BurntHam

The No Complaining Rule

2017-03-30T04:22:00.000-07:00

“The measure of our success will not be determined by how we act during the great times in our life but rather by how we think and respond to the challenges of our most difficult moments.” Jon Gordon

I hate it when people complain (though I’m sure I do my fair share) so I thought I’d enjoy the book The No Complaining Rule by Jon Gordon. Though the substance of the book was not as full and complete as I had hoped, there were a few concepts which I enjoyed.

Number one was the idea of our organizations (whether our businesses, community, or even our family etc.) being likened to a tree. Too often we focus only on the fruit and we neglect the roots. The author points out that the people of an organization are the roots and if we focus on them first and most often, we will be pleased with the fruits. Unfortunately the fruit can be so enticing that it is all we focus on and we often neglect the roots. And when we neglect the roots, our fruit is not very good. I love this idea and emphasis on focusing on our people in any organization because the people are really what matter. When we have great people who are engaged and excited about what we are doing, good things happen. Smart leaders invest their time and energy in to their people! Rather than focusing only on the results, we must focus on those who produce them.

Number two is the idea that we need to give three times as much praise as criticism. Unfortunately I believe I am bad at this and tend to focus on things that need to be fixed rather than things that are going right. I believe however there is power in being positive and pointing out the good often. When we point out the good and focus on it, it tends to grow and the same can be true of the bad. In order to be better leaders and better people, we must strive to focus more on praise.

Number three is the idea that it is all up to us. When we complain and are negative it is our choice. No one can force us to complain or be negative. The power is within us to be positive and focus on the good no matter what life may bring our way. We can be in the most difficult of circumstances and maintain a positive attitude or we can be in the best of circumstances and still choose to complain about something. The choice is always ours and those who avoid complaining bring positive energy to themselves and others which helps create positive results.

No complaining is hard but worth the effort. If we could wipe negativity out of our life and replace it with positive energy, we’d be much happier and successful in life and become better people and leaders. And the same can be said for our organizations. So, let’s do this, here is to No Complaining!

Crucial Accountability

2016-11-17T06:14:00.000-08:00

Accountability is a big buzzword in the workplace today and even in our society in general but what does it really mean and how can we effectively hold others accountable? And with how busy, chaotic, and overly sensitive people seem to be these days is it really even possible or worth it? The authors of the book Crucial Accountability believe it is and they provide ideas and tools that can help anyone effectively hold others accountable. Today I’d like to share just a few of my favorite thoughts from the book.

#1 Prepare Yourself

Going in to any accountability conversation we should ask ourselves what do I want for me, for this person, and for our relationship. Answering these questions honestly will put us in the right frame of mind and will help use focus on what really matters and what is really at stake. Hopefully, we realize that almost always do we truly only want to help someone be successful or we want to understand them better or both. When this is the case, we need to take the risk of holding them accountable. Having these difficult conversations can be uncomfortable but reminding ourselves what we want for ourselves, for others, and for our relationship will help us think through our crucial accountability discussion and push forward.

#2 Don’t start with ‘can’ start with ‘should’

Many accountability discussion never happen and the reason is because we start with ‘can’ rather than ‘should’. We shouldn’t ask ourselves ‘how can I do this’ but rather ‘how should I’. When important accountability discussion do not take place we lose opportunities to strengthen relationships and help things move forward in a positive way. The authors of the book point out that our two favorite “silence-driving mind tricks” are (1) we down play the cost of not speaking out and (2) we exaggerate the cost of expressing our views. Sweeping accountability discussions under the rug by asking ‘can’ rather than ‘should’ can lead to lasting feelings of regret, anger, frustrations, confusion, and disdain.

#3 Create Safety

Though it takes effort and patience, one point I love from the book is the need to create safety. When people feel safe, we can talk to anyone about anything. Letting people know you care, what your true intentions are, what you mean and don’t mean, and what you want for them and your relationship will help. Other skills and techniques are given in the book to create safety which is so important because when safety exists, difficult accountability conversations can take place and will be effective.

#4 Clarity is Key

According to the authors, clarity is accountabilities worst enemy. When things are unclear, it is so hard to hold people accountable effectively because people will feel they didn’t understand. Making sure clarity exists as much, and as often as possible will help us have meaningful/positive accountability discussions.

