There are people who think that the most valuable skill a leader can have is thinking strategically. Leaders need to set goals, then plan the steps it will take to achieve those goals. Other people think that, more than anything else, leaders need to be able to communicate. A strong leader has a unique vision, and they draw other people into their efforts to make their vision reality. Some people think that leaders need to understand the numbers, some that... Read more
This weekend I am going to spend some time in the powerful present moment. It is easy for me to forget how much I need and appreciate the present moment. There are so many pieces of the past competing for the focus of my heart and my mind. Memories and regrets, people with whom I have lost touch, places I would like to visit again try to distract me. The things I have done but would like to forget struggle... Read more
I love my work. No, really. I have done work that I did not love. Motivated by stubbornness, anger, fear, or insecurity, I have worked in positions and with organizations that were not good for me. I have done work that did not feed my soul because I was too asleep to myself to know the difference. Work was a bad relationship for me. Each step of the way I learned important lessons. There were people who helped me understand... Read more
1. Leadership and the Olympics both combine and balance competition and cooperation. 2. The person out in front of the pack is not always the strongest leader. 3. Leaders bring out the best in the people around them in the same way the Olympics does. 4. Leadership and the Olympics both require a tremendous amount of practice, dedication, and creativity. 5. Leadership is about persisting to overcome obstacles, meet challenges, and exceed expectations. 6. Leadership can include events and people that... Read more
The moment of maximum potential is when the skaters are lined up, just after the word “Set!” It is when the snowboarder or ski jumper first leaves the frozen surface to fly through the air. It is the moment just before the figure skater touches the ice again. It is the moment the puck leaves the hockey player’s stick on its way toward the goal. I do not watch the Olympics to find out which athlete, or which country, earns... Read more
There are days when I am not sure what I am building. I do not always have a clear view of the plans and blueprints. I may not remember what I am supposed to be doing, or why I am doing it. It feels like I am working on one of those cathedrals; not because it feels like it will be one of the wonders of the world, but because it feels like it is taking forever. In some ways,... Read more
The game, with all those extremely expensive ads, is over. After hours and hours and hours of talking, the game did not go quite as expected. After all that effort, planning, preparation, and practice, one team was able to execute more effectively than all the others. Now what? Now is when leadership kicks into another gear. Whether a team has had an amazing season or suffered through misery after misery, now is when leadership begins to make itself evident. Every... Read more
The neighbors are moving away. They were the neighbors because they lived next door. They said hello, exchanged pleasantries, wrangled packages that were delivered during the day. I know most of the people who live in the building by face, though not by name. I do not really know anything about them, though I can guess a few things. My neighbors are from all over the world. I walk in my neighborhood, and hear telephone conversations in various languages and at... Read more
The way we see our work is shaped by the Industrial Revolution. I was taught that real work is what people would not do unless someone pays them to do it. I was taught that work is measured in the hours it takes to produce a specific result. Work is about building so many cars or making so many pizzas an hour. We measure how hard an engine works by the revolutions per minute; people are just a different kind... Read more
I enjoy how movies shape our lives by telling stories that appeal to all of our senses. The movies I have seen throughout my life show me what it is to love, to grow, to lead. They give me tangible examples of heroes, leaders, and friends. Now I live in a part of the world where a lot of those movies are produced. It is hard, challenging work to tell those stories well, and profitably. When I meet a possible... Read more
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