How Powerful is Imagination?

Who loves Lego? My earliest childhood memories consist of building zany things with all sorts of Legos. Unfortunately, I did not have the luxury of the types of Lego systems available today! I had to “engineer” whatever I wanted to create my vision with whatever I had – which wasn’t much in terms of variety. Most pieces looked like little bricks of different sizes, shapes, textures and colors. I did have a lot of them, which ensured I would never get bored. I know that I would’ve had a blast with the plethora of the ones I see in stores today. Regardless, what is most important is that they kept my imagination going and going for hours.

If anyone has similar childhood memories of being extremely creative and using your imagination to your fullest – this entry is for you.

Less is More: The 7 Habits vs. The Pyramid of Success

I am a firm believer that “less is more”. Do I live the life of a minimalist? Not at all. Never shall I complain about women having “too much clothes” or “too many pairs of shoes”. Quite simply,  I am guilty of too much junk. Not spread-out everywhere though! It’s neatly tucked away and out-of-sight. If we take a brief look at nature, there is so much going on that is out-of-sight as well. Overwhelmingly complex, and simple in its majesty. If we give it more thought, everything – absolutely everything is some type of matter-energy conversion. Wait. I promise not to go into details here. However, as a fan of science-fiction and theoretical physics, I must briefly mention the popular “Quantum Theory vs. Relativity” conundrum. I know what you are thinking… “What does physics have to do with The 7 Habits or the Pyramid of Success?” Just as nature simplifies in “Higher Dimensions” – so can we. The 7 Habits and the 15 building blocks of the Pyramid of Success can be meshed together and then simplified to 3 “Basic Blocks” plus . After I finish reading “The 8^th Habit” – there may be the need for 1 more. This one will coincide with the “Top” of the Pyramid: “Competitive Greatness” which I looked at last month and will continue to explore in the coming months ahead as I read “The 8^th Habit”.

In the beginning of the Universe, there was the “Big Bang”. It is theorized that all forces (gravity, electro-magnetic, strong/weak) where one in the same. Quantum theory explains how all energy is “quantized” as some type of particle – basically, matter. Relativity explains how all (even matter) is some form of energy – (the famous E=mc² equation). Although we are close to discovering the equation that ties them all together (Unified Field Theory), it is believed we have yet to discover the mathematics required.

Everything that makes us who we are as individuals may be just as complex (if not more) than all the forces and the matter-energy relationships that makes the Universe “go round”. However, if our habits and our way of thinking are focused on what really matters to be successful, it can be simple enough so that you do not need to “memorize” so many details.

Let’s look at the Pyramid ”Color-Coded”  in a matter that is in-line with the 7 Habits:

If we rearrange them so that they are now grouped – and Habits 1-3 form the new “Base of the Pyramid”, the other Habits can be stacked on it in “order”:

Lastly, let’s simplify. By “fusing” some of the blocks together, we can see that there are simple, “Higher Dimensional” Habits that will encompass that attributes that where once numerous.

NOW - If I bring the 1st 3 Habits together at the base, Followed by Habit 4 on top - then put Habits 5 & 6 together on top of that... we have the "3 Building Blocks" I was striving for. The "mortar" to keep it all together is Habit 7: Renewal.

Here we can see that “Less is more” by narrowing it down to 3 “Big Blocks”. We realize that:

1) By having CONTROL over ourselves we become “forward thinkers”, we define our principles and values our goals and priorities (self-disciplined). 2) Then we can be mature and think of OTHERS and realize it is not all about you.  3) Only then can we BUILD GENUINE RELATIONSHIPS, embrace our differences and have the courage to stand for who we are as well. We keep it all together by RENEWING ourselves: mind, body and soul. Only then can be our best and strive to succeed (in any arena). So – the “Bottom to the Top” approach works. What about "Competitive Greatness"? Without everything else, it would probably topple. Once I read "The 8th Habit" - I will revisit this and give it its proper explanation.

For those of us who are wondering about the “virtues” at the sides of the pyramid, they basically fall into the “paradigm shift”. That is, in order to go from being independent to interdependent (Maturing) we need to have integrity, honesty, sincerity. It’s the “glue” that keeps things together.