#5 Consequences Matter A lot

Consequences, or perceived consequences, drive behavior. Often people do things because of the consequences they see from behaving in a certain way. Being a good leader requires us to help people see the consequences of their actions whether good or bad. Often times this requires a leader “to make the invisible visible.” Too often in organizations, consequences are not very clear, so if we can expand the vision of those we lead and help them see the true consequences of certain behaviors and actions we can help them be successful and get the right results. Those who are good at accountability are good at showing others the consequences.

A lot of people in our society talk about accountability but is it worth the effort? This book answers with an emphatic yes and gives us some real tools on how to do it. Crucial Accountability is a good book that provides many worthwhile techniques and strategies to help us communicate better. And as we communicate more effectively we become better leaders, influencers, and individuals.

Click here to see how I rated this book

The Four Obsession of an Extraodinary Executive

2016-05-19T06:42:00.000-07:00

If I were to ask the question, what makes a great leader, I’m sure I’d get a plethora of different answers. I’d also put money on it that very few people would answer the question the way Patrick Lencioni did in his book The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive. As is nearly always the case with Lencioni, his ideas are incredibly simple in theory but very difficult to have the discipline to fully embrace them and put them in to practice.

Lencioni’s 4 obsessions can be summed up like this: be cohesive, be clear, over communicate, and reinforce. I’d like to touch on each of these obsessions very quickly.

Extraordinary executives know how to develop a cohesive team and spend much of their time doing so. Not only do successful leaders tend to attract great people but they also take time to develop and engage them. At the end of the day, when people work well together, results tend to follow regardless of the individual talent or ability of each team member. Getting people to work together and interact well with each other is Lencioni’s first obsession for an extraordinary executive.

The next three obsessions build on each other and each has to do with communication. With this in mind the second obsession is establishing clarity. Clarity is so critical to success because if things aren’t clear, people become frustrated and tend to waste a lot of time. Making sure everyone understands the purpose of what they are doing, how they fit in, and what the ultimate goal is of the organization is so important. For this reason extraordinary executives focus lots of time on it.

Once the clarity is established the next obsession of an extraordinary executive is to over-communicate this clarity. Though it becomes repetitive and old, great executives never tire of communicating the most critical messages and making sure they are clear. Many ordinary executives find it hard or sometimes just plain boring to have the discipline to repeat the same messages over and over again.

And finally, once clarity has been over-communicated an extraordinary executive reinforces that clarity through multiple means and channels. Whether in memos, meetings, banquets, Christmas cards, or messages to the press, extraordinary executives finds ways to reinforce his or her most important messages over and over again in a variety of different ways. People learn differently and react or understand different kinds of communication in different ways. For this reason, reinforcing the clarity in all that we do helps an executive become extraordinary.

These four obsessions when practiced well, lead to what the author calls organizational health, which is a huge competitive advantage for any organization. As is the case in many of his works, Lencioni points out that rather than being smart, being healthy should be at the top of every leader’s priority list for their company. The extraordinary executive understands this and therefore is obsessed with doing things that will help his or her organization become healthy.

So what makes a leader great? Really committing to a few simple disciplines. Though it is not always easy to identify what successful executive or leader do, I believe anyone who follows Lencioni’s advice in this book will be much much closer to becoming extraordinary.

When the Game Stands Tall

2015-09-17T09:36:00.000-07:00

When the Game Stands Tall by Neil Hayes is one of my all-time favorite sports books and movies. It is the incredible story of football’s longest winning streak by De La Salle High School that expanded over 12 seasons and resulted in 151 wins in a row. It is not just a sports story however. It is a story of grit, hard work, dedication, sacrifice, discipline, and love. It is a story that goes well beyond the playing field as it teaches the reader applicable and important life lessons. Today I’d like to share 5 lessons we can all take from this remarkable story to become better individuals.

#1 “The key component to any success is the most basic of human emotions—love.”

When you boil it down to the most basic element, life is all about love. This book and story teach us this. The interesting thing is that you can take just about any action and if it is done out of love, it will have a long-term positive affect. Often times we think of love as being something that is always soft, gentle or kind. The De La Salle story teaches us that love can be tough, direct, and hard at times. No matter what we do, if our hearts are right, if we do it out of love for others, no matter what it is, it can be received well by others and can influence their life for good. When we have love, our ability to encourage and influence others is tremendously multiplied.

