• Choose an item off the menu quickly. Be ready when your server returns with the drink order.
• Choose your movie quickly. Don’t wander aimlessly around Blockbuster.
• Don’t shop. Seek, find, purchase and move on.
• Stop saying “I don’t care” or “You decide”. Be an active participant in the plans.
• Compromise less. Don’t wait on consensus when you’re capable of making the decision.
• Block out the “what if” thoughts about making a bad decision. Make the decision and live with the repercussions.

If you’re indecisive this doesn’t happen overnight. You have to practice at it. It’s taken me years not to be a “go with the flow” guy. And it’s still a fight in my personal life. But in becoming more decisive, I’m saving time and energy and people know I can be counted on to keep things moving. It boils down to consciously deciding what you want and pursuing it. You don’t have to pursue it every waking hour, but it helps to have it in the front your mind instead of the back. Happy deciding.

Nepotism is part of human nature. In ancient Rome, it was an integral part of their political process called cursus honorum. Ancient Romans used as much social leverage as they could to become an elected official. In many ways, this practice has always been with us. In the 1830’s an associate of Andrew Jackson coined the phrase “to the victor go the spoils” when remarking to the press on how Jackson was justified in appointing so many new people to public office. Thus ushering in the American “spoils system”.

Initially, Mr. Wolfowitz seemed to view working with his girlfriend Shaha Riza, as a conflict of interest, as she was moved to a think tank job funded by the State Department upon his arrival in office. Apparently Mr. Wolfowitz later thought there was no conflict of interest when he actively involved himself in securing Riza a promotion as well as $60k in raises in less then a two year span. It should be noted that she was making more then Secretary of State, Condaleezza Rice.

Obviously Mr. Wolfowitz was not acting with the same moral compass as the general public and World Bank employees who are now so outraged at his actions. Despite this suspension of ethics, he maintains he can still do his job effectively. But has he truly considered that statement?

What of the morale of his staff? How motivated will they be to perform their duties when they know it is not merit but acquaintance that will earn them a promotion? How willing will they be to go the extra mile for a man who lacks the necessary integrity to lead them?

Mr. Wolfowitz knows the answers to these questions, but has not acknowledged them.

When faced with his own mistakes a leader will acknowledge and accept responsibility for them. Mr. Wolfowitz is not leader enough to do that. With each day that he doesn’t step down, he promotes more distraction among the World Bank employees. Just being present there makes the World Bank more inefficient by the day. This is not leadership at all. This is vanity.

The people who are doing the work are the moving force behind the Macintosh. My job is to create a space for them, to clear out the rest of the organization and keep it at bay.
–Steve Jobs

It reminded me that as a manager and a leader, one of my top priorities should be to remove all the obstacles to success for my team as I possibly can. Obstacles can be anything. Distraction, lack of resources, micromanagement, etc. My feeling is if I can provide them with all the tools they need, and the space they need get things done, I’ve already accomplished a major part of my job.

“I think we’re having fun. I think our customers really like our products. And we’re always trying to do better.”
– Steve Jobs

10 Golden Lessons From Steve Jobs
by Ririan

His accomplishments and character helped define a generation and change the world. He is co-founder of the fairytale company we now know as Apple Computers. And he is the visionary of the personal computers world that led the entire computer hardware and software industry to restructure itself.
This man with boundless energy and charisma is also a master of hype, hyperbole and the catchy phrase. And even when he’s trying to talk normally, brilliant verbiage comes tumbling out.

Here’s a selection of some of the most insanely great things he said, golden lessons to help you succeed in life, Jobs-style:

1. Steve Jobs said: “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.”

Innovation has no limits. The only limit is your imagination. It’s time for you to begin thinking out of the box. If you are involved in a growing industry, think of ways to become more efficient; more customer friendly; and easier to do business with. If you are involved in a shrinking industry – get out of it quick and change before you become obsolete; out of work; or out of business. And remember that procrastination is not an option here. Start innovating now!

2. Steve Jobs said: “Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”

There is no shortcut to excellence. You will have to make the commitment to make excellence your priority. Use your talents, abilities, and skills in the best way possible and get ahead of others by giving that little extra. Live by a higher standard and pay attention to the details that really do make the difference. Excellence is not difficult – simply decide right now to give it your best shot – and you will be amazed with what life gives you back.

