Twelve South HoverBar | © 2013 Twelve South LLC. All Rights Reserved.

The HoverBar from Twelve South is a simple device that attaches to a computer stand, e.g., to the base of an iMac … or to a different workstation … or to a tabletop, kitchen counter, bookshelf or another surface. It uses a padded clamp that is adjustable up to 1″ wide, and can be purchased for any iPad model.

My wife makes fun of mine, suggesting that it looks like a table in a senior citizen center, but it’s a very convenient, hands-free way to suspend your iPad for easy reading on a table that you can bring up to your favorite chair or sofa.

It works great for me and I wouldn’t be without it … honey!

But, when I’m traveling and not at home …

Another Twelve South product that I always carry but has been displaced with the HoverBar at home, is still an irreplaceable travel companion.

Twelve South Compass | © 2013 Twelve South LLC. All Rights Reserved.

The Twelve South Compass mobile iPad stand folds up into a very compact package that easily fits into your travel bag. Like an easel, it reliably cradles the iPad in either landscape or portrait mode … or at a comfortable typing angle if you use it for that.

BTW, If you’re struggling to type on the iPad’s glass surface, you might find that a handy keyboard makes more sense for you.

There’s more great Twelve South stuff ….

I recognize this is starting to read like a Twelve South commercial, but as I was perusing their product list, I realized that I own many other Twelve South products that I’ve found helpful.

I own and use every one of these because they boost my productivity and organization, but please don’t spend any money on these products unless you need them to to help achieve your goals. (Note: This is NOT an affiliate link and is only provided to share some information that you might find helpful.)

The other products I use include:

If you’re an Apple aficionado, you might want to check out the beautifully constructed and versatile products made by Twelve South. Come to think of it, I think my daughter is using the BookBook ….

Question: What are your favorite utility devices that you can’t live without? Please share those ideas by leaving your comments below.

Productivity: The most comfortable ways to use your iPad … and more is a post from: Sword Tips – the Exkalibur blog

“Do you ever pay attention to what’s written on the Internet about you?”

“Nope. I know what my intention is. People’s opinions of me who don’t know me and have never met me, that’s none of my business. That’s a projection of theirs, and it has nothing to do with me.”

Earlier, my wife put the most recent copy of People magazine on my reading table, not for me to read but just to set it down somewhere while she did something else.

Do you see the difference?

Of course, when I saw the headline that it was about the Most Beautiful Woman in the World, I had to pick it up and see, “Who?” … “Why Her?” … and, you know, see how well it aligned with my world view.

But, as I started to read the article, I was immediately drawn to Paltrow’s response to the question posed by a People magazine reporter for the recent May 6 issue.

It’s none of MY business!

Do you notice anything different about her response?

What grabbed my attention was her response, that “it has nothing to do with ME.“

Usually, we respond to rumors, gossip or mean-spirited observations and accusations about us with something quite different, along the lines of it’s ”none of THEIR business,” referring to the person making such observations rather than to ourselves.

To Paltrow’s credit, she got it right by turning this riposte on its head and placing this challenge where it belongs. NOT ON ME!

This isn’t our battle!

As leaders, we need to know that it’s not our battle when someone criticizes us. If they don’t know us, have never even met us and have no idea what we’re trying to accomplish, why should we let them get in our heads and derail our plans for world domination?

Fighting the Resistance is hard enough.

Listen to the Most Beautiful Woman in the World.

Don’t let the unseen cynics on the battlefield.

Question: How do you keep the critics from invading your space and subverting your plans?

Leadership | Why You Should Listen to the Most Beautiful Woman in the World is a post from: Sword Tips – the Exkalibur blog

Delegation isn’t just a handoff so you can walk away and do something else. It is a critical leadership skill that you must master if you want to expand your reach, take control of your time and achieve the work-life harmony you’re seeking.

Learn the 8 Principles of Effective Delegation.

How often have you failed with delegation?

How often have you wondered why a project went wrong, or why someone never finished the task you were counting on them to finish?

How many times have you complained about projects that you’re managing … missing their deadlines, going over budget (not under budget very often, huh?) and not getting done as you expected?

How did you feel when you were called on the carpet by YOUR boss wanting to know why the project you’re handling is stalled?

Why didn’t your delegation succeed?

When we’ve delegated some or all of a project to someone else, we’re embarrassed … and probably a little teed off … but we’re also too often thinking about the wrong things like …, “damn that John, he just can’t be counted on” … or, “she doesn’t get it” … or something like, “they can’t ever seem to follow through” as we tick off all the reasons why the people on our team have let us down.

The other line of thinking goes something like, “I knew I should have done it myself. I would have got it done. Next time, I’ll just do it myself so I know it will be done right for once.”

Yes, that’s giving up, but the delegation process is eminently frustrating for most of us, isn’t it?

We think we’ve clearly spelled out everything that’s required to complete a project and that getting it done should be a no-brainer.

But, do we really spell it all out, clearly and with appropriate guidelines, to make certain we’ve set the project on the right course to succeed?

Aren’t these the times you wish that your delegation skills were a little more practiced?

Why is this a long post?

It didn’t start out that way.

I didn’t really want it to be this long, either, but as it grew, I realized I had no choice if it was really going to help solve one of the most vexing problems that leaders face … How to Effectively Delegate.

So, while this post may be what some call an “Epic Post”, Delegation is also an EPIC CHALLENGE that leaders and managers face every single day.

You may need to read it several times to begin to internalize some of these principles. Later, you’ll see that you can download a simple checklist to remind you of these 8 Principles of Effective Delegation.

You won’t Get Things Done until you learn to Delegate.

Barely a day goes by when I don’t hear from a CEO about the unremitting challenges they face in successfully putting to work 2 of the most important tools in their leadership kit:

1.  Improving their Personal Productivity, and

2.  Achieving Accountability across the organization.

At the heart of this struggle is often a flawed or incomplete process of delegation – a critical tool that everyone expects us to know and use but … (shhh … this will be our secret)  … no one ever taught us HOW.

You see, the ability to effectively delegate not only enhances our personal productivity allowing us to get more done, but it reinforces the accountability that is essential to empower our people and make them successful … and, as a result, make our organization successful.

We don’t want to fail.

There are lots of reasons why we hesitate to delegate in the first place, aren’t there? (Keep reading because I’m going to share with you the 8 Principles of Effective Delegation.)

We don’t want to fail … and we don’t want our people to fail, so we hang on to projects, thinking that we’ll handle them ourselves and avert failure.

It works to a point … to the point of our exhaustion because we can’t do it all ourselves.

We’re reluctant to delegate things we don’t understand. Of course, that’s where we should be delegating, but we’re worried that we don’t know enough to make decisions about whether the project is succeeding or not.

What usually results is that the project doesn’t get assigned, doesn’t get done or flounders for lack of direction.

Is this just for large company executives? Hardly.

And, no, this isn’t just a challenge for inexperienced business leaders.

It’s for every single one of us. If you’re a young entrepreneur … or any entrepreneur, for that matter … or self-employed as a solo-preneur, you will be delegating a project or task at some point, or your business won’t get very far.

Even if your entire team is virtual … maybe more so if it’s virtual … you’ll need to make sure that all of the members of your far flung empire are marching to the same beat.

You’ll need to provide all of these elements … clear objectives, timelines, milestones … and much more.

These issues are older than Moses.

When Michael Hyatt, on his excellent blog about ”Intentional Leadership“, discusses WHY we need to delegate, he reaches back almost 2,500 years ago to the advice given to Moses by his father.

His father explained to Moses that he needed to share the workload because he was wearing himself out trying to manage all of the conflicts among the tribes he was leading.

(When you need to deflect someone’s comment about something not going quite right, just remind them that this challenge has been around since before Moses parted the Red Sea … or something like that.)

Take some comfort that this is not a new problem or one where you’re the only one struggling.

Do you see why this is an epic challenge for all of us?

WHY you’re delegating in the first place?

In Michael Hyatt’s podcast, he recounts those timeless guidelines explaining “WHY” we need to delegate. (By listening to this podcast, using the link, above, you’ll not only learn WHY this is so important, but better understand the 5 Levels of Authority that identify the level to which you’re delegating.)

So, let’s start with the premise that we know exactly WHY we need to delegate and can pretty easily determine WHEN to delegate.

What we don’t really understand is HOW to do it.