In closing, I truly sincerely mean no disrespect to the works of either Dr. Covey or the late John Wooden. They stand alone as great works  that I am trying to implement in my life and recommend others to read and make up their own mind. I hope no one takes anything as written in stone either. It's only my analysis in hopes of simplifying extremely great concepts - so they are not only "easier to memorize" but to understand since all I want to do is bring into light concepts and awareness of what makes us who we are. True leadership and success is not about memorization. It is about being genuine.

“You cannot fail at being yourself. A cat doesn’t try to be a tiger and you shouldn’t try to be something you aren’t. You are a process, not a product. Your job is to discover what you are and create that creature. You still won’t be perfect, but success isn’t about perfection, it’s about authenticity” 

– Bernie Segal

Competition – Performing at your Best

I cannot imagine what it must be like to be a single child. My earliest memories of going to school and trying to “do my best” meant being as good, if not better, than my older sister. She was that “A student” getting great accolades from her teachers and making Mom feel proud during “Report Card time”. Living in the shadow of an older, successful sibling can expose you to being competitive early in life. Not necessarily in a bad way. It most definitely gives you something to shoot for, to strive for.

In every industry I have worked in, one of the major drivers for innovation was competition. Not only is “innovation” a great business buzz-word, it should be at the heart of every company. Without adapting and adjusting to changing markets and trends, a company can suffer a fate similar to that of any life form that did not adapt or change. Just ask the Dinosaurs. Here’s a great article that speaks to this.

I feel it is safe to say that healthy competition is not only good for a person as an individual, but for a group or team striving to “be #1”. In a corporate setting, not every company can be #1 in their respective industry. However, aiming for the top, companies can thrive in a competitive environment where employees, customers and end-users can benefit. Let’s say there was a sole provider of “widgets”, called “SPW”. I’m sure improvements in the design or manufacture can be justified through cost-reductions to improve their margins. However, if there was no one to compete against SPW – would there be a reason for them to strive when they already are “the best”? In a “widget monopoly”, widget buyers/distributors could be at the mercy of fluctuating prices, availability and quality. End-users would not have to go with the one and only product and price. Interestingly enough, as soon as a new provider of widgets comes onto the scene, the dynamics change. Let’s say NPW’s pricing, availability and quality is par with SPW. Now, what if NPW also offers un-paralleled customer service and the ability to create custom widgets? Shortly thereafter, another provider of widgets emerges, APW. This company also provides custom widgets, outstanding customer service, with the same availability and quality as SPW and NPW. Their competitive advantage? APW’s pricing is lower. NPW quickly adapts and creates a similar pricing scheme. If the original company, SPW, cannot adapt in time, they could start losing market share as customers turn to the lower-price sources with great customer service and custom options.

The past example is over-simplified, and just on the surface. To have the true “adaptability” in any market, a company must first look within itself – its culture. I found this great article on “the leadership hub”. Just like a person must look within himself if they want to change, so must a corporation. This is by no means something that can occur “overnight”. Although I have yet to read “Good to Great” by Jim Collins, I believe the premise of the book is that many companies do not make the “leap” to great because being good can “get in the way”. That is, being “good” means that you may remain complacent and not find the need to change. In addition, the fear of change may play a part in keeping things the way they have been. Here are two great books on change that I highly recommend:  “Who Moved My Cheese” by Dr. Spencer Johnson and “Our Iceberg is Melting” by John Cotter. Both are great for business/corporate applications. I found "Who Moved My Cheese" to also apply at a personal level as some of us may find it difficult to adjust from our "routine".

In closing, I would’ve liked to have sited a Sci-Fi example. As I did, I started to imagine what our world would have been like if Earth did not have a “sibling” like the Moon. Not only did our Moon inspire generations to look up to the heavens, it was something to “aim for”. Great minds like Sir Isaac Newton realized the Moon was falling towards the Earth, spawning his theories on elliptical orbits, gravity and of course, Calculus. Without the Moon, the “Space Race” may not have happened (the way we’ve come to know it anyway). The types of technological feats that where achieved as a result of us aiming for the Moon pushed us forward in ways we may not have otherwise. See the U.S. Apollo Missions (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_program) and the amazing, but not-so-popular Soviet Rover Missions (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunokhod_programme). Therefore, not only did the Moon provide something to “aim for” – but created the type of competition amongst nations that brought out the best in us.