#2 Stand for something more than winning

Winning provides a certain level of motivation and satisfaction. It can inspire and push people to great heights however when we represent something, or dedicate ourselves to a cause, our efforts and motivation grow beyond what we believe is possible. De La Salle didn’t focus on or even care that much about winning. For their program, it wasn’t about the winning per say, but was about who they wanted to become and what they wanted to represent. As leaders we need to set a vision higher than just competing and winning. We need to establish a vision that stands for something. At De La Salle, they represented and cared about something greater than winning and that is what inspired and lifted them to unimaginable success.

#3 Success=Effort

De La Salle’s remarkable success is defined by their extreme discipline. Their philosophy centered on the notion that success was based on their individual and collective efforts rather than on the outcomes of the game. They strived to give a “perfect effort” in every moment and that is how they defined success.

Establishing a similar measuring stick, one that is based on the amount of effort rather than the final result will push all of us to become our best individual selves. Not everyone can be the best in the world at everything or win every time, so if that is our goal we will be disappointed, but each of us can be our best selves by always putting forth our maximum effort. The coaches at De La Salle taught that we will all one day eventually regret not putting forth our best effort; thus every situation in life requires our personal best.

#4 Decide Now

Rather than wondering what type of effort we will give today, tomorrow, or a year from now, the De La Salle coaches encouraged their players to decide now, before the games, practices, or the season even started. They had to decide from day one what kind of effort they were going to give, and what kind of season they would have.

Waiting to make decisions in the moment, when the pressure is on will cause us at times to make unwise choices. If we make our decisions before we ever face the pressure moments, it will be so much easier to do the right thing. Like the De La Salle football players, making the decision now on what type of effort we will give and who we will become will lead us to better outcomes.

#5 Peer Accountability

Once someone starts holding themselves accountable, or peers hold each other accountable, than a leader knows his efforts have paid off. Peer accountability is so much more meaningful and powerful than accountability coming from a designated leader and this is proven in the book. Part of De La Salle’s magic is their ability to influence their team members and hold each other accountable. We must strive to create and foster similar environments wherever we may find ourselves.

I love the book When the Game Stands Tall because I believe there are so many important lesson we can learn from the De La Salle football story. As we apply even the basic principles listed above we will become much better leaders and people.

To see how I rate this book click here

How the Mighty Fall

2015-09-10T06:31:00.000-07:00

How the Mighty Fall by Jim Collins is another really good read for all business leaders and its principles can also be applied to everyday life. Some key points from the book are the following.

#1 Success breeds Entitlement

Most successful people work hard to gain their success but once they have it, some turn away from what got them there in the first place, and they eventually lose it. I love sports and you can see this with star athletes from time to time. A talented athlete will reach a point in their abilities were they are told they are “elite” or “the best” and after hearing this over and over again they begin to believe they can maintain their status while stopping the work that got them to that point in the beginning. And before you know it, a promising sports career turns in to a bust.

This “fall” or change in direction is often not dramatic or quick but more normally it is a gradual eroding of those things that got us to the top. The point is, once we stop doing the core things that helped us gain success, we put ourselves at high risk for a fall. The book refers to this attitude as hubris or having excessive pride.

Truly successful companies and people hold fast to the principles that brought them success in the beginning, knowing that success could all be gone tomorrow. They find ways to keep their fire lit and avoid feelings of entitlement that deceive so many in to believing that they’ve “earned” or “deserve” a life of being on top or a life of ease. Instead the truly successful consistently keep doing those things that breed success.

#2 Entitlement blinds Risk

Once we’ve succumbed to entitlement or hubris we fail to appropriately see and weigh the risks we are taking or are considering taking. We begin to blindly do what we never would have done prior to our success. As proven in the book, many successful companies begin to over-reach and expand or grow with the idea that they are too big or successful to ever fail. They essentially become blind to their own vulnerability to falling and find ways to justify any decline in performance or reason to worry.

Again, successful organizations and successful individuals fight against the feelings of entitlement knowing that doing so keeps them grounded and helps them to see risk for what it really is. This allows them to avoid unnecessary and unwise risk-taking while taking action when decline is present.

#3 Changing Courses can happen

As you can image, the way to beat these problems are recognizing that we have a problem and then changing courses which often means reverting back to those things that brought us success in the first place. This can be a humbling process but the comforting knowledge gleaned from the author is that “falls” are almost always self-inflicted and therefore can be avoided or turned around. Those that are able to believe this, see that they are headed for disaster, and still have the discipline to change courses can save themselves from a catastrophe and can get back on the road to success.