Here are the 8 Principles of Effective Delegation:

1. As with most things, how you start is how you finish.

You need to make sure to consistently embrace this most critical, but simple three word mantra: Set Clear Expectations.

If you don’t start from here, your chances of successful delegation are about the same as the likelihood that you’ll be the #1 choice in the NFL draft.

Yes, the odds are that bad because if you can’t take the time … and, I really mean if you “don’t MAKE the time” … to spell out your expectations so that the person to whom the job is assigned understands them,  don’t be surprised when the result turns out very differently from what you expected … and it’s rarely on the better side of it.

So, make sure you explain the WHAT, WHEN and WHY so that your goals and objectives … and milestones and timelines … are clear … CRYSTAL CLEAR … and then, from there, let your people figure out HOW to get it done.

They may not take the same approach that you would, but give them a chance. As we’ll discuss below, you will still be monitoring their progress along the way, while giving them some room to maneuver so they can find the best way to get it done.

2. Help them out.

It stands to reason, in addition to Setting Clear Expectations, that you will also be more successful by giving as much guidance as you can to improve the chances for success.

After you give them the WHAT, WHEN and WHY, make sure that you take the time to offer any tips and techniques they might apply to this specific situation.

Any insights you can provide that will help them achieve the goals – on time and on budget – helps both of you. Using S.M.A.R.T. goals is the best way to approach this.

If you can share experiences with them that have helped you along the way … errors or oversights you made when learning this process, or tips that might help them stay on task and on time … it will reward both of you with a more successful outcome.

At a minimum, you’ve probably learned what doesn’t work so well, so share that with them. Help them become a great partner in achieving the desired results.

3. Make sure you distinguish between formulation and execution.

There’s a big difference between asking someone to create a plan or strategy and asking them to execute a plan that’s already established.

We all know people who are great at carrying out a plan but less effective in creating a plan.

They are terrific at following the outline of what’s already been decided, but are less effective at imagining other possibilities or thinking strategically about the right path to take.

This is related to the following point, but it’s worth a separate mention because if you look carefully, you’ll find this distinction between “formulating” a plan and “executing” a plan to be a common challenge you’ll face in delegating assignments.

4. Is the assignment a stretch or directly in a person’s wheelhouse?

Do they have the tools and experience to be successful?

Are they strategic thinkers or are they better at grinding out the details? (See above.)

Your customary “go to” person may be supremely reliable, but they may not be sufficiently versatile to handle everything you throw at them. Make sure you choose people carefully for each project you delegate.

To do that, you must be clear about your expectations and the objectives you’re trying to achieve.

As you formulate your plan, carefully assess every person on your team to determine whose skills and experience are best suited to a particular project.

Subplot: You still need a strong leadership team.

Keep in mind, that there’s nothing wrong with delegating to people who are smarter than us.

In fact, the best leaders make certain that they hire the smartest people because they understand the simple premise  there’s no one smart enough to know it all.

When you spot a leader who is surrounded by people who are significantly less capable or experienced than they are, you can be pretty sure you’ll to find a very insecure leader … and an under-performing leadership team.

5. Make sure you have a penalty free environment in your organization.

It is critical that your team be allowed to experiment and make mistakes … and they must feel free to bring you realistic and honest feedback about their successes as well as their struggles. To accomplish your ultimate goals, you must nurture them as leaders.

It’s your job to keep them between the guardrails without going over the cliff.

A penalty free environment is the only way to encourage and support candid feedback about progress and struggles. If your people believe they’ll be berated for falling short of your expectations, you won’t hear much about the project until it’s too late.

Don’t crucify them for mistakes.

Encourage them to share the good, the bad and the ugly so that they will be as willing to come to you with their mistakes as with their successes.

Show by your example that you support their efforts.

That will avoid the surprises and help your team more effectively manage projects and help you become a much more skillful delegator.

6. Beware of the old adage, “Paralysis by Analysis”.

For new executives particularly, there’s a tendency to over analyze the progress and results of the projects they have delegated.

I’m sure you’ve seen this before – you may have done it yourself – but it surely subverts the entire process. When you are over-analyzing the project, it’s usually a sign that you’re holding on for dear life and not really delegating.

By constantly overwhelming your colleagues with endless analysis, you won’t give them a chance to succeed. Instead, you’ll end up with the monkey on your back.

You’ll be back to completing the task yourself.

Your colleague will take her foot off the accelerator because you taught her that you will only be satisfied if you do it yourself.

7. Quit micromanaging and start monitoring.

Micromanagement is the ugly stepchild of “paralysis by analysis” … but a more lethal variation.

By micromanaging a task, and not really delegating it, the other person will never take ownership of the assignment. He quickly learns that it won’t be long before he hears from you again about how he’s doing, what he should be doing, why it isn’t done yet, etc.

What you’re really doing is giving the other person a crutch that sends the wrong message: I really got this for you (so it’s okay to limp along).

As  a result, the project is not moving forward as quickly or as effectively as it could because they know you’re standing by to grab it when it falls … and maybe never wanted to give it up in the first place.

So, track the ship instead of steering it.

You not only have to let go, but you’ll be more successful if you monitor a set of shared milestones and timetables.

You still have the responsibility to make sure the assignment is completed on time and on budget – but note the word “shared” because you will only succeed if you’ve established shared goals and objectives that both parties agree are … realistically achievable.

8. Reframe your mindset.

The final and very effective technique is to think about delegating the project and NOT the task.

Even better, think about it in terms of delegating the Accountability for the assignment rather than the project or task, so that you can give that person full control of their mission.

Take a look at the simple framework provided by an ARCI chart which will help you figure out who’s doing what … and with what level of participation in the project.

You will be watching, monitoring, tracking and getting feedback about their progress, but you don’t need to own the project and you don’t need to micromanage it.

Let them run with it. Hold them accountable by letting them be accountable.

Now what?

This is a work in process, but it will become easier the more you do it and the more thoughtfully you implement these principles.

When you apply these principles every day, you’ll not only teach leaders to be better at accepting delegated tasks … you’ll achieve more successful outcomes every time … and become better at delegating them.

Summary: The 8 Principles of Effective Delegation

8 Principles of Effective Delegation

To help you keep these 8 Principles of Effective Delegation in mind, I’ve created a simple Delegation Infographic. Go ahead and download and print it.

Keep it on your desk … in your desk … maybe in Evernote where you can find it easily whenever you’re delegating a project.

What next?

You have to be willing to learn this process.

Go ahead and allow your direct reports to make mistakes … to try and fail … and then to pick themselves up and keep moving forward.

Work on teaching them to keep you informed while they continue to achieve progress on the project they own.

Delegation is an art and not a science, but by starting with these 8 Principles of Effective Delegation, you’ll become a much more effective executive and a more successful leader.

Question: What is your greatest challenge in effectively delegating? Would it be helpful to examine it in a future article? Leave your comment below ….

Leadership Insights | The 8 Principles of Effective Delegation is a post from: Sword Tips – the Exkalibur blog

Nothing in life travels in a neat formation accompanied by bugles and cavalry.

A lot of it shows up filthy and unkempt, prominent in the mess we’ve made around our foxhole.

These lessons are typically the offspring of hubris, naivete and ignorance … or from overlooking the land mines hidden beneath our feet.

We’re sharing valuable and practical leadership tips and tools to help you BECOME a better leader.

First, you must start BEING a better leader  … implementing NOW the changes necessary to adopt the proven strategies of successful leaders. You might start by building on the communication matrix and making sure you’re defending the castle to get done what only you can do. Make some time so you’re thinking past today.

___________________

“I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people’s accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man’s failures.”

~ Justice Earl Warren

Get in the game. Enjoy the Ride.

The week just ended is my favorite sports week of the year. Some of you will say, “Nah, you got your calendar mixed up. Baseball season opened the previous week.”

Of course, I could say, “but the home opener for the Giants was that week” and then you’d say, “OK, so you’re a big Giants fan. I get it.”

A few of you may suspect that’s not the reason. Not that I don’t love the World Champion San Francisco Giants and all … but honestly? That didn’t even occur to me as I braced for the greatest sports week of the year.

What’s not to like?

There are a lot of reasons why I love the week that just ended. For one thing, the contrasts are extraordinary. Unbridled enthusiasm, competitive zeal, office pools, no million dollar salaries … (except, er, the coaches) … there’s every kind of reason to love the adrenaline rush you get from amateur sports, even more so when college students excel at organized mayhem.