1903 Success "How-To's" Still Alive and Kickin'

This is a great post:
How To Succeed In Life - Todd Duncan
Read this post all the way through - you will be surprised how much a lot of it still applies today. I know, the 1st and 2nd probably doesn't fly with a lot of us. However, if you are going to be hard-core and ready to embrace self-leadership (self-discipline) in business, you have to start at the core: Which is you. Your mind/body and health as a whole. I guess there could be a 2.5 addendum on exercise and eating right, but back in 1903, the whole "muscle-building carb-counting" thing wan't in the scene yet.
I absolutely agree with the ending: "Wealth Building". This is why I am not a lemming when it comes to self-help gurus of our time. It would seem that their teachings revolve around the illusion of making you wealthy, while they are the ones achieving wealth at our expense. I hardly ever hear any of them preaching on helping others and continue to better yourself for the good of others (what a concept). However, I wouldn't mind a cool $M. Retire at 35... cool. Oh wait, that was last year. D'oh! (Can I retire with $1M?) Maybe

Success – How do you define it? Part 4.

Is success a destination that we are all trying to get to? What if success in life is more like a collection of all the other successes – each leading to a next one. Like that phrase: “Life is a journey, not a destination” – Success, too, may be a great journey that need not end. How interesting of a concept is that?

Before I continue, I would like to thank my contributor, Neelam, for finding and summarizing the material that follows in this entry.

First, let's see these two presentations were given at the TED conference by Richard St. John.

Presentation 1

Presentation 2

The motivation for the first presentation was a girl on an airplane who sat next to Richard and asked him a question “what leads to success?” Not knowing a clear answer, he interviewed TED conference presenters and came up with factors or what he calls the secrets that lead to success.  These 8 secrets are:  passion, work, focus, push, ideas, improve, serve and persist.  The presentation provides more detail on each secret.  In this first presentation, notice that the secrets leading to success are depicted as a staircase process leading to the end goal of “success”.  However, in the second presentation, he has changed this depiction and made it cyclic.  And so I found the second presentation to be more helpful to me personally as it points out some pitfalls that we should avoid once we reach success. 

The linear, "One Way" view. The circular, "continuous journey" view.

Success – How do you define it? Part 3.

Hello everyone! I am so happy to say that this is it. Today, I’m going to discuss the true “Secret to Success”. Soon, you will see why this also is my favorite definition of “success”. Before you get ready to print this out and post it everywhere, read what’s here and take in the true beauty and simplicity of “The Secret”. Are you ready? The secret is… that there is no “secret”. You see what I mean? I told you it was simple. OK, there’s a little more to it than that. Allow me to elaborate the simplicity. Have you ever seen “Kung-Fu Panda” ? If not, do so. Not only will your kids like it (if you have kids), you will enjoy it too.

It has a great “moral to the story” that resonates with what I am writing here. I don’t want to spoil the movie. However, the older you get, the more you realize that sometimes those big “secrets” are not secrets at all. You learn that if you believe enough in something – it’s practically true (Almost like that "self-fulfilling prophesy" stuff I mentioned in Part 1). That intense belief is much more special than any “secret”.  That’s right. The secret to success is you – and believing in yourself.

Success – How do you define it? Part 2.

I am sure that there must be a million and one ways to define “Success”. Each of us will define it differently depending on which area of our life we are referring to. Many of us have obtained some level of success in our personal lives and career. What if you had to identify the components or “building blocks” that helped you in your successes? Regardless of what you do for a living, there are some factors we would all be able to agree upon.

Why am I trying to “break-down” the components to success? Recently, I came across the late John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success:

[Coach Wooden's Site]

Looks familiar doesn’t it? Although we all may have seen different forms of this, the layout is consistent. I’ve noticed companies change the boxes’ titles and their respective description to suit the industry or company culture. The common denominator: a set of attributes that build a layer upon layer – each bringing you upward, closer toward success. The most interesting part of the pyramid, is that the “corner stones” are “Industriousness”(hard work) and “Enthusiasm”(enjoyment). I don’t know why I feel that it is easier for me to work hard than to enjoy what I do. After all, it’s only work… right? I shouldn’t say that. I do enjoy the daily human interaction in an efficient work environment. When the people are team-players and understand what it means to get things done together.