At the end of the day, I feel this book reinforces and emphasizes Collins previous book “Good to Great” with the crux of the matter centering on discipline. Having disciplined people, disciplined thought, and disciplined action is what led good companies to become great. Likewise, organizations or people that can have and maintain the discipline required to achieve success will avoid a mighty fall and enjoy tremendous results.

To see how I rated this book, click here

The Innovator's Solution

2015-05-21T23:30:00.000-07:00

The Innovator’s Solution by Clayton M. Christensen offers some solid business solutions when it comes to starting a new business or a new business line in an already established company. Below are some of my key takeaways.

#1

Find a way to compete against nonconsumption. There are several consumers who would love to use certain products, services, or technology if they could afford it or knew how to get it or use it. Some of the most successful businesses found a way to offer something that already existed in the market but at a much lower price. These products and/or services were often less sophisticated but met the needs of this “lower end” market. Competing against nonconsumption is a great way to start.

#2

Ensure your product/service is completing a job that the consumer needs to get done. Too often new products/services are geared toward something new and exciting rather than solving an already present need in the consumer’s life. If we can offer a product or service that helps resolve or improve a problem that already exists in the customer’s life than we will have a better chance of success.

#3

Hire people based on past experiences rather than current accolades, titles, or positions. Most companies make the mistake of hiring people with a proven track record rather than people who have faced similar challenges and circumstances the job will entail. A new start-up company or business line is very different than working and having success in an established one.

#4

Most great companies begin by having an emergent or flexible strategy. Be willing to change and adapt your initial plans and strategies with opportunities that emerge. According to the author, over 90% of initial strategies are wrong and eventually get altered in order for the company to succeed. Don’t get married to an idea too early on in the development process, otherwise it may lead to unwise choices and the eventual death of your organization.

The book, The Innovator’s Solution, is a thought-provoking and helpful one for those interested in developing and exploring new business lines and disruptive opportunities. Having a basic concept of the ideas found in this book will help any business professional charged with facing such decisions.

To see how I rated this book click here

Death by Meetings

2015-04-16T11:13:00.002-07:00

Meetings seem to be an inevitable part life. And for the most part, many of us dread them. In his book, Death by Meeting, author Patrick Lencioni details why meetings are so distasteful for most of us and how to change that—making them actually enjoyable and something people look forward to. Much like the author shares in the book, I have witnessed both good and bad meetings and believe they can bring about tremendous results or near death experiences.

So what is missing from meetings that make us as a whole dread them so much? The author provides the answers and it is simply a combination of a lack of drama and/or a lack of structure.

Lack of Drama

Most of us have been forced at some time or another to sit through meetings that are incredibly boring. Often these meetings require us to listen to a lecturer or they are a meeting where input really isn’t allowed whether it is implicitly or explicitly expressed. Meetings without some level of discussion, debate, and even conflict are boring and rarely bring about any kind of effective results. Good meetings are not limited to just reporting but include “drama” through open dialogue on important and sometimes even controversial topics. Drama is a great way to get participants in meetings engaged and interested. Hence, drama, or a level of varying opinions, conflict, and debate, need to not only be encouraged in meetings but become a mandatory part of them.

Lack of Structure

Other meetings seem to lack a purpose as participants jump from topic to topic, most of which are irrelevant for the entire group. Because of a lack of structure and of an understanding of what is to be achieved during the meeting, little is accomplished and most leave feeling as if it was a complete waste of time. I know I have been in these types of meetings on several occasions and this lack of structure and focus make meetings miserable. Successful meetings on the other hand are those that have a specific purpose or objective rather than randomly talking about anything that comes to mind or having everyone listen to those who have the most to say.

This book also offers a set of 4 specific types of meetings each organization should hold which are a daily check-in, tactical, strategic, and off-site meetings. The book offers the primary purpose of each meeting, the amount of time they should typically last as well as how often they should be held.

In the end, I believe this book encourages all organizations to have a strategy when it comes to meetings. All successful institutions need meetings and collaboration to reach goals. Learning to have powerful meetings where real work is accomplished and people are engaged and involved can help any organization reach its goals and potential.