See Stanford band, Cameron Crazies, et. al.

Contrast that with the subdued demeanor of a professional class of athletes as they excel in a stadium blessed with gorgeous weather, the bucolic lushness of azaleas and dogwood and a canopy of crystal blue sky.

Madness & the Masters

Yes, I’m talking about March Madness … amateur collegians playing indoors on a smooth, shiny maple surface … and The Masters … cool professionals playing outdoors in God’s luscious amphitheater.

Tearing down the nets, donning the green jacket … what a powerful contrast in so many ways.

Some of you will say that the college basketball players might as well be professional. They’re coddled, spoiled, fawned upon and are likely the teacher’s pet with special classroom privileges.

Maybe in a few exceptional basketball power schools … but Wichita State, La Salle, Florida Gulf Coast, Marquette? … some of the unheralded schools that made the Sweet Sixteen? … not so much.

The kids are playing their hearts out

For the most part, the Final Four is comprised of 18 to 20-year-old collegians, playing a sport that kids of all ages and genders enjoy on concrete and hardwood across the land.

For my money, no other sport transcends the infectious exuberance displayed by players and fans alike during March Madness.

This year in particular, only one #1 seed made it to the Final Four … and Louisville was the favorite on most peoples’ card from beginning.

Everybody in the Big Dance had a turn on center stage and although Louisville triumphed as the #1 seed after all, no one expected that the Michigan Wolverines would be playing in the  national championship game.

The men are sweating rose petals

Then there are the PGA tour professionals, who some would say are the poster boys of mollycoddling.

Private jets, donated cars, deluxe accommodations, the works for most of them. No sweaty gyms and locker rooms, no rides on the beat-up school bus, no uniforms to wash.

I love both events for just what they are … and in many ways, the vivid contrasts are a microcosm of the life cycle we experience in building a business.

What about this Great Game of Business?

Some days, we’re just having a blast. We’re gung-ho on our next project, things are falling into place … and other days, it seems that refrigerators are falling out of the sky eyeballing our heads as a landing zone.

So, what it this great game of business we’re playing?

Our entrepreneurial spirit kicks it off with a bang, excitement running rampant … fresh ideas, new angles and rich rewards just a few thousand hours of intensity away.

Then, over time, our youthful exuberance morphs into a more focused strategy, a recognition that energy and enthusiasm alone are not enough, and that a cohesive plan is essential to lasting achievement.

You’ve got to be in the game to bring home the trophy

The Final Four and The Masters also remind us that anybody in the game can take home the trophy.

We remember the magical March Madness upsets … neither of the two people leading the ESPN Tourney challenge this year, out of more than 6 million players, picked Wichita State to play in the Final Four.

We remember Adam Scott beating Angel Cabrera on the 2nd hole of a sudden death playoff, triumphant and ecstatic as the first Aussie to ever win the Masters.

Getting in the game gives us a chance to win.

As avid fans, we might get courtside tickets, or plum seats at the 18th hole, but if we’re not in the game, we’re not winning.

We need them both

The exuberance and enthusiasm of youth … and the discipline and focus of professionals.

Enthusiasm without focus will get you raucously excited while you get your butt kicked.

Professionalism without enthusiasm may bring victory but it will be a boring and unappreciated one.

Make sure you’re also enjoying the game

So, as the Madness of March transforms into the hushed calm hovering over Augusta National Golf Club, let’s take a moment to inhale that same energy and promise to tackle the tough tasks ahead.

We’re in the game, we’re competing, and we’re trying to win for our team, our families, and our colleagues.

There are opportunities galore and while failure is always an option, it’s one we reject every time when suit up for the next game.

Yes, we’re keeping score.

We do care about the statistics.

But most of all, building a business is about the journey not the destination.

Make sure you’re enjoying the game.

Question: How would you describe your leadership style? Unbridled enthusiasm or professional detachment? Leave your comment below.

Leadership Lessons: Wild & Crazy Guys or Masters of our Domain? is a post from: Sword Tips – the Exkalibur blog

Belkin Keypad for iPad | © 2013 Belkin International,Inc

If you’re one of the 100 million+ users of the iPad, you’ve probably struggled with typing on its sleek glass face and wondered the same thing.

I just returned from the Social Media Marketing World event in San Diego. When I attend conferences, meetings or other events like that where it’s inconvenient to carry around my briefcase all day … that’s when I think of this option yet one more time.

There is one advantage to typing on your iPad

Without the keyboard, I’m usually typing on the glass surface (unless I’m taking handwritten notes on my iPad, an option we’ll discuss another time).

If I’m in the right mood, I find some real value in the more demanding process that typing on the iPad requires … because it slows you down and makes each idea a little crisper … each word a little more thoughtful … so sometimes, it’s worth the time … but …

Belkin is announcing the latest wireless keyboard

Belkin is just coming out with their latest response to this dilemma. It’s wireless and works with all of the iPad versions except the first generation.

Here is a short NY Times review about the Ultimate Keyboard Case, or you can visit Belkin’s site to learn more about it before its release in mid-April. (Note: This is NOT an affiliate link and is only provided to share some information that you might find helpful.)

Question: Are you going to buy a keyboard for your iPad? Is it something you can’t live without or have you resigned yourself to love your iPad without it?

Productivity: Do you still want a Keyboard for your iPad? is a post from: Sword Tips – the Exkalibur blog

Any chance that you’re tone deaf?

A brand anthem expresses to your customers the core values related your brand and products, much like a vision statement expresses the core values of your company.

I was sitting in an exceptionally beautiful church on Easter Sunday morning.

There were garlands of fresh daffodils and orchids draping the sanctuary.

Easter lilies were everywhere, consuming the floor of the chancel and the empty spaces on the altar rails. Small children were dressed in their Easter finery, sitting awkwardly in their new suits and dresses anxiously awaiting the Easter Egg hunt following the service.

Time for the Processional Hymn

Christians everywhere know that the hymn, “Christ the Lord is Risen Today” also starts the Easter service and marks the procession of ministers and laity down the aisle to the altar.

It is unarguably the best known Easter hymn, a holiday staple like O’ Little Town of Bethlehem, Joy to the World and other holiday songs at Christmas.

I’ve pretty much know that Easter hymn by heart … sang it every year as a child … and can’t imagine an Easter service without it. I was happy to see the words printed in a special bulletin for everyone to follow.

The lyrics are timeless and nearly 300 years old

So, you can imagine my surprise when the traditional lyrics (written by John Wesley in 1739), were sung to an entirely different tune!

At first, I thought, “that’s impossible, I must not be listening closely enough, because no one would change that tune, would they?”

It was a little harder to tell in this instance because the booming pipe organ and a brass quartet were breaking the sound barrier … but still, could that be possible?

Would someone really have changed the tune?

Right pew. Right seat. Wrong Song!

Yup! Someone did.  It was the right song but the wrong tune.

Someone … somewhere … presumably to be fresh … innovative … creative? … decided to arrange a totally different tune for one the most traditional hymns in modern Christendom!

Is it a big deal? I suppose not ….

In the scope of things, it’s not a big deal, I guess, but while I enjoyed the Easter service, it was never quite the same after the first hymn.

Just that one small change threw me off balance. My mood was never quite the same just because of  a wrong song that I rarely think about except at Easter, but it took only that one little hitch in the service to negatively affect my experience.

Actually, I still can’t believe it.

Is your Brand Anthem playing to the wrong tune?

“Does this same thing happen in our businesses?”

Do we think that we’re “freshening things up”, being creative and innovative when we change the tune of our anthem?

What are we doing to our customers when their expectations of a favorable experience with our brand and products goes awry?

Missed expectations can be big misses

Every day, our mood is affected by countless interactions when our expectations are not met.

That’s why we’re so disappointed when our favorite restaurant serves a dish cold … when a movie we’re excited to see turns out to be a dud … when the cold rain intercedes in our child’s first beach excursion.

Likewise, when a new chord overwhelms our anthem … it can powerfully … and negatively … affect the reaction of our customers.

When you attempt to update the music and your customer loses his place and can’t follow the lyrics … you’ve lost.

Follow Paul McCartney’s example

If Paul McCartney won’t sing “Let It Be” to the tune of “The Saints Go Marching In”, don’t try it yourself.

Be consistent.

Keep singing the same tune so your customers know it’s you.

If you’re going to change your tune so your customers don’t recognize the anthem, change the anthem.