Notice how on the outside frame of the pyramid, there are ten “virtues” that build the perimeter.

What is very interesting is that “Faith” and “Patience” are at the top – right before success. It would seem that after you have established all the building blocks below them and are “fighting the good fight” – now, all you need to is believe in your values and allow time to play its part. Funny enough, “good things come to those who wait” was one of my favorite quotes when I was younger. Recently, I feel like there is no such thing as “waiting”. Time flies by regardless. Whatever I can do “in parallel” I do it… and often. No doubt, having faith is part of the renewal process (See “The 7^th Habit”) that allows you to be ready to keep working hard and “sawing those trees”.

Before I end this entry, let's take a second look a quote that is quite fitting:

“Success is peace of mind which is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming”

-John Wooden

Notice that “peace of mind” is how Mr. Wooden defined success – not “the thrill” or “the rush”. I am sure many of us would correlate exhilaration or a “high” when we finally succeed at getting what we want. However, what we want is not necessarily what we really need to be truly successful. Study the pyramid – do the blocks give you what you need to succeed? How much of it applies to your life right now?

Success – How do you define it?

Over the course of the next month, I am going to look at some definitions of “success”. Not only the text-book answers, but some relative, human answers we all would find in our hearts.

A few weeks ago, my wife and I spent a week in Jamaica celebrating our 1-year anniversary. In addition to all the relaxation, it gave me time to finish reading “The 7 Habits…” in-depth and cover some areas of personal interest. I really wanted to understand them and make them a part of me. Why? I feel that there is more to life than just “having a job and making money”. Granted, it is important to have income, as it is the means to several ends. I want to work hard for all the right reasons. To be at the core of who I am. I want to be a principle-centered person. To be successful in all the areas in my life that are important.

The 7th and "Last Habit”- Renewal.

Is it really the last Habit? Not really. There is an “8th Habit”… and I am going to have to read that book next. The 7th and “last” Habit in the book is one I can definitely relate to. Dr. Covey calls the 7th Habit, “Sharpen the Saw”. The chapter starts with a story of someone working really hard for hours at sawing down a tree. When asked why does he not take a break to sharpen the saw, the reply is that he doesn’t have the time since he’s so busy sawing. Aren’t we all? We are so engrossed into the daily crunch and all the “to-do’s” that we hardly ever pause and renew. Renew? How? There’s more than one way for us to “sharpen our saws”. Dr. Covey suggests that there are 4 “dimensions” to this type of renewal: Physical, Spiritual, Mental and Social. No doubt, it’s important investing time in one’s self – aka “Personal PC” - Taking care of that which allows you to be productive. Think about it, if the guy had taken a break to sharpen his saw, not only he would probably get done sooner but probably stress and strain less.

Synergy - The 6th Habit

Before I started writing this entry, I felt like taking a peek at WikiPedia and see what was there for “Synergize”. It redirects you to “Synergy” [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synergy] – Click on it and read it if you like. I always thought of it as “working together”. Great. Don’t we all do that everyday? We all “work together” – right? It is not that simple. Dr. Covey elaborates on Synergize-ing as a form of communication that builds creative momentum when both trust and cooperation is very high. Remember Habit 4? The ever elusive Win/Win ? This is it. The pinnacle of two people (or more) with the win/win mindset. Imagine everyone were open-minded and ready to look at new ideas and create possibilities in an interdependent fashion – wow. Although I have seen the whole spectrum of businesses

Habit 4: Deal or No Deal?... Only if we both Win.

I meant to post this one 1st - sorry!
I had been anticipating the 4th Habit for so long... well, here it is.
If there was a game show called “Win/Win or No Deal” No one would watch it. How much could ratings soar during a show where everyone wins? We have probably been pre-programmed in our DNA (this is just my opinion) to distinguish between winning and losing. It would make sense if it were part of our survival instinct to “come out on top”. This is most useful when hunting – for if you lose, you starve and die. Not to mention the occasional running away from a predator, where losing means getting killed. No doubt competition must have been fierce to be the “alpha male” of the tribe. Therefore, there is that “striving to compete” in us as well. Times have changed since we were cave-dwellers. Like they say, the more things change, the more things stay the same. Most of the time, we will all look for the win to our favor. We want to still look for competition, and seek to be “on top”. In our new jungle of steel and glass, it feels sometimes like only the backdrop has changed. There is plenty of competition to be “top dog”, agendas to create “job security” for themselves and ego-boosting displays that are very much win/lose. So, is there such a thing where there is healthy competition where everyone wins? That is win/win? Although I have not witnessed this often, Mr. Covey believes there is. This is at the heart of Habit 4: “Think Win/Win”.