To see how I rated this book click here

How Will You Measure Your Life

2015-02-19T12:11:00.000-08:00

The title alone of the book “How Will you Measure your Life” by Clayton M. Christensen almost instantly provokes readers to reflect on those things that matter most in life, and indeed this is what the focus of the book is all about. I’d like to discuss two of the main important points expressed in the book.

#1 “The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

We must do what we love. Too many of us are unfulfilled or unsatisfied in life because of the work we choose to do. We tell ourselves to tough it out, it pays really well, my options are limited, or that we will stick with it only for a few more years and then we will move on to pursue our real passion. The problem is time passes quickly and before we know it, our life feels empty and we are full of remorse because we did not pursue our dreams. We can become distracted or enticed by many alluring things such as money, power, ease, or prestige and in the end, none of it will matter much if we have sacrificed things that deeply matter to us. The author believes all things are possible and that each one of us can find a way to make a living doing what we love. It may not be easy to discover or handed to us on a plate, but if we continue to search we will one day find something worth working for—something satisfying and fulfilling to us. Thus we shouldn’t settle on a job, but instead look for work and a career that is personally meaningful.

#2 “How we allocate our own resources can make our life turn out to be exactly as we hope or very different from what we intend.”

How we spend our resources demonstrates what is important to us. Each of us has limited resources which includes such things as our time, talent, and money and how we allocated these resources demonstrates our priorities. The author points out most of us say we value our families but many of us starve it of resources. We spend our time and efforts away from home, often times at work for example, saying we are doing it for the good of our family yet all we end up doing is sacrificing our family for our job. Our time and efforts need to be focused on what is most important to us. The author also states that by looking at a man’s checkbook you can easily discover what matters to him. (For me this statement made me look at my checkbook!) We are given limited resources in life and we all need to evaluate how we are using them. If they are not being put to good use, by being utilized toward those things that matter most to us then, we need to change and adjust. Giving ample resources to things that matter most will give us great results in life.

We all need to contemplate how we will measure our lives. Will it be by the career we had, the money we earned, or the prestige we gained? Or will it be by the relationships we formed, the people we helped, and the good things we have done? The choice is ours—it is up to us. Each of us one day will face the end of the road, so we must decide now how we want our life to look when it is over.

To see how I rated this book click here

Employees First, Customers Second

2014-12-11T23:00:00.000-08:00

I love the title of a book I recently read called “Employees First, Customers Second” written by Vineet Nayar. The reason I love it is because I’ve seen this philosophy yield great results in many different settings during my career. And this book tells the story of how the author, as CEO of HCL Technologies (HCLT), helped change the success of his organization by employing strategies to live this philosophy. Though the book was different than I had anticipated and didn’t reach my high hopes based on the title, I still loved some of the ideas found in it which included increasing transparency, focusing on the need for constant change, and improving and creating innovative ways for communication. But perhaps my favorite idea found in the book was how the author changed and enhanced the role of management.

The traditional role of management has changed in the best organizations such as HCLT. No longer does the boss yield all the power, get all of extra privileges and perks or hold all of the cards. The author who was the former CEO of HCLT changed the way leadership was viewed in his organization and as a result, it was one major reason for the company’s eventual success.

At HCLT, rather than employees being solely accountable to their boss, the organization made the bosses accountable to those they supervised. In fact, if team members were unhappy with their supervisor’s performance, they were encouraged and provided innovative, constructive ways to share their views. As you can imagine, those leaders who were not interested in doing all they could to help their people become successful, quickly left the organization.

Additionally, HCLT made it known that people in supervisory roles were primarily responsible for serving and enabling those they managed rather than those they managed being there to serve them. According to the author and his story, this put more value in what he refers to as the value zone which created greater results for the company.

This idea, that the boss’ primary measure of success is based on the value he or she adds to those they supervise is brilliant. I’ve seen the best organizations embrace and live this kind of management philosophy and would add that if we want to be great leaders, we must be willing to serve those we lead. As the author explains, a leader’s primary role is in enabling and supporting rather than governing and controlling. If we ourselves can embrace these ideas in our areas of responsibility, I know we will have greater success.

I think every organization and every leader should espouse the Employee First, Customer Second philosophy, and this book provides insights and an example of how to do just that.

To see how I rated this book, click here.