Otherwise, don’t be surprised when they walk out wondering what happened to that favorite song you used to sing.

Question: Do you have a Brand Anthem in your company? Is everyone singing it to the same tune? Why not share your thoughts and leave your comment below?

Leadership | One Simple Way to Trash Your Brand Anthem is a post from: Sword Tips – the Exkalibur blog

The library is free and features designs from artists across the world. There are some terrific artists and graphic designers featured each month, with a wide variety of designs and motifs ranging from the earth’s beauty to whimsical and wise quotations and ideas.

You can download versions with a calendar or without a calendar, but I find that the calendars come in handy. Click on the Read this complete article button to get a simple set of instructions about how to do this in just a few minutes each month.

Why not freshen up your desktop?

While this little exercise probably falls into the category of “nice to have” rather than “need to have”, it will jazz up your workspace. It’s stimulating to pass by the colorful and playful images as well as the poignant messages that many of them include, and 30 days is about right to get something new to look at on the desktop.

You can see some of the images for April in the graphic above.

Get it done in a few minutes by following these simple steps

Here is a simple set of instructions for how to download these images and apply them as desktop wallpaper on your Apple computer. (I am unsure about the specific PC steps but they should be pretty straightforward.)

I have used a few illustrated screenshots to make it easy for you.

1. Visit the Smashing Magazine website for the wallpaper images for April.
2. You can easily scan the wallpaper images, and when you find one you like, click on that image to be taken to another page where the full image will be displayed.
3. Save the <.jpg> file that is displayed into the folder of your choice on your desktop.
4. On your Apple Computer, open System Preferences.
5. Select the icon for the “Desktop and Screen Saver” preference
6. Click the “+” button in the lower left-hand corner of the “Desktop and Screen Saver” preference pane and add the folder into which you saved the wallpaper images. You only have to do this once for the entire year if you save all of the 2013 images in a single folder. If you decide to save each month’s images into a separate folder, you will have to add that new folder each month.
7. Once you see the folder displayed, select the folder and click on one of the images. It will be instantly displayed on that particular desktop or screen.
8. If you have a second desktop display, a separate “Desktop and Screen Saver” preference pane will open on that desktop. Follow the same procedure as in Step 7, above, to select the desired images for that desktop or screen.

That’s it. You’ll be back up and running in no time.

Question: Do you change your desktop wallpaper very often? Do you prefer pictures? Quotes? Family photos? You can leave your comment below, including any questions you have and we’ll get right back to you.

Productivity Tip | 8 Easy Steps to a Great Looking Desktop is a post from: Sword Tips – the Exkalibur blog

Juice Pack Helium for the iPhone 5 | © 2013 mophie inc.

Finally, though, I received my Mophie Juice Pack Helium for the iPhone 5 and it’s pretty sweet. (Note: This is NOT an affiliate link and is only provided to share some information that you might find useful.)

If you’re on the road … particularly at a conference or meeting where you don’t have all of your tools and toys with you … this is an ideal companion.In those circumstances, you’re probably using using it more intensively than usual … checking email, Twitter or Facebook, even blogging … but now, you’ll have plenty of juice until you get back to your charging device.

The Mophie Juice Pack Helium is thinner and lighter than the previous version, and doubles the battery capacity of your iPhone5. It’s also engineered to serve as a protective cover.

For now, it only comes in two colors, the dark metallic version I have, shown above, and a silver one that should be shipping any day. The cost is $79.95 and it comes with a full year warranty.

Question: Do you a battery device for your cell phone? Do you have a favorite you’d recommend?

Productivity: Do you want some extra juice for your iPhone? is a post from: Sword Tips – the Exkalibur blog

~ Benjamin Disraeli

Are you truly Resourceful?

On a recent morning, I headed to a favorite place just down the street to fetch a couple of lattes for my wife and me.

Our forebearers would have awakened in woolen underwear, stepped in the dark onto a cold dirt floor, and stumbled outside to chop some wood to start a fire in the cook stove balanced on the rocks outside.

They would have tossed some coffee grounds into a beat-up metal pot … grounds that had already been used for several days … filled the pot with water, boiled it … and at some point, would finally get that first bitter cup of java.

No coffee house down the road, no car to get there, certainly no latte or cappuccino. Eat what you kill, literally. If you ain’t got it, you ain’t gonna get it.

Lots of resources but ….

In many ways, we’re much less resourceful than our forefathers.

While we may have expanded the definition of community in many positive ways, using our physical and social media “mobility” to create unimagined connections, we’ve also become more dependent on external resources to get through our day.

In some ways it’s probably better that we’re co-dependent. Maybe it does take a village … and maybe the extraordinary speed with which we can communicate … mind-boggling to our forefathers … suggests to some that a lack of self-sufficiency is a good thing.

Maybe we should consider our connectedness as a major advantage. It’s probably a good thing that we have access to resources in all kinds of ways and don’t have to ride horseback for three days to get to the next town.

Is there a downside to having all these resources?

That’s the upside … but what about the downside? We do have access to extraordinary resources across the globe, but does access to those resources actually make us more resourceful? I think not.

In part, I think that resourcefulness is a matter of attitude rather than access.

Think less about when your computer goes down and you’re aggravated because those resources are suddenly unavailable.

Think more about being a Navy seal behind enemy lines, oh dark thirty, out of ammunition, no food, no communication with your team.

What we’re missing is the gritty determination embodied by an independent frontier spirit. While we can easily access a vast array of resources, we are so dependent on those abundant resources that we take them for granted and don’t dig deep enough within ourselves to find otherwise elusive solutions.

What does it take to overcome the roadblocks that litter our path?

Resourcefulness, after all, is one of the irreplaceable ingredients of our own good fortune.

It is less the skill to deftly handle new situations and challenges than it is a “refuse to lose” mentality that fuels the sense of urgency and drive that underlies our ability to overcome the roadblocks we face at every turn.

It’s about what we do when the precise resource that we need is not at hand.

It’s about how hard we look to find its replacement or to solve the problem at a difficult, maybe even overwhelming moment.

For our businesses, it doesn’t mean just exhausting every option, but finding new options that never previously occurred to us because failure is not an option.

Too bad the road to resourcefulness is rocky and unstable

These less traveled paths are rocky and unstable, with overgrown brush and barren rock, much like what faced our brethren when they crossed the country in battered covered wagons, trespassing on forbidden lands where they were both uninvited and unwelcome.

Today, it’s easy to get that café latte with no more effort than to just show up.

It doesn’t take three days to get to the next town, or a half a day’s journey into a desert sandstorm just to get to the grocery store. We don’t have to ride in a buckboard carrying a single shot musket to safely get to our office.

What DOES it take to succeed today?

It does, however, take the same tenacity and strength of character to carry-on and to face the challenges before us.O

ur population of roughly 25 million people in the mid-1800s is now 300 million. Our diversity is revolutionary. Our forefathers would simply be in awe of the technological change that accelerates every day.

In our businesses, competition has never been more fierce … our people are more demanding, customers have higher expectations, markets are more unforgiving.

So, while it’s okay to luxuriate in your bedroom slippers, sidled up to a warm furnace hugging your iPad with a gateway to the world … don’t for a moment forget that you still make your own bed and put your pants on one leg at a time. You. No one else.

It’s up to you. No one else!

It’s really up to you whether you will persevere despite the obstacles.

When life throws sand in your gears, you better figure out how to make a sandcastle.

Are you up to the challenge?

Leadership Insights | Do you really think you’re Resourceful? is a post from: Sword Tips – the Exkalibur blog

The Spotlight of Leadership

Experienced leaders know that they are standing in the Spotlight of Leadership all the time. I’ll tell you about a video you should watch just below.

Have you read any of the news stories and interviews recently with General Stanley McChrystal, whose new book is coming out now, My Share of the Task?

You’ll recall he is the four-star general whose resignation was precipitated by a Rolling Stone article which disclosed some unsavory remarks about the President’s executive team.

What is McChrystal’s response?

The reporter was given broad access to McChrystal and his staff, with few conditions, to see how the general and his leadership team worked together.

You can read the candid response from General McChrystal about this incident here.

The Spotlight of Leadership

In the monthly meetings among CEOs in the Exkalibur Leadership Forum, we frequently discuss the “Spotlight of Leadership”. It is an intense and eternally vigilant lamp that shines on everything you do, blemishes and all. It is a demanding mistress but successful leaders remember they’re always in the spotlight, measured by their words and actions at every turn.