Think Win/Lose
From my experience, this is the most typical.

Does anyone really listen? I mean… really listen?

I don’t. Although I say it all the time: “I hear you.”. But, am I really listening? I’ll admit it, I always considered myself to be a “good listener”. Had it in my Match.com profile years ago (I guess my wife fell for it). In reality, I was probably just good at hearing people – or what Mr. Covey describes as “selective listening”. Hearing certain words and phrases and interpreting them whichever which way I see things. Unfortunately, I probably still do. This is not going to be as easy as a Habit as it may sound. The 5th Habit: “Seek first to understand, then to be understood”, really is an “ear opener”. Reading through the chapter made me feel pretty bad about all the times I thought I was being helpful by listening and giving “good advice”. It turns out I was seeing things through my “glasses” and prescribing them to the person because they had worked for me. Mr. Covey has a great metaphor with “glasses”. For how we see the world is unique to each and ever one of us. It wouldn’t make sense to hand over our glasses to someone and expect them to see everything the way we do – but many of us do this all the time… and I am very guilty of this.

The best part about this Habit is that it is NOT supposed to be technique.

One More Thing.

Although I am done reading Habit 4 “Think Win/Win”. I would like to make an entry about an interesting topic that was being covered in the Linked2Leadership group on LinkedIn. The topic is “How can there be so much written about leadership yet so little understanding?”. This one really hit home since I am amidst of reading leadership books so I can grasp all the concepts and techniques. Why? In hopes that if someday, people are relying on me for genuine leadership – I’ll be well-informed. However, the more I read the more I realize: It really is all technique. Not that there is anything wrong with that – but once I started reading “The 7 Habits” I realized that there is more to it than technique. It has to start from within: the true desire to be self-disciplined, that self-mastery with a solid core. Be able to manage yourself first. Everything else will almost follow on its own. If anything, all of those techniques will make more “sense” once I have the proper foundation.

Before Habit 4…

I am almost Half-way through the book ! In terms of Habits, more like 3/7’s of the way. Before Mr. Covey starts to cover Habit #4 there is a chapter on the “Paradigms of Interdependence”. This really is a great chapter that contains great examples and analogies that summarizes the big-picture. I felt like I had a clear understanding of the order of what I was reading, like I was building toward something. All I have achieved so far with the first 3 Habits, and the 4 that are to come. My favorite quote from this chapter is “you can’t have the fruits without the roots.” His point being, that you cannot have “Public Victories” without having “Private Victories” first. You must be well “rooted” as to who you are. The “Private Victories” are everything covered in Habits 1, 2 and 3: self-mastery and being truly independent.

If we prioritized well - What would come first? Chicken? Egg?

About a month ago, I had an entry on “Prioritizing” [Click Here]. It was mostly about day-to-day corporate tasks and who should handle what. After reading the 3rd Habit, Put First Things First, I understand that Covey’s perspective is that “time management” determines a great deal of what “comes first”.
Although I do believe in processes, creating flow-charts and having methods to madness… I have difficulty trying to do such a thing for my personal life. That is, I don’t see myself organizing my week into a piece of paper and prioritizing ahead of time what I should do day by day. Not saying that I won’t do it someday – just not right now. If you read "the 3rd Habit" you will find yourself questioning everything that you are currently doing. It was kind of scary for me to realize how much time I may be wasting on “Quadrant 4 activities”. OH – wait. I should definitely explain the “Quadrants” and the “Time management matrix” first. This is one eye-opener we can all take away and identify with right away.