The Three Signs of a Miserable Job

2014-10-23T14:29:00.000-07:00

I recently finished re-reading The Three Signs of a Miserable Job by Patrick Lencioni and it continues to be one of my most favorite leadership books. The reason? Because the book offers simple advice for leaders that works! And any leader who sincerely strives to live even one of the 3 principles found in the book will find improved results and success as a leader. So let’s go through the signs real quick.

The first sign a leader must eliminate is immeasurement. We all like to be measured or in some way know if we are being successful or not. Imagine a Superbowl where no score is kept, how interested would everyone be in such an event? The same is true for those we lead—we all want and need a scoreboard! If we want people to engage, rally around our cause, and be an active participant in getting results, there must be some form of measuring stick that they themselves have a direct impact on. Without it, life is miserable.

The next sign is irrevelance—people are wired with a desire to make a difference and as leaders, we must help them see how they are doing just that. No matter how small the task or assignment, each person impacts and influences somebody. As leaders, we must point that out to them and help them know how their specific assignment and work really matters to someone.

The final sign is anonymity or a feeling of being unknown. Again as human beings we like to be known, especially by those who lead us. If we are to effectively lead we must get to know those we lead on a personal level. When we truly know people; their interests, families, likes/dislikes, what motivates them, etc. it shows we really care about them as an individual and our ability to influence increases significantly.

Not only does the book give great advice but it is also very easy and entertaining to read. And the other amazing thing is that anyone can do it! Anyone can eliminate the 3 signs if they want to. I love this book and encourage all leaders everywhere to read it and work hard to eliminate the 3 Signs for those they lead.

Patients Come Second

2014-07-10T05:55:00.000-07:00

I recently finished reading a book with a fantastic title called Patients Come Second by Paul Spiegelman and Britt Berrett. Now having worked in healthcare primarily my entire career you may find it strange that I enjoy the book’s title so much but the reason I do is because I agree with it whole heartedly. In fact, I have tried to practice it and encourage it throughout my career. Now you may be shocked. You may be saying to yourself what is this guy talking about—he’s worked in healthcare leadership most of his career and he agrees that patients come second!? How can this be?!! Well hopefully your reaction isn’t too negative and I can understand why it may be, however once you come to understand what the title truly means, and how it impacts patients, it probably isn’t what it seems at first glance. Please let me explain.

I’ve learned as a leader, and the authors have too, that when you take care of employees and put them first, they nearly always “pay it forward” to the customer or patient. Now because this is true, this type of philosophy works and is the best way to provide healthcare or any other type of care or service to a customer. When leaders of an organization realize it’s very difficult for employees to provide great customer experiences when their personal experiences with the organization are not great, everybody wins. Therefore as leaders focus on their employees first, it translates in to the best patient experiences and outcomes.

Now having said this, many people will still find this theory to sound strange, yet I know it works—and so do the authors of this book. So let me go a bit further in explaining. If as a leader I care about my people and they know it, they will care more about the customer. If as a leader I take time to listen to and address the problems and concerns of my team members and always assume the best, they will be much more likely to do that for our customer. If as a leader I show interest in my employee as an individual, they will likewise be much more likely to show interest in a customer as an individual. If as a leader I help my employees feel like a million bucks each day there is no doubt in my mind it will make it much more likely that they will help others feel the same way. Simply put, the better an employee feels about the organization they work for, the better the chance is that they will treat the organization’s customers well. For this reason patients second only makes sense for when leaders put employees first, the employees almost automatically take great care of the customer.

The theory behind this book’s philosophy is even applicable and true in our normal, everyday lives as I think most of us would agree that it is hard to treat others well when we ourselves feel mistreated.

Now this may sound like some type of leadership manipulation or a very calculating business strategy—that leaders who invest and take care of their employees are only doing it to increase the bottom line. Whether this is true or not doesn’t really matter because taking care of others is not easily counterfeited. If a leader is not genuine and sincere when caring for their employees, the team members will see right through it and it won’t work. This book points out this fact too and the entire premises of the title hinges on love for others. Good leaders love those who work with them. When they show this genuine love and concern to them, the team reciprocates this love and concern to the customer and others they interact with. This love cannot be faked. And this is what the book is all about.

Having love for others, especially your team members first, is the best way to be a successful leader and run an organization. I’m grateful for this book’s title and the philosophy the authors espouse and promote. Like the authors, I attest that when a leader lives this philosophy good things will happen for all.