I strongly recommend a video from the Stanford Executive Briefings series entitled Leveraging the Spotlight of Leadership: What Every Leader Should Know, by Jay Conger. [When you click the link, you can see a preview of the video.]

Don’t miss this video

Watch this video yourself … and show it to your team to remind them of the countless and unexpected ways in which our inadvertent actions are powerfully displayed for all to see.

You’re always standing in the spotlight, whether you like it or not.

Don’t forget it like General McChrystal did.

The Spotlight of Leadership: Where are you standing? is a post from: Sword Tips – the Exkalibur blog

~ Philip Wylie

Dad’s Christmas gift to me of an ornament he thought I’d like. The cow sings, too!

Dads never get any credit

Among some of us dads, we often remark, “Dads never get any credit.” Dads teach their kids how to play ball, run, catch, dodge … but if they score a run, a touchdown or a basket … and the camera zooms in on them, don’t they always say, “Hi Mom!”

Have you ever heard the phrase, “… as good as Dad and apple pie?.” I doubt it. I never have. How about, “the father of all storms” … nope … I think you catch my point.

The Prizefighter & The Preacher

I’ve written several articles over the years, including a recent one about lessons I learned from my 94-year-old mom, but Dad deserves at least as much credit.

I lost my Dad on Nov. 16, 2001, and I still miss him every day. Perhaps my most striking memory is that he had the most unusual combination of careers of anyone I’ve ever known … a world-ranked professional boxer with a record of 82-5-0 who became a minister when he heeded the calling.

An extraordinary combination …

All his life, he loved boxing with great passion and practiced his ministry with great compassion.
He believed deeply that boxing’s demand for discipline, training and sacrifice was a way out for “street toughs,” a route through the gym and into a productive life that would be otherwise inaccessible.

He knew that every soul was worth saving and he never wavered from that commitment.

Brevity is the soul of wit …

He had a great sense of humor, too, and it reflected his vision of life as a joyful journey. I’ve still got a copy of a parking ticket that I may have forgotten to pay while in college. The car was still registered to my dad and when the final notice showed up in his mail, he wrote this note to the traffic violations bureau:

“Gentlemen. Please arrest Lary Kirchenbauer (and specifically told them where I could be found) … since this is his car and his violation. His name is also on the title for this car and he is 21 years of age. My name will not be on the title much longer, I assure you.” He mailed a copy of it to me, neatly typed. At the bottom, he inscribed this note in longhand, “P.S. Congratulations on making Who’s Who (in Colleges & Universities).” The amount due? $1.00.

… And tediousness the limbs and outward flourishes

As a minister for over 50 years, he was devout but not lordly. He had little time for pretentiousness and was always sticking the needle whenever a “holier than thou” attitude intruded on his congregation or his community.

While I wasn’t aware of it at the time, I later learned that he had submitted a drawing to an art exhibition at the local library where he had observed self-proclaimed artistes hemming and hawing about the meaning of life in every piece of art they saw.

A “What?” in a sock?

He didn’t tell them he named it a “fart in a sock”, but they hung it proudly and dad laughed every time he recalled how they gushed over the power of his work.

His stories put a smile on my face even now as I step through the mental catalog of those moments. There was the one about putting turpentine on the sergeant’s toilet paper in the Army, too … but I digress.

Humility is hard to come by if you don’t have it

The essence of his character, though, was his humility and his equanimity.

My father would not greet you any differently if you climbed out of a cardboard box after sleeping off a bender or stepped out of a limousine.

How many of us could say the same?

He judged no one lest he be judged and accepted anyone on any level, greeting and accepting them with equal aplomb. It was never easy to conjure how such humility resided so comfortably in the heart of a champion prizefighter, but I’m pretty sure that genuine humility emanates from the same quality of character that refuses to consider whether one individual is more important than another.

Is it possible to never lose your temper?

I never heard him lose his temper or even raise his voice … ever except during a sermon and God himself knows that my brother and I tempted him on many occasions.

Looking back on it, I’m not sure how it’s possible to never raise your voice or lose your temper.

When I asked him about it many years later, he told me had a terrible temper and that the only way he could control it was not to unleash it.

I’m still baffled by his answer since I never witnessed his temper in over 50 years.

What does this mean for our businesses?

What does this mean for our businesses?

We should be keenly aware that everyone gets their turn in the barrel, as they say.

We should withhold judgment about individual peccadilloes and assume good intentions with everyone we encounter.

Reject pretentiousness, withhold judgment of people and reach beyond your grasp to help uplift your friends, colleagues and employees.

Make sure to recognize that inside the hearts of your dedicated and loyal employees, with all of their supposed faults and blemishes, beats the metronome that measures the rhythm of your success.

Oh, yeah, and work harder to control your temper while appreciating the beauty of life’s journey.

Shall we start today?

Your Dad.

What’s the greatest lesson you’ve learned from your Dad? Share your experience in the comments.

Leadership Insights | The Prizefighter & The Preacher is a post from: Sword Tips – the Exkalibur blog

~ Winston Churchill

Yes, I know Mom doesn’t look 94. (This picture is only 2 years old, so she was just 92 then. ) Why do you think I don’t like to stand next to her among strangers? She looks so young they may think we’re the same age. That’s not possible, of course, but do they know that?

Patience, Perspective & Preparation

In our infancy, mom and dad made sure that our clothes were clean, that we were fed, that we got our vaccinations and regular checkups. They made sure our clothes were mended, our beds were made and we were as safe as possible.

Some 40 … maybe 50 years later, it’s our turn. We make sure our parents have clean clothes and linens, that they get to their doctors’ appointments and take their medications according to schedule. We make sure they’re safe and nourished and we visit regularly.

When this cycle makes its turn, we are reminded of life’s fragility as well as our own mortality, aren’t we? Doesn’t it also cause us to revisit issues like the cost of long-term care, or our inability to perform simple functions that we’ve taken for granted … and even our right to die?

Mom has a lot to teach us … if we’re paying attention

My recent return to Michigan to visit my 94-year-old mother, now confined to nursing care, was a powerful reminder of the circle of life.

As I strolled through the hallways of this first-class facility, I often found myself looking through different prisms.

Through one, I was enlightened and enraptured by the affectionate community that these noble seniors created among themselves. Through a more personal prism, I was saddened by the loneliness and feelings of abandonment that are frequent companions for so many.

What will it be like when it’s our turn?

When we begin to reflect on these circumstances, our thoughts eventually turn inward.

What will it be like when it’s our turn? How will we function? How limited will be our mobility?

Will we go lightly into the night or go kicking and screaming during that last mile?

And, in our darkest moments … “Why would I want to live like this? Put me out of my misery. If it comes to that, I don’t want to wear diapers, be fed like a baby, etc.”

Our spouses also have a lot to teach us … if we’re paying attention

As always, my wonderful wife offered the simple answer to this conundrum:

“It’s not about us but about them … your mother, our mothers, our parents. We need to let them give us this gift … of both love as well as a deeper understanding of the nature of service. It is their parting gift to us, and it gives us a chance to personify those same lessons for our children.”

That’s a powerful lesson … and integral to a number of other lessons we can apply to successfully build our businesses.

PATIENCE

As we traversed the halls of the retirement community, it felt as if everyone was walking over spaghetti.

Slippery, slow, unsteady.

Step carefully, don’t rush because falling is how most elderly citizens are injured.

It’s a poignant way to learn, maybe re-learn, that patience truly is a virtue.

Everyone doesn’t move at our pace … and they may not be as quick to grasp new concepts or bleed the company’s blood … yet, in so many other ways, they contribute mightily to our lives and to the success of our businesses.

PERSPECTIVE.

Life is a marathon and not a sprint.

There’s no reason to rush to the finish line unless we appreciate the journey.

We can’t have it all today, so there’s little value in steamrolling the present at the risk of sacrificing our principles and the values we cherish.

Successful businesses have learned this lesson, and as Jim Collins might put it, they grow steadily and consistently … like the hedgehog … to pursue their 10X Goals.

PREPARATION.

I doubt that any of us are thoroughly prepared for the winter of our lives.

We may realize we are not immortal but we really don’t understand mortality.

For most of us, the light gradually diminishes, more like a dimmer dial than a light switch.

We can’t see or read as well, our gait is less sure, our interactions are more infrequent. Our hunger abates, our curiosity wanes, our input is reduced to a trickle.