Starting with the End (in Mind)

Goal-setting. How many of us really enjoy do this? If we didn’t have supervisors or managers reminding us for our “yearly goals” we probably wouldn’t do it on our own. Entrepreneurs by default do it on their own since their business would have no bearing without goals. So many of us start the year with “Near Year resolutions” that are almost like goals, but do we really take them seriously? One of the problems is, we don’t take the time to imagine, or visualize them and how we are going to obtain those goals. OK, so – how should we approach goal-setting so that it is attainable?
The 2nd Habit of “Highly Effective People” is “Begin with the end in mind”.

Are you “Proactive”?

Not to be confused with a popular acne medication… being proactive is a mindset we are all capable of (and most of us already have). Unfortunately, some of our upbringings steered us away – more toward being “reactive”. I know that for a good chunk of my life, I was reactive in every sense of the word. Not only did I always “go with the flow” – I waited and waited to be told what to do and what was going on. I was always being acted upon… and I was “ok” with it. Living with my family was the way to go - as long as I got what I wanted: toys, video games, food, I didn’t complain. However, when we are children, don’t we all want to grow up to “be” something? I doubt any of us daydreamed of letting everyone tell us what to do – it’s not in our nature. We all have dreams, the inner light of taking initiative, of wanting to BE someone – and ultimately being in control of our lives.

Habit #1 of the “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” is exactly that: to Be Proactive. The word “Be” has a large part to do with it. Beyond reacting to stimuli, we need to realize that we have a choice in every aspect of our lives.

Delegating 101 – who should handle what? Why?

Greetings to all. Welcome to another topic I would like to explore with everyone: Delegating. My experience may be limited… I never had any direct reports, nor have I had the opportunity to be a manager (yet). However, as a team member / leader, I have had the opportunity to delegate tasks based on things that needed to get done and “those at my disposal”. In some occasions, those team members whom I assigned tasks to where overseas, and I had no prior knowledge of their work ethic. I simply had to trust them. In other cases, team members comprised of colleagues whom I dealt with on a daily basis and knew exactly what to expect. Whenever you know the team and their strengths, it can almost be intuitive to delegate tasks. However, what if you don’t know your team? What if the set of tasks do not fit into line with your team’s existing areas of expertise? What if you are not familiar with the team and there is urgency in getting the job done?

Leadership and Management - Love and Marriage – ETC.

Like the song goes: “you can’t have one without the other”. The “Father of modern management” , Peter Drucker would’ve definitely agreed [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Drucker]. Some of us may disagree. Over the course of 5 months there was an overwhelming 891 posts on the topic of “Differences between leadership and management” found in the Leadership Think Tank Group in LinkedIn [http://www.linkedin.com/groupAnswers?viewQuestionAndAnswers=&gid=39683&discussionID=8821024&sik=1269570930525&split_page=46&goback=%2Eana_39683_1269570930525_3_3]. Of course many will make a point that leadership and management can be done separately, and that we do it all the time. They may be correct as well. It may be very well in the “eye of the beholder”. Allow me to go into my inner geek and elaborate on two great phrases that ring true to this type of conundrum.

Priorities... where do I start?

This is a great topic – in fact, I really would like some input on this. I’ve read a couple of leadership books, but I haven’t found much on how to prioritize. Naturally, as a leader we are supposed to make decisions made in the best interest of the group or the team. Is prioritizing tasks the same deal?

When working in corporate settings, usually the manager helps us prioritize projects based on decisions made by “upper management” and/or the board directors, etc. But when you are completely on your own, or asked to make those types of decisions– how do you know what to do first?

Common Thread - Vision

Sorry I am a little late with my weekly entry. I spent a long weekend with my wife in Miami, Florida. Which, I must say, was quite relaxing. Of course, wherever you go now a day, there is always the appropriate technology available to do everything from email to trading stocks. So, I have no excuses. However, when I go on vacation I prefer to un-plug and only carry my cell phone for emergencies and nothing else.

Since I am short on time, I will make a short entry. I will focus on something that we have all come across in our careers in some way shape or form. Even if you have followed a path less travelled, or made your own, you may have actually experienced it first hand. I call it “the common thread”.

Those who know me, you are aware that I have seen the entire span of company sizes. Since I graduated from College in 1997, I have worked for 6 different corporations spanning 5 industries. I have experience in small, medium and global sized companies. Yes, all of this, not including my own company I started with my family years ago – it lasted a few years, but is no more. If I am to identify a “common thread” among all of these companies, it is their drive for being, their motivation: their Vision.

