around the topic of being a RAINMAKER. The term RAINMAKER is more strictly defined as one… specifically someone in sales, who consistently brings in large clients and significant streams of revenue.
Clearly this term is also used more loosely to describe those that seem to rise to the top, as opposed to those that settle for mediocrity. I’ve taken a few of hours this morning to run a comparison analysis… on the differences between a RAINMAKER and an AVERAGE EMPLOYEE. The following comparisons are based solely on my own experiences and observations.
A RAINMAKER: does whatever it takes to get the job done right & on time.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: settles for delays, poor performance and inferior standards due to justified obstacles and personal setbacks, and typically cloaks their laziness with the appearance of virtue.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: identifies problems.
A RAINMAKER: introduces solutions.
A RAINMAKER: measures success by the progress itself.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: measures success by an honest effort towards progress.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: says… “I hope we don’t fail.”
A RAINMAKER: says… “Failure is not an option.”
A RAINMAKER: has a spirit of urgency, and says… “Let’s get to it now.”
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: has a spirit of hesitancy, and says… “There’s always tomorrow.”
A RAINMAKER: strives to “give” first, and “gain” later.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: wants to define “gain” first, and then decide whether to “give” later.
A RAINMAKER: learns and executes the goals & priorities of the company, over those of their own.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: ignorantly executes his personal goals and priorities first.
A RAINMAKER: takes leadership and initiative without being asked.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: waits for a directive, title or personal gain before acting.
A RAINMAKER: is passionate, enthusiastic, insatiably positive winner.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: is defeated, un-energetic and chronically negative.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: sees the obstacles.
A RAINMAKER: sees the opportunity.
A RAINMAKER: constantly evaluates his performance, tactics and strategies for the purpose of improvement.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: chooses to blindly walk through life, neglecting to evaluate… for the fear of discovering or acknowledging that he might be flawed.
A RAINMAKER: says… “We can!”
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: says… “Can we?” or “We can’t!”
A RAINMAKER: can’t wait to cross the finish line.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: can’t wait for the whistle to blow, and the work day to end.
A RAINMAKER: offers no excuses, and takes full personal responsibility for his actions for his mistakes and losses.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: offers excuses, justifications, and takes little to no personal responsibility.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: takes more than he gives.
A RAINMAKER: gives more than he takes.
A RAINMAKER: inspires others.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: meanders about virtually unnoticed.
A RAINMAKER: can seem to accomplish the impossible.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: will sometimes fail at that which is easily possible.
A RAINMAKER: effectively manages large sums of stress.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: can barely manage small to moderate sums of stress.
A RAINMAKER: sees the prize.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: sees the price.
A RAINMAKER: lives for tomorrow’s successes.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: chooses to relish in yesterday’s victories and rest on their laurels.
A RAINMAKER: insists on having and being the very best.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: believes “the best” is unattainable.
A RAINMAKER: is an asset, and is sought after by others.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: is a liability, and is warned about to others.
A RAINMAKER: is a speeding blur, viewed by his competitors from behind.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: typically has his view impeded by the “Rainmakers” that are racing past, and that are in front of him.
A RAINMAKER: embraces challenges and overcomes.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: is resentful and defeated by challenges.
A RAINMAKER: craves freedom, and a higher financial ceiling.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: craves financial security, and a higher guaranteed floor of income.
A RAINMAKER: embraces change.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: is threatened by change.
A RAINMAKER: asks… “What can I do for my company?”
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: asks… “What can my company do for me?”
A RAINMAKER: chooses progress over pain.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: chooses comfort over progress.
A RAINMAKER: speaks with his actions.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: speaks with empty promises.
A RAINMAKER: serves his team and those around him.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: waits to be served by others.
A RAINMAKER: seeks wisdom and knowledge.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: is intimidated by those more wise and knowledgeable than himself.
A RAINMAKER: leads others.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: is typically led by other “Rainmakers.”
A RAINMAKER: measures themselves against the best, even when it hurts.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: inflates their self-worth & value, and personal accomplishments, due to insecurity… and the inability to see themselves as they actually are.