3. Steve Jobs said: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it.”

I’ve got it down to four words: “Do what you love.” Seek out an occupation that gives you a sense of meaning, direction and satisfaction in life. Having a sense of purpose and striving towards goals gives life meaning, direction and satisfaction. It not only contributes to health and longevity, but also makes you feel better in difficult times. Do you jump out of bed on Monday mornings and look forward to the work week? If the answer is ‘no’ keep looking, you’ll know when you find it.

4. Steve Jobs said: “You know, we don’t grow most of the food we eat. We wear clothes other people make. We speak a language that other people developed. We use a mathematics that other people evolved… I mean, we’re constantly taking things. It’s a wonderful, ecstatic feeling to create something that puts it back in the pool of human experience and knowledge.”

Live in a way that is ethically responsible. Try to make a difference in this world and contribute to the higher good. You’ll find it gives more meaning to your life and it’s a great antidote to boredom. There is always so much to be done. And talk to others about what you are doing. Don’t preach or be self-righteous, or fanatical about it, that just puts people off, but at the same time, don’t be shy about setting an example, and use opportunities that arise to let others know what you are doing.

5. Steve Jobs said: “There’s a phrase in Buddhism, ‘Beginner’s mind.’ It’s wonderful to have a beginner’s mind.”

It is the kind of mind that can see things as they are, which step by step and in a flash can realize the original nature of everything. Beginner’s mind is Zen practice in action. It is the mind that is innocent of preconceptions and expectations, judgements and prejudices. Think of beginner’s mind as the mind that faces life like a small child, full of curiosity and wonder and amazement.

6. Steve Jobs said: “We think basically you watch television to turn your brain off, and you work on your computer when you want to turn your brain on.”

Reams of academic studies over the decades have amply confirmed television’s pernicious mental and moral influences. And most TV watchers know that their habit is mind-numbing and wasteful, but still spend most of their time in front of that box. So turn your TV off and save some brain cells. But be cautious, you can turn your brain off by using a computer also. Try and have an intelligent conversation with someone who plays first person shooters for 8 hours a day. Or auto race games, or roll playing games.

7. Steve Jobs said: “I’m the only person I know that’s lost a quarter of a billion dollars in one year…. It’s very character-building.”

Don’t equate making mistakes with being a mistake. There is no such thing as a successful person who has not failed or made mistakes, there are successful people who made mistakes and changed their lives or performance in response to them, and so got it right the next time. They viewed mistakes as warnings rather than signs of hopeless inadequacy. Never making a mistake means never living life to the full.

8. Steve Jobs said: “I would trade all of my technology for an afternoon with Socrates.”

Over the last decade, numerous books featuring lessons from historical figures have appeared on the shelves of bookstores around the world. And Socrates stands with Leonardo da Vinci, Nicholas Copernicus, Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein as a beacon of inspiration for independent thinkers. But he came first. Cicero said of Socrates that, “He called philosophy down from the skies and into the lives of men.” So use Socrates’ principles in your life, your work, your learning, and your relationships. It’s not about Socrates, it’s really about you, and how you can bring more truth, beauty and goodness into your life everyday.

9. Steve Jobs said: “We’re here to put a dent in the universe. Otherwise why else even be here?”

Did you know that you have big things to accomplish in life? And did you know that those big things are getting rather dusty while you pour yourself another cup of coffee, and decide to mull things over rather than do them? We were all born with a gift to give in life, one which informs all of our desires, interests, passions and curiosities. This gift is, in fact, our purpose. And you don’t need permission to decide your own purpose. No boss, teacher, parent, priest or other authority can decide this for you. Just find that unique purpose.

10. Steve Jobs said: “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Are you tired of living someone else’s dream? No doubt, its your life and you have every right to spend it in your own individual way without any hurdles or barriers from others. Give yourself a chance to nurture your creative qualities in a fear-free and pressure-free climate. Live a life that YOU choose and be your own boss.

Each lesson might be difficult to integrate into your life at first, but if you ease your way into each lesson, one at a time, you’ll notice an immediate improvement in your overall performance. So go ahead, give them a try.

How does this relate to leadership? That’s an excellent question, and I’m glad I asked it. How can a leader ask his staff to ramp up productivity when he himself is mired down in the minutiae of every day tasks? A leader’s job is to keep his mind on the big picture, and attend to the details that will paint that picture. If he is too busy answering emails while talking on the phone and IM’ing, he can’t focus on that major project or improving the output of his staff. He can’t focus period. Technology is great and has increased productivity exponentially. But what if that technology becomes a constant distraction to your task at hand? The expression “drinking from a fire hose” springs to mind.