Some companies communicate their vision to their employees better than others

Encouragement

If there is one thing we all can use in tough times is encouragement. After all, are we are all not human and want to know that we are important? (http://pathofaleader.blogspot.com/2010/02/entrepreneurship-leadership-and-feeling.html#more) For me, it is quite difficult to say “I’m doing such a good job – I better keep it up”… not to mention pat myself on the back and feel good about it. It’s almost like tickling yourself – go ahead, try it… I bet you can’t. Before I go any further, this is not to be confused with self-motivation. I can go on and on for years self-motivating myself into doing something that I like or feel is “right”. Anyone who has followed a passion or hobby knows of this quite well. As an example, for over 15 years I practically self-taught several pencil drawing techniques to the point where I can do decent portraits (not perfect, but nice). However, every once in a while, I need someone to tell me how good I am doing. A smile, a “wow”, anything that tells me that my effort paid off.

When people smile and/or thank you for your hard work…

What is effective Leadership Contingent upon?

Just got back from my niece’s Birthday party. She’s 3 years old now – and I remember the day she was born like it was a few months ago. I clearly remember going with the family to the Hospital that night. All the nurses and staff doing their jobs to ensure everything would go as “smoothly” as possible. It’s interesting how once the Doctor arrived, a sense of everything “being in control” set in. Looking back now, I wonder: would “any” doctor set the same tone? Was it because those nurses and staff where so familiar with that doctor, that it made things seem like clockwork? Maybe. We can all agree that there are standard medical procedures. I’m sure they’ve been developed over the years to limit any risks of staff/nurse/doctor misunderstandings and miscommunications. For a moment, let’s put it in the light of “leadership” – that is, if the Doctor was the “Leader” envisioning a healthy baby delivery (and happy Mom, Dad, etc.), how effective would he be if this was his first delivery, and if none of the staff had ever him? Would all the “standard procedures” smooth it all out? – Or would there be “friction” and miscommunication ?

Other than medical dramas – I am not much for spending time in Hospitals. I can’t even imagine what it must be like to have to work with the pressure of having human lives entrusted to your hands. I cannot even place myself in such an imaginary scenario where I would have to influence a group’s behavior based on my prognosis to try to save someone… and what if I were wrong? How do I live with myself? I’m sure most of us have dealt with pressure in the workplace in some sort, shape and form. Most of us may have had to make quick decisions – right, wrong and indifferent and live with the consequences.

Does “One size fit all” ?

I thought finding a wrist brace for my injured right hand would be easy. Isn’t it bad enough to struggle doing all with my left hand? Or at most contort my grip so that I don’t feel the excruciating pain? Sure – I just spent what felt like a half hour in the pharmacy isle finding the right support for my sprained wrist. There are big ones, small ones, some with “breathing materials”, others with extra support, reversible, expensive and more expensive. Oh – and just when I find the one I like, they only have it for the left hand. Just my luck.

There are so many items in our lives that are adjustable, reversible and “made to fit”. Even the “one size fits all” Baseball cap needs adjusting. If only we could approach issues in our lives just as simply. Or can we? We adjust our behaviors to those around us depending on the situation. For example, we don’t treat our new co-workers or boss the same way we treat our life-long friends or family. We adjust the way we behave to an optimal level for the situation.

As far as leadership goes - is it a “one size fits all” or completely “adjustable”? No doubt leadership requires a firm vision and clear direction. However, it also needs to be flexible –

Are you a "Born Leader" ?

I can’t help but wonder when I work with people: “Is it in You?” Like the Gatorade® commercials... At the same time – I wonder: “Is it in me?”. After hearing and reading different takes on "Natural vs. Learned" Leadership, I am still curious and want to learn more.

One thing is certain: those who have been in military service, or have played in some type of sport that requires team efforts have a better understanding of what leadership is. Not the textbook definition or the attributes as listed in books and data discovered by historians. They usually experience first-hand and by example what it is to have an objective or a vision and driving towards making it real. Whether it’s winning a championship of some sort, or taking over enemy territory – there was a goal, a strategy (story) and the drive to bring it to fruition. The strategy/story could have been presented by the coach, team captain, Sergeant, General etc… In any case, the Leader in the situation: was he born to do this or did he/she learn it?