A RAINMAKER: will surround himself with others that are better, smarter & more talented than himself.
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: will surround himself with only those that are inferior.
A RAINMAKER: says… “I could do more.”
AN AVERAGE EMPLOYEE: asks… “Haven’t I done enough?”
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
“The harder the conflict… the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap we esteem too lightly. Tis dearness only that gives everything its value.”
THOMAS PAINE
PASSION, AND AN EPIDEMIC
Tags: Inspiration, Leadership, passion, Seth Godin
While I am pressed for time… I am compelled to write this post in spite of a very full schedule today.
I am about 75% of the way through Seth Godin’s new book; Tribes, which I’d highly recommend to anyone that’s in search of a fresh perspective on leadership… specifically business leadership, in our modern culture. FYI, Seth has written several best-seller books like
The Dip, All Marketers Are Liars, Purple Cow and Unleashing The Idea Virus to name a few.
In today’s reading… Seth reflected upon a recent 2 week vacation, at which his close-by friend noticed that he was checking his email on his Blackberry. The friend gasped… “I can’t believe you’re on vacation, and you’re checking your email.”
It was unfathomable for this friend that Seth would have any interest in his normal day-to-day life, while taking his 2 week vacation. In turn, Seth was even more amazed that this friend could only enjoy 2 weeks of his life a year, and that the other 50 weeks were miserable, or mundane at best.
As I read this… it was consistent with so many people that I’ve met. Where is the passion anymore? Where is the energy for positively affecting people’s lives, adding value, doing something worthwhile, and being a part of something bigger than ourselves?
If you can relate to Seth’s friend on that vacation… if you look at work as a necessary-evil, then I’d highly recommend that you either perform a self-examination on your character and values… or simply move on if it’s actually that bad. Do this for yourself, your family, friends, co-workers, clients, church members, customers, and everyone around you. Life is too short. Both you “and” your co-workers deserve so much more… and so much better.
Don’t get me wrong. I am an advocate of a healthy work-life-balance… and there are most certainly cases in which workaholics don’t know how to take a break. But there’s an irrefutable epidemic of dispassionate, uninspiring and self-centered individuals that infect their workplaces with mediocrity, and that are likely to never be happy or successful… regardless of where they are. And to add insult to injury… these people will typically see themselves as victims, and in no way responsible for the quality of their lives. It will always be someone else’s fault. In their eyes… there’s nothing to fix, only someone to blame.
My encouragement. Be a THERMOSTAT, not a THERMOMETER. A THERMOMETER is nothing more than an indicator of it’s environment… while a THERMOSTAT affects change in it’s environment. Put differently, a THERMOMETER complains about it… a THERMOSTAT does something about it.
Do something that’s worthwhile, that fits your strengths and purpose in life. Be a positive agent of change. Do something to inspire us, and that’s worth noticing. Do something that will benefit someone other than yourself.
When you’re passionate about what you do for a living… your vacation is a merely time of rest, family and friends… not a prison break.
AN OLYMPIC-SIZED INSPIRATION
John Dane III is 58 years old and has spent the last 40 years of his life trying out for the Olympic Sailing Team. He finally made it this year with his son-in-law, Austin Sperry.
Dane’s efforts to qualify for the Olympics led him to 4 separate failures… each by just a few minutes. He didn’t give up after each loss… he simply kept pushing forward, and improved his sailing skills. The easiest path for John Dane would’ve been for him to quit after 1 or 2 failures. John Dane decided that failure wasn’t an option… and persevered.
Checkout this video of John Dane sailing with his son-in-law. Let’s root him onto victory. He’ll be competing between August 15th and August 20th.
9 SUCCESS SECRETS TO BE A BUSINESS CHAMPION
Tags: Business, Inspiration, Leadership, Tiger Woods, winning
I am currently going through the book, “Tiger Traits” by Nate Booth. This book highlights 9 of Tiger’s traits that are essential to his personal, professional and business success.