As a country, we are facing information overload. As an engineer, it gets tough to work on a particular design or a lengthy calculation when my phone won’t stop ringing, my email program won’t stop alerting me, and my coworkers won’t stop dropping by to “shoot the bull”. Worse yet, it takes time to get refocused on a complex problem after each distraction. The result–productivity plummets.

A recent Microsoft study of their own employees found that it took the average employee 15 minutes to get refocused on serious mental tasks after a distraction (i.e. report writing, computer programming). That’s right. 15 minutes! You get distracted 4 times while working on a focus intensive task and you just lost over an hour of time in your day. Now who wants to stay late because your buddy at work wants to talk about the NFL draft for 10 minutes? Sure it’s interesting, but wouldn’t you rather talk about it over a beer after work?

Given what I have learned, I’m going to do some self evaluation and re-prioritizing. It’s time to take some steps to reduce the distraction.

Parkinson’s Law states: “Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.”

You want to boost morale a little? Cancel unnecessary meetings when you know your people’s work merits recognition. This is like opening a relief valve. It’s an instant decrease in pressure because your people now have extra time to get things done in the day. And don’t forget to tell them why. That was a nice touch.

Earning respect will increase output, but how can we get higher output while maintaining or boosting morale? The answer is leadership. A leader demonstrates a willingness to hear ideas, to roll up his sleeves when necessary, and the fortitude to make correction when required. However, when leadership is in short supply, management can still get the job done.

In recent decades manager has evolved into the homely stepsister of leader. I personally don’t understand this phenomenon. People will still come to work every day even if they don’t have Vince Lombardi firing them up with the pre-game speech. Obligation and money are powerful motivators. The kids will still need braces and the house will still need a new roof long after Vince retires.

So why is leader the exalted one, when manager tends the shop? The truth is leadership is revered because it is an idea. Leadership can work in the abstract while management has to produce day in and day out. Leadership with no managerial skills can still steer the ship into the rocks. He’ll just look darn good doing it.

The gold standard is when both manager and leader coincide. That’s the guy we all clamor to work for. Who doesn’t want to work for a charismatic motivator that makes you feel like the company will collapse without your contribution?

So if the question is leader or manager? The answer is and always will be both through constant personal development. Washington and Lincoln didn’t reach greatness by being born. They learned it through constant and rigorous self improvement. Anything less and you’re not only shortchanging yourself, but those you manage, and the company that gave you the responsibility.

“Management is efficiency in climbing the ladder of success; leadership determines whether the ladder is leaning against the right wall.”
— Stephen R. Covey

Edit: I posted this article here on Helium.com, and it is currently ranked #2! Ok, it’s only out of 12, but everybody loves a good ego boost, right?

Academy of Achievement

I read a few interviews and gleaned a little knowledge on leadership from Rudy Giuliani. I am also currently reading his book Leadership which I will be reviewing on this blog at a later date.

The Socratic Method: Leveraging Questions to Increase Performance

It would take quite a bit of practice to incorporate this into your leadership repertoire, but could be an extremely valuable tool to have in the toolbox.

This link was found by running a query for Socratic Method in the Google US Government portion of their browser.

My apologies. For some reason, posting a link that navigates to a *.pdf file does not want to seem to work in wordpress. Below is the link. If you’re interested, copy and paste the link into your browser, and take a look. I think you’ll find it a worthwhile read.
http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/dau/pat-jf3.pdf

Many would argue that it is still a simple concept, and it can be with much practice. Still, it is curious that so many people would devote so much time to studying this particular human trait if it were so simple. I believe that integrity is in such short supply that many in our society seek a way to cultivate it in themselves and others. Many think that they have or exhibit integrity, when they actually don’t. Not completely. They don’t commit heinous crimes or cheat or steel. But do they really have integrity? For some it’s a matter of ignorance, and for others a matter of self deception. For me it was a little of both until I reached my early 20’s. I realized that I wasn’t putting my best foot forward in every situation, and sought to change that.

This is where opportunity emerges in the debate. Opportunity comes in many forms. But for our purposes, let us suppose it is an easy way out. This could be anything: breaking promises, not returning money when you were given too much change, or knocking over a grocery display and quietly walking away. Obviously these could be considered small infractions, but do we really keep a running total? And if we did, how high would that tab be? Those are the questions I posed to myself a few years back and I decided my personal total was too high.

“A man should be upright, not be kept upright. ”
– Marcus Aurelius