Our businesses, too, can weaken over time if we aren’t thoroughly prepared for the unexpected challenges to their vitality and strength.

MAKE IT PERSONAL

These are universal issues and it’s OK to take them personally and apply them to your business.

The circle of life is turning on its inexorable axis … but it’s not too late for us to absorb these lessons.

Be more patient with others.

Live today but not just for today.

Prepare thoughtfully for tomorrow and its unknowable challenges.

Cherish these gifts when they’re presented. They are simple lessons that will enrich your life and reinforce the values, culture and success of your business.

What’s special about your Mom that you’d like to share?

Leadership Insight | Lessons learned from my 94-year-old mom is a post from: Sword Tips – the Exkalibur blog

This year is likely to be a trying time for many of our friends and colleagues as well as ourselves.

Let’s vow to act urgently when someone calls on us for aid, be positive about the those things we can control and be compassionate when misfortune comes calling.

Best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2013 for you and your family.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!! is a post from: Sword Tips – the Exkalibur blog

The holidays are here and we’re still trying to figure out how we’re going to get it all done. So, instead of asking you to work at something – anything – I’ve decided to give you a gift of holiday music. Elmo did it, so did Ren & Stimpy, Winnie the Pooh, Shrek, the Muppets … so with animated competition like this, what can go wrong with my first effort at song-writing?

Yeah, I know, don’t quit your day job. So, feel free to sing along to the tune of the 12 Days of Christmas. Key of D Sharp, please.

All together now:

The first thing in business that’s such a pain to me… is the never-ending stinking eee-mail.

The second thing in business that’s such a pain to me … stuff a-cumm-u-lating … and the never-ending stinking eee-mail.

The third thing in business that’s such a pain to me … meetings, meetings, meetings … stuff a-cumm-u-lating … and the never-ending stinking eee-mail.

The fourth thing in business that’s such a pain to me … cell phones a’ringing  … meetings, meetings, meetings … stuff a-cumm-u-lating … and the never-ending stinking eee-mail.

The fifth thing in business that’s such a pain to me … bubble-headed numbskulls … cell phones a’ringing  … meetings, meetings, meetings … stuff a-cumm-u-lating … and the never-ending stinking eee-mail.

The sixth thing in business that’s such a pain to me… worthless status updates … bubble-headed numbskulls … cell phones a’ringing  … meetings, meetings, meetings … stuff a-cumm-u-lating … and the never-ending stinking eee-mail.

The seventh thing in business that’s such a pain to me …  jam-packed airplanes … worthless status updates … bubble-headed numbskulls … cell phones a’ringing  … meetings, meetings, meetings … stuff a-cumm-u-lating … and the never-ending stinking eee-mail.

The eighth thing in business that’s such a pain to me… tweeters tweeting nothing … jam-packed airplanes … worthless status updates … bubble-headed numbskulls … cell phones a’ringing  … meetings, meetings, meetings … stuff a-cumm-u-lating … and the never-ending stinking eee-mail.

The ninth thing in business that’s such a pain to me … linking, linking, linking … tweeters tweeting nothing  … jam-packed airplanes … worthless status updates … bubble-headed numbskulls … cell phones a’ringing  … meetings, meetings, meetings … stuff a-cumm-u-lating … and the never-ending stinking eee-mail.

The tenth thing in business that’s such a pain to me… never-ending traffic … linking, linking, linking … tweeters tweeting nothing  … jam-packed airplanes … worthless status updates … bubble-headed numbskulls … cell phones a’ringing  … meetings, meetings, meetings … stuff a-cumm-u-lating … and the never-ending stinking eee-mail.

The eleventh thing in business that’s such a pain to me … tracking people down … never-ending traffic … linking, linking, linking … tweeters tweeting nothing  … jam-packed airplanes … worthless status updates … bubble-headed numbskulls … cell phones a’ringing  … meetings, meetings, meetings … stuff a-cumm-u-lating … and the never-ending stinking eee-mail.

The twelfth thing in business that’s such a pain to me … New Year’s resolutions … tracking people down … never-ending traffic … linking, linking, linking … tweeters tweeting nothing  … jam-packed airplanes … worthless status updates … bubble-headed numbskulls … cell phones a’ringing  … meetings, meetings, meetings … stuff a-cumm-u-lating … and the never-ending stinking eee-mail.

Be with your loved ones in person and in spirit. Get some rest. It will all be waiting when we return.

Merry Christmas … and best wishes to you and your family for a healthy and happy holiday season.

The 12 Pains of Christmas is a post from: Sword Tips – the Exkalibur blog

~ Winston Churchill

Why do you have your own business?

Winston Churchill could have been an entrepreneur to have so eloquently dramatized the thrill associated with building a business.

Whether you own it yourself or share it with partners, it’s yours to build, to mold according to your dreams and values.

You may be building it from scratch or seeking new opportunities to jumpstart a mature company. In either case, I hope this will help you on your journey.

Want to build your own boat?

Why do you have your own business?

Independence, many will say, the chance to run my own show?

Be my own boss?

Do things my way – maybe because you’ve seen them done the wrong way and you can do better?

Maybe it’s to make a boatload of money, retire early, and convert the business into a boat, a big one with a chef and crew and a personalized map of the Mediterranean?

But, it’s not about ego or money, is it?

When you look deeper, however, you realize that it’s not about ego or money after all, but about achievement and performance.

If you’re building a business, the success of the business must be the foundation of ego gratification and financial security.

Only from that platform will flow the achievement of the goals you’ve set for you and your family.

The thing is, you’re not the first one to take this journey.

Millions have come before, some of whom were blessed with extraordinary success, others of whom faced catastrophic results.

Let’s learn from those who’ve come before us

The purpose of my articles is to offer practical advice to help you both avoid the pitfalls and exploit the proven lessons of the successful business.

This will be our focus …

Leadership

Strategy

Finance

Productivity

Accountability

We’ll cover a wide range of issues.

Strategy?

Did I catch you rolling your eyes?

You don’t need to because it’s actually a much simpler process than you’ve been lead to believe. I’ll show you how to demystify it so you can embrace it as a fundamental instrument in your toolkit without fear that you’ll get bogged down in a lot of consultant-speak and fancy buzz words.

While you think about why others probably need it and you don’t, you might also think about the last time you saw a successful construction project without a blueprint.

Maybe never?

Who’s running the show?

During our journey together, we’ll also talk about how to apply sound principles of corporate governance to strengthen your business.

We’ll also explore the back rooms of capital strategy and learn how to evaluate debt vs. equity, long-term debt vs. lines of credit, LIBOR vs. Prime. What is mezzanine debt and why should I care?

Leadership & People do RULE

Of course, you’ve got to get the right people on the bus, and get each of them in the right seat.

If you’ve read Good to Great by Jim Collins, you’re familiar with his leadership insights. (Hidden contest: For the first 5 people who post a picture on our Facebook page, BuildYourBiz, showing you reading one of Jim Collin’s books, but NOT this one, I will send you a FREE copy of Good to Great, which I know you will love.)

Leadership Rules

Yes, my friends, it’s all about the people.

Real estate pros chant “location, location, location”.

We should holler “management, management, management” from the peaks of Kilimanjaro.

Even better, “leadership, leadership, leadership” but some variation of “It’s the people, stupid!”

We’ll talk about those things you can do to improve your leadership team and strengthen the talent of your entire company.

Where’s the cash?

My accountant said my business is profitable but where’s the money?

Business is good, it’s up 20% over last year . . . but where’s the cash?

Yes, cash is king!

And yes, it’s good to be king.

Cash IS the lifeblood of every business and yet many businessmen aren’t sure where it goes after it arrives.

We’ll talk about profits vs. cash, how to find the cash and how to create more of it.

What’s my perspective?

By now, you may be asking “what is my perspective on it”?

Let me try to answer that by asking you to imagine a large conference table.

Around it sits a CEO, COO and CFO. Next to them are a commercial banker, an investment banker and a venture capital fund manager. Others at the table include an owner, a buyer, a seller and an investor along with a shareholder, partner, employee and general know-nothing.

Over 35 years, I’ve sat in each of those chairs, working through brain-throbbing issues with executives of both extraordinary capability and numbing incompetence.

I’ve learned a lot … on some days more of it from pain than pleasure … and it’s those insights I’d like to share with you from a broad, general business perspective.

Will you join me on this journey?

Please join me on this journey.