As you may already know, Tiger Woods has already won over 54 PGA events. He’s the youngest player to win all 4 major pro tournaments, and the only golfer to be reigning champion in all four major tournaments at the same time. In 2006, Tiger earned nearly $100 million in prize money, appearance fees and endorsements.
Tiger’s success is no accident. While Tiger is certainly talented, he possesses at least 9 traits that have allowed him to express that talent in record-setting ways.
While Dr. Nate Booth’s book comprehensively expounds on these traits, I thought I’d share the basics with you, as you aspire to new heights in the success of your own business or organization. Enjoy.
TIGER TRAIT #1: Identify and develop natural talents
TIGER TRAIT #2: Create a clear and compelling dream
TIGER TRAIT #3: Select teachers, heroes and teammates who guide, inspire and support
TIGER TRAIT #4: Be confident
TIGER TRAIT #5: Manufacture magnificent mental models
TIGER TRAIT #6: Let actions do the talking
TIGER TRAIT #7: Constantly improve in good times and bad
TIGER TRAIT #8: Be likeable
TIGER TRAIT #9: Be grateful. Give back.
FAIL FORWARD IN 2008
Tags: B.C. Forbes, Business, Colin Powell, Henry Ford, Inspiration, Leadership, Michael Jordan, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Richard M. Nixon, Thomas Edison, Winston Churchill
Why is failure considered to be such a negative term? Fear… that’s why. We’re afraid of losing our money, our ego, our pride and our credibility. It’s been said… “To be more successful in life, we need to double our rate of failure.” Seems oxymoronic… right?
We simply can’t succeed without failing. Consider this true story. A successful manufacturing executive; while leading his $400 million company, recently stepped into a staff meeting… and commenced sharing one of his biggest and most embarrassing failures. He then challenged his staff, by laying 2 one hundred dollar bills on the table. He said… “Anyone who can share a failure bigger than mine, will win this $200.” Well, the first meeting was a flop. Nobody spoke up. They were too afraid of being shamed and embarrassed.
At the next monthly meeting… they were able to break through that fear barrier. He ended up awarding that $200 to one of his staff who so bravely shared one of her most colossal failures. From that second monthly meeting on… he was never left with his $200 on the table. Since that moment… his manufacturing company continued to be more and more successful… quadrupling their gross sales every year.
Failure is not a crime. Failure to learn from failure… is the crime.
As you approach 2008, I hope you’ll find some of the following quotes as educational and inspirational as I did.
THOMAS EDISON: “The successful person makes a habit of doing what the failing person doesn’t like to do.”
WINSTON CHURCHILL: “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”
RALPH WALDO EMERSON: “Men succeed when they realize that their failures are the preparation for their victories.”
B.C. FORBES: “History has demonstrated that the most notable winners encountered heart breaking obstacles before they triumphed. They finally won by their defeats.”
HENRY FORD: “Failure is the opportunity to begin again, more intelligently.”
RICHARD M. NIXON: “Defeat doesn’t finish a man–quit does. A man is not finished when he’s defeated. He’s finished when he quits.”
COLIN POWELL: “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”
MICHAEL JORDAN: “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life… That is why I succeed.”
THE RACE
Tags: endurance, Inspiration, Leadership, motivation
For you loyal readers, thanks for your patience over the past several days. Illness had taken over my household, but we’re working through it. On my first day back in a while, I thought I’d share with you a few words of inspiration. I know it seems like a long read, and your time is short… but I really believe you’ll be inspired if you’ll take the time. Enjoy.
THE RACE, D.H. Groberg
Whenever I start to hang my head in front of failure’s face,
My downward fall is broken by the memory of a race.
A children’s race, young boys, young men; how I remember well,
Excitement sure, but also fear, it wasn’t hard to tell.
They all lined up so full of hope, each thought to win that race,
Or tie for first, or if not that, at least take second place.
Their parents watched from off the side, each cheering for their son,
And each boy hoped to show his folks that he would be the one.
The whistle blew and off they flew, like chariots of fire,
To win, to be the hero there, was each young boy’s desire.
One boy in particular, whose dad was in the crowd,
Was running in the lead and thought “My dad will be so proud.”