Entrepreneurship, Leadership and feeling Important.

When I was younger (everyday it feels like it was further and further ago) I thought being an entrepreneur meant you had your own business and that you had all sorts of money to back it up. The more and more I learned about the “entrepreneurial spirit” – the more I realized we can all be entrepreneurs. How is that? We all don’t have the time or the money to go into business for ourselves. Understood. I don’t either - not right now. There was a time that I did partake in a family business (making cookies!)– but that is a whole other story.
So, what is the deal? The way I see it, no matter where I work, or what I do, I work for myself: Fernando, Inc. Why? Having this ownership and responsibility of my “services” makes the subconscious believe in a greater good than “working for someone else”. Furthermore, working for one’s self is, in a way, part of the leadership attributes people seek anyway. You’ve taken charge of your own life and are capable of seeing the big picture. Just need to widen the view from yourself and include those around you. I am by no means a “sales person” – but we are all “salesmen” in some way or another. Think about it: Whenever you interview for a job, you are trying to sell your services (Your name Here, Inc.). That is right, providing service and support to all of those that will be working toward the common corporate goal. After all, to lead is to serve. No?

Special Section: Who Were History's Great Leaders?

As promised... here's a great article from Time/CNN - apparently written the same month and year I was born.
Special Section: Who Were History's Great Leaders?

Being a "human leader" and earning trust.

How difficult is it to be a “perfect leader”? Quite honestly– I don’t think they exist. I will never try to be one, nor should you. History has no records of one. Of course there have been great leaders that have built nations and shaped the world we live in today. However, they were all human. Just like you and me – filled with emotions, personality quirks and nuances the history books will less than likely record. (I promise to make a post with a link to History’s greatest Leaders next.)
You probably wouldn’t be reading this if you had no interest in learning and growing as I am. However, we do need to recognize that we are human and we all make mistakes.

How do I know I am leading?

As I read more and more about leadership, I keep coming across a common thread. If you are to be a leader, you need to have followers. Granted. However, why are they following? There has to be a genuine reason why people follow. Sometimes, it’s because the leader is in a position of power, and those around him/her have to choice but to follow. Is it managing then? Personally, I want people to follow me because they want to – not because they have to.
In my 12 + years of working in industry, I look back at the times that I’ve led local teams and global teams and wonder: “Did they follow me because they wanted to? Or… Because it was their job?” More than likely, it was the latter. But, then again, I was more of a manager than a leader.

Personality Basics

What is a more fitting 2nd entry than to write about you! Well, that is you… me… everybody. After all, do we know why we are the way we are? I’m not going into real deep aspects of the human psyche, character or our spiritual being. I’m only going to scratch the surface by exploring our personalities. That is, how we learn, approach situations and process information. Knowing the roots of our behavior is key to allow us to understand each others’ behaviors – especially those you intend to lead.

I personally LOVE the movie: The Matrix. Not only is it SciFi, but it carries a few simple, yet practical messages we can all take away and apply to our lives. One of the best is the “Know thyself” theme. I will bring this one up in future Blogs along with other themes on “walking the path”. Anyone who remembers the Kitchen encounter with the Oracle knows of the sign hanging over the entrance with “Temet Nosce” written on it. In essence, it is Latin for “Thine own self thou must know” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Know_thyself) . If you look at yourselves in a mirror, you know our physical aspects. However, do you really know who you are? What gives you your “way of being”… your personality?

Needless to say, no two people are alike.

Starting My Path

Welcome!
Sit back, relax and enjoy. I want to share with you my journey as I learn and grow my Leadership skills and abilities. In addition to reading what I post, I want everyone to contribute, have fun, spread the word and enrich the lives of those around us by becoming better people.

First, I intend to "de-mystify" the concepts of Leadership. Through reading, researching online, posting links and reflecting on my life experiences. I hope to point out all those things that make a big impact in helping everyone make their own paths to success. After all, as leaders, we all need to make our own decisions – and yes, always with the best interest of the group in mind.

Second, I promise not to re-invent the wheel. It's all out there. The research has been done, the books exist, the groups have gathered and the real leaders are out there. My intention is to provide a daily digest of what I've learned, put it in practical terms and allow everyone to share their thoughts.