I encourage you to add your comments – honesty is the only requirement – or to extend our conversation by joining thousands of others at our Facebook page, BuildYourBiz. I promise you’ll I’ll be there every day and will respond to each of your questions or comments.

So, go ahead, ask questions, provide feedback, challenge these ideas or offer better ones.

Participate in our determined effort to uncover the insights of successful business executives to make your journey the most promising professional experience of your life.

I’ll look forward to hearing from you – anytime, anywhere.

Leadership Insight | What are we doing to help you? is a post from: Sword Tips – the Exkalibur blog

that can just as well be a glib tongue.

It is not ‘making friends and influencing people,’ that is flattery.

Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to higher sights,

the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard,

the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.”

~ Peter Drucker

Building Consensus ≠ Building Success

I have been working with a young CEO who recently acceded to her company’s leadership.

She was the successor to a more authoritarian regime and found herself working overtime to establish a more collaborative and less hierarchical environment.

She wanted to bring people to the table, encourage a stronger cultural bond among her employees and build a more inclusive culture that valued the contribution of each individual.

People welcomed those changes with open arms, eager to embrace a culture they much preferred.

Is it healthy if your leadership team agrees with everything you want?

What emerged along with a more engaging and transparent culture, however, was a cadre of executives so eager to please their new leader, and to be a part of her leadership team, that they acquiesced to every idea and plan.

In turn, the CEO gushed over their support, confusing their affection for the new regime with the wisdom of her plans and strategies.

Soon enough, everyone was skipping down the hall holding hands and singing “kumbaya”.

What happens when the music stops?

But, the honeymoon soon ended, and what was perceived as a lovefest soon became a hornet’s nest of uncertainty, confusion and unclear expectations.

The new CEO realized that while consensus feels good, it’s not the same thing as collaboration or accountability.

When people aren’t executing the plans, no amount of cultural affection will overcome those failures.

At the same time, she struggled with how to hold people accountable for their individual performance without unraveling her genuine efforts to change the culture.

Collaboration is NOT a substitute for Accountability

What I was able to help her see is that building a more collaborative culture can still be accomplished as long as her team members understand that collaboration … sharing ideas to reach the best answer … is not the same as consensus management.

Neither is it a substitute for the accountability that is essential to getting things done.

What are some of the key ingredients of Accountability?

So, we talked about SMART goals, an ARCI chart setting out accountability and responsibility expectations, and even Apple’s renowned reliance on “Who’s the DRI?” — the “directly responsible individual” for every project and task.

Set Clear Expectations

We also went over the three most important words required to establish an accountable organization: “Set Clear Expectations”.

There’s no shortcut for this, nor a substitute for making sure that the people on your team are absolutely clear about what’s expected of them, with both desired outcomes and appropriate timelines.

Consensus management can be the enemy of accountability and will lead to a dysfunctional leadership team if you cannot ensure that all of your leaders are carrying out their duties and responsibilities.

Focus on your Goals and Objectives – NOT Consensus

Soon enough, she began to understand that leadership isn’t about achieving consensus after all, but about achieving the goals and objectives that will both advance the company’s strategy and fulfill the fiduciary obligations to shareholders and stakeholders alike.

Working hard to get everyone to agree with every decision is exhausting but it’s a poor substitute for getting things done.

Accountability starts at the top

That’s why accountability starts at the top in vibrant organizations and requires candid conversations and honest feedback.

In addition to collaborating to find realistic solutions, clear expectations are essential so that each member of your leadership team understands that the value of a more open and egalitarian culture is not consensus.

Rather, it is inclusiveness, team-building and above all, superior performance. Every team member must be committed to her individual goals and be prepared to openly address issues of non-performance by referring to a clearly articulated and mutually agreeable blueprint.

Demand vigorous debate. Challenge every idea

While building a culture of collaboration and transparency, leaders should welcome and encourage vigorous debate and develop a team around them who will challenge each other and fight for their ideas and beliefs.

Ideas that go unchallenged are unlikely to be the best ideas because great ideas invariably emerge from a kernel of truth, enhanced by a rigorous process that tests the theories, anticipates obstacles and celebrates the flexibility that all enduring concepts must possess.

You can achieve Collaboration without Consensus

As a leader, the last thing you want is a group of leaders surrounding you that will tell you only what you want to hear, agree with you at every turn and refuse to challenge your ideas and strategy.

You can achieve collaboration without consensus.

Strive for superior performance as a business strategy and hold everyone accountable for their individual performance to build a successful business.

That’s hard to do while you’re holding hands around the coffee urn.

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This article was published in the October 15, 2012 edition of the North Bay Business Journal, a publication of the New York Times, and a weekly business newspaper which I have served as a regular columnist for over four years. The Business Journal covers the North Bay area of San Francisco – from the Golden Gate bridge north, including the Wine Country of Sonoma and Napa counties. The electronic version of this article, as published by the North Bay Business Journal, may be found here.

Leadership Insight | Building Consensus does not Build Success is a post from: Sword Tips – the Exkalibur blog

~ T. S. Matthews

Communication = Collaboration ≠ Consensus

One of the most popular words in the business lexicon these days is collaboration.

Everyone seems eager to flatten the organization, get rid of hierarchy, eliminate command-and-control structures and collaborate across broad multifunctional teams.

Wow! That’s quite an objective, isn’t it. But do we really understand collaboration and why it’s become such a ubiquitous battle cry?

Is there anything really new about collaboration?

On most days, I’m pretty sure that collaboration is just the newest sheep in communication clothing, a word designed to give new life to the tiresome concepts of “communication” that remain at the root of so many of our life challenges.

Both are about encouraging people to share information, be transparent in decision-making and work in teams across functional groups without becoming isolated in silos that neither see nor speak with each other.

Lack of Communication is at the root of failed relationships

If you crawl under the hood of most marriages, child-rearing, employer–employee relationships and organizational culture, you’ll find that communication trumps every other reason for relationship failure.

Without honest conversation and candid feedback across all of the various functions, disciplines and locations, the promise of collaboration as a substitute for a “failure to communicate” won’t make the slightest difference.

But Collaboration is NOT the same as consensus

In too many organizations, collaboration also leaches into consensus-building.

Neither consensus nor collaboration is a substitute for leadership.

While collecting input from a variety of disciplines and challenging ideas from every angle is a good thing, making consensus the platform for decision-making is a dangerous byproduct of that approach.

Your job is to lead. There’s not always a consensus about how to do it.

As a leader, you’re challenged to make decisions in the best interests of the organization, its shareholders and other stakeholders.

That’s not the same as deciding in the best interests of the those you’ve consulted or making only the decisions with which most everyone agrees.

As a leader, you must make right decisions for the right reasons. Consensus and collaboration are not proxies for weak or irresolute decision-making or surrogates for ineffectual leadership.

Here are three rules to help you get this right.

1. Start with this simple formula: Collaboration = Communication.

In their essence, they’re not very different.

Collaboration and communication are about exchanging views, encouraging direct dialogue and honest feedback, and wrestling with the conflicts and differences that will emerge from that process.

Promote widespread communication, and you’ll find collaboration sitting close by.

2. Collaboration ≠ consensus.

Consensus is not a substitute for decision-making.

Your job is to make the right decisions, not to get everyone to agree on some decision.

3. Accountability = Trump Card of superior performance.

Somebody always has to have the “A” for accountability to make sure that things actually get done even if collaboration falls short of its objectives.

While you should always consider diverse inputs from both inside and outside your organization, you own the final decision and must be accountable and responsible for it.

Dig deeper into the communication challenges within your organization.

Don’t be fooled by a buzzword like collaboration when it really masks a weak communication process that needs to be fixed.

Collaborate to get fresh ideas, challenge old ones and communicate clearly the expectations you have for your team.

Post this formula everywhere people congregate:

Collaboration = Communication ≠ Consensus ≠ Accountability.

Live by it, and your accomplishments will soar.

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This article was published in the September 24, 2012 edition of the North Bay Business Journal, a publication of the New York Times, and a weekly business newspaper which I have served as a regular columnist for over four years. The Business Journal covers the North Bay area of San Francisco – from the Golden Gate bridge north, including the Wine Country of Sonoma and Napa counties. The electronic version of this article, as published by the North Bay Business Journal, may be found here.

Leadership Insight | Collaboration Won’t Overcome Poor Communication is a post from: Sword Tips – the Exkalibur blog

strangely and beautifully, rapture possesses you

when you have taken the scrape and left out the lie.”