But as he speeded down the field and crossed a shallow dip,
The little boy who thought he’d win, lost his step and slipped.
Trying hard to catch himself, his arms flew everyplace,
And midst the laughter of the crowd he fell flat on his face.
As he fell, his hope fell too; he couldn’t win it now,
Humiliated, he just wished to disappear somehow.
But as he fell his dad stood up and showed his anxious face,
Which to the boy so clearly said, “Get up and win that race!”
He quickly rose, no damage done, behind a bit that’s all,
And ran with all his mind and might to make up for his fall.
So anxious to restore himself, to catch up and to win,
His mind went faster than his legs. He slipped and fell again.
He wished that he had quit before with only one disgrace.
“I’m hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn’t try to race.”
But through the laughing crowd he searched and found his father’s face,
With a steady look that said again, “Get up and win that race!”
So he jumped up to try again, ten yards behind the last.
“If I’m to gain those yards,” he thought, “I’ve got to run real fast!”
Exceeding everything he had, he regained eight, then ten…
But trying hard to catch the lead, he slipped and fell again.
Defeat! He lay there silently. A tear dropped from his eye.
“There’s no sense running anymore! Three strikes I’m out! Why try?
I’ve lost, so what’s the use?” he thought. “I’ll live with my disgrace.”
But then he thought about his dad, who soon he’d have to face.
“Get up,” an echo sounded low, “You haven’t lost at all.”
For all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
“Get up!” the echo urged him on, “Get up and take your place!”
“You were not meant for failure here! Get up and win that race!”
So, up he rose to run once more, refusing to forfeit,
And he resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn’t quit.
So far behind the others now, the most he’d ever been,
Still he gave it all he had and ran like he could win.
Three times he’d fallen stumbling, three times he rose again.
Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.
They cheered another boy who crossed the line and won first place,
Head high and proud and happy — no falling, no disgrace.
But, when the fallen youngster crossed the line, in last place,
The crowd gave him a greater cheer for finishing the race.
And even though he came in last with head bowed low, unproud,
You would have thought he’d won the race, to listen to the crowd.
And to his dad he sadly said, “I didn’t do so well.”
“To me, you won,” his father said! You rose each time you fell.”
And now when things seem dark and bleak and difficult to face,
The memory of that little boy helps me in my own race.
For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all,
And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall.
And when depression and despair shout loudly in my face,
Another voice within me says, “Get up and win that race!”
THE DREAM MANAGER
Tags: Eleanor Roosevelt, Inspiration, Mark Twain, Matthew Kelly, Patrick Henry, Ralph Waldo Emerson, T.E. Lawrence, William Shakespear
Mark Twain once said… “He who hasn’t read great books has no advantage over those that can’t read” I am going through a great book at the moment that’s really caught me off guard. I am only half way through this book, so this post isn’t meant to be a highlight summary of the book per se.
The Dream Manager is a book I picked up because the preface; and title of course, caught my attention. It spoke to the escalating epidemic and corporate confusion over how to discover; and even more critically, retain talented, quality driven staff leadership.
Well, while this book certainly speaks to this exigent need… it shouted to me something far greater.
It stealthily directed me to recognize that I had stopped dreaming. I mean… it’s not that I have no dreams… it’s rather that I had unwittingly allowed my dreams to take the infamous back seat to my day-to-day urgencies. I had lost sight of my dreams.
Many of you can relate to this all too well. I would encourage you to passionately reengage your dreams and shift them to the forefront of your focus and intention. Don’t let the urgent rob you of the important! Aggressively and intentionally place in front of you people, images, systems, books, accountibilities, space, time… anything… anything at all that perpetuates the relentless pursuit of your dreams.
I’ll leave you with some inspiring wisdom.
“I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past.”
Patrick Henry
“A skillful man reads his dreams for self-knowledge, yet not the details but the quality.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
“All men dream but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes to make it possible.”
T.E. Lawrence
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
Eleanor Roosevelt
“To unpathed waters, undreamed shores.”
William Shakepeare
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.”
- Andre Gide