~ Charles Edward Montague

Everyone makes mistakes. 

We know this for a fact, don’t we? It’s pretty clear —like crystal.

Why are we are so unwilling to admit our mistakes?

So, why do so many persist in their insistence that they did no wrong?

Despite the lessons that cover the waterfront — from Watergate to the Catholic Church — the cover-up is always worse than the crime.

What appeared to be minor tributaries turned into a rushing river of a failed presidency and international scandal, yet the stream of lies and denial from those who fail to heed these lessons continues unabated in both our public and private lives.

The truth will never come out … will it?

For some reason, we persist in believing that the truth will never come out.

Lies are hastily built, one upon another, to create a scaffold of distortion and deception, with the ultimate truth serving as only a casual bystander to a litany of half-truths, convenient memories and studied omissions.

This process unfolds in the workplace as well.

Harassment allegations and wrongful termination claims are often governed by this “lie and deny” mentality. In many instances, these matters are further confounded when flawed memories, mixed messages and preconceived notions collide to create a muddled story from which the real truth is rarely extracted.

Are we celebrating our values – or only using them when it’s convenient?

You may recall that we’ve touched upon the importance of values during our discussion of “conduct unbecoming” about the misadventures and ethical lapses of executives, or when we discussed the West Point honor code and the ethical obligations we’re expected to “tolerate” from those who break the rules.

So, if we all celebrate the transcendence of values, why do so many persist in denying the truth … digging a deeper hole for themselves with the virtual certainty that the untruths will ultimately be revealed?

There’s often a common thread when this happens

Shakespeare has written that “pride goeth before the fall,” and this weakness of the human spirit seems to be front and center in most of these instances.

Our pride will fight to the death to avoid embarrassment.

We convince ourselves that we can talk our way out of these predicaments, that we can sufficiently obstruct any inquiries and easily exchange an unwelcome hit to our ego for a falsely constructed storyline.

After all, the various versions of the story are somewhat convoluted, there are few witnesses, and if we’re in a more senior position, we should prevail. Right?

The root of the problem is we try to weasel our way out of it

You see, that choice is at the root of the problem.

That logic suggests that we should examine our alternatives, and weigh whether our story is sufficiently powerful to overwhelm the truth and avoid any embarrassment.

Apart from this ethical washout, countless examples have shown that the more we deny, the more people dig — and that the truth ultimately emerges to not only spoil our narrative but validate us as blatant liars. Our humiliation is profound and converts what may have been only a mild rebuke following a simple mistake and honest admission, to a career-ending injury.

We create more problems than we solve

We create more problems than we imagine when we fail to admit our mistakes at the earliest possible moment.

At that point, the road to recovery becomes very treacherous as we scramble for stable footing in a combat zone we have created. Too bad, because the road to recovery could be a simple one. Tell the truth. Admit your mistake. Welcome the correction. Accept disciplinary action. Live with the pain. Shut up. Learn from your mistakes and move on.

There are a few bonuses for admitting our mistakes

As with our children, the punishment that follows a prompt and unprompted admission of a mistake is invariably more modest and more quickly forgotten than the results of a prolonged investigation that ultimately leads to the same truth.

While that result should not be the reason to be honest about our mistakes, it’s an unmistakable bonus that we bestow upon each other.

There are a few other added bonuses

For the most part, while we relish the fall of the mighty, we also welcome their redemption.

We know that we’ve made mistakes, and we absolutely believe we should be given second chances.

In some strange way, that conviction seeps into the public consciousness to allow the fallen to redeem themselves as well.

The other bonus we give ourselves is the relief from the crippling weight of the sandbags of lies and and deceit that undermine our health and humanity.

What are you going to do next time?

Oddly enough, the final bonus is a confirmation of our humanity, that we are vulnerable, that we, too, can step off the path of truth and honor and still get back on that path and continue our journey.

The next time you’re confronted with this dilemma, choose the easy course.

Admit your mistake.

You’ll find yourself in very good company.

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This article was published in the September 10, 2012 edition of the North Bay Business Journal, a publication of the New York Times, and a weekly business newspaper which I have served as a regular columnist for over four years. The Business Journal covers the North Bay area of San Francisco – from the Golden Gate bridge north, including the Wine Country of Sonoma and Napa counties. The electronic version of this article, as published by the North Bay Business Journal, may be found here.

Leadership Insight | First rule of a mistake: Admit it is a post from: Sword Tips – the Exkalibur blog

What can you accomplish in a flash of time?

It lasts about 300 to 400 milliseconds. It occurs about 10 to 20 times per minute.

Over the course of a day, excluding about 8 hours of sleep, it amounts to about an hour and 20 minutes on average, a fair chunk of time in our waking day.

If you consider that the universe is about 14 billion years old, about 54,000 years would pass by during any given span of those milliseconds. 

Some might argue that we can’t see anything during that period.

Yes, all that happens in the blink of an eye … about 1/3 of a second.

It ain’t much but in those small fractions, a lot can occur.
For Olympic athletes, the difference between a gold medal and fourth place averages about one-half of 1 percent when measuring fitness, according to the U.S. Olympic Committee’s psychologists.

How fast is the blink of an eye?

The blink of an eye lasts much longer.

That’s the small measure that differentiates superior performance and watching the medal ceremony from the bleachers.

Not sure about that? Here’s a simple test: Name a previous bronze medalist in any Olympic sport. Anyone?

Thought so, as I dare say none of us remembers the name of a bronze medalist, let alone someone not on the medal stand at all.

Are you pushing your organization hard enough be #1?

So, here’s the question: How fit is your organization?

Is it in contention for a medal or just an also-ran, struggling to keep up and unwilling to put in the work to win?

Let’s take a look at the seven most important components of fitness and apply that lens to your organization.

What are the 7 Essential Components of Fitness?

Strength

We can measure strength in a number of important ways, but it must start with the quality of your leadership team.

It’s very simple: There is absolutely no substitute for hiring and retaining “A” players to create the best possible leadership team. Period.

Great athletes = great performers = great performance.

You should couple this standard with a measure of your financial strength … your ability to withstand unexpected forces like the Great Recession of 2008 … by looking at your balance sheet and the strength of your free cash flow. 

Power

While this bears a family resemblance to strength, it’s more focused on the explosive bursts of strength required at critical moments.

This determines your business’ ability move quickly to attack initiatives by applying all the resources you can muster at that precise moment.

When you have an “all hands on deck” challenge that requires a rapid, full force response, your power will make all the difference.

Stamina

This fitness attribute refers to your ability to sustain the skills and capabilities of your organization over extended periods of time.

More than anything, it requires proven and reliable systems and processes to ensure a consistent and sustainable delivery of your products and services.

Constant training and education is essential to achieve a high level of fitness in this category.

Agility

This characteristic refers to the organization’s strategic commitment to respond quickly to change.

Our ability to create change initiatives is critical, particularly in this era of rapid technological innovation.

We need to be hyper-alert to changes around us so we can react with alacrity and purpose.

If you are too slow to react, you can be dead certain you won’t be standing on the medal platform.

Flexibility

In some ways, flexibility is a kissing cousin to agility.

In this case, it refers to an operational flexibility that allows you to deploy your resources in unique and varying ways to respond to the needs of your customers and the marketplace.

While agility requires an eternal commitment to strategic change, flexibility defines your organization’s physical capacity to flex its financial, human and physical talents to respond to changing circumstances.

Coordination

For athletes, being coordinated requires that all of their mental and physical attributes work in harmony, with choreographed timing, to create the desired movement.

In our organizations, that coordination means that we need to burn down the silos and build a collaborative culture that synchronizes and integrates all the parts so that a common goal can be achieved.

Balance

While coordination informs it, balance requires the allocation of resources.

Your organization needs to shape its multiple, and sometimes conflicting, goals into a cohesive strategy that balances the needs of the company’s various constituencies.

The Medal Stand … or are you content with the grandstand?

How would you answer these questions?

Are you developing the characteristics of an Olympic athlete?

Are you digging hard enough to achieve superior performance in your business?

There’s a fine line of minuscule proportions between wearing a gold medal, and watching from the 65th row.

Are  you willing to get to work now to make sure your company is standing proudly on the medal stand?

If not, why not?

Leadership | The 7 Attributes of World Class Organizations is a post from: Sword Tips – the Exkalibur blog