Click here to see how I rated this book

The Energy Bus

2014-05-22T01:00:00.000-07:00

“Your positive energy and vision must be greater than anyone’s and everyone’s negativity. Your certainty must be greater than everyone’s doubt.”

I love the book The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon. It is a quick, easy read with many powerful and simple truths that if applied will no doubt help each of us in our lives. Some of my favorite takeaways are below.

“A man with vision has a certain look in his eye and walk in his step. He walks like he knows where he is going and why he is going there.”

Each of us needs vision in our life, a purpose of why we do what we do. Sadly, too many of us wander through life without stopping and figuring out where we want to go. And then one day we realize we’ve randomly ended up somewhere we’d rather not be. A personal vision guides us and helps us end up exactly where we want to be. A vision focuses our efforts and helps us make good decisions. It channels our energy away from negativity and funnels it toward positive things. A vision will energize us and bring clarity, purpose, and excitement to our life. Positive energy starts with a clear vision!

“When you feel blessed you don’t have time to feel stressed.”

Gratitude is a powerful antidote to stress. Each of us has so much to be grateful for yet often we spend much of our time complaining and focusing on negative things. If we can be more grateful, and focus on all the good around us, we will have more positive energy and more success in life.

“It’s your bus and you choose where you are going and the kind of ride it’s going to be.”

We are in control as the driver of our own bus. We decide our destiny, our happiness, and our success in life. We determine our outcomes and where we will end up. If we allow others to drive our bus for us, that is our choice but we may not like where we end up. Instead each of us should choose to drive our own bus where we’d like it to go. We are responsible for our own satisfaction and results in life.

“Positive energy and positive people create positive results.”

At the end of the day, positive energy matters. When we are full of positive energy we attract positive people and positive events in our lives. We need to do things that will help us be positive. Maintaining positive energy will greatly impact our happiness and success in life.

A quote from this book sums it up pretty well and that is “the simplest lessons in life are often the most profound and meaningful.” The Energy Bus contains powerful and simple lessons to help each of us reach our potential and maximize our success in life. Let’s enjoy our ride!

To see how I rank this book, click here

In Search of Excellence

2014-01-16T09:11:00.001-08:00

I recently finished reading a book called “In Search of Excellence, Lessons from America’s Best-Run Companies” by Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman Jr. The book was insightful and provided some very valid points that I believe if practiced, can help each one of us find excellence not only in business but in life. Below are a few of my favorite points from the book.

#1 Winners

The book emphasized how excellent companies motivate their teams and that is through allowing them and helping them to feel like winners. Unfortunately, in business and in life we tend to focus on the negative and where we fall short rather than all of the good that is being accomplished. Great companies develop systems that allow the majority of their people to win! In fact, the book states that excellent companies “actively seek out and pursue endless excuses to give out rewards.” In life, I feel we’d do ourselves a big favor by actively seeing the good and finding ways to celebrate our successes despite our failures. I know that what we focus on we become. So, if we change our perspectives and see the good, we will believe in ourselves and believe in others which will help each of us to act like winners. According to the authors and their research, such is the philosophy of excellent companies.

#2 Purpose

The authors point out that man is constantly searching for purpose in life and that great companies provide purpose for their teams. This purpose is clear and easy to understand by all who work within the organization from the CEO to the last staff member. One example from the book is a janitor who was mopping the floors diligently at NASA. He was approached and asked by a visitor why he was working so hard and his response was in essence because he was helping to put a man on the moon. I love this! This man had purpose!! Purpose provides clarity, focus, and motivation to do our best. As in great companies, successful people live with purpose. They know what they want, why they want it, and then they strive to get there. As people, we are willing to sacrifice a great deal when there truly is a cause we understand and believe in. Thus as with excellent companies, excellent people live with purpose.

#3 Loose-Tight

According to the authors, great companies have a loose-tight philosophy meaning they are strict or “tight” on a few things only then they allow nearly total autonomy (loose) outside of these few things. This reminds me of an interview I heard about on the radio with Pete Carroll the current Seattle Seahawks coach who seems to espouse this same philosophy. For the most part, the Seahawks have very few rules but exceptionally high standards. Each player is allowed to do basically whatever they want as long as they meet those standards and this philosophy has seemed to pay off for the Seahawks. I believe as leaders in our homes, families, places of work, or really in any aspect of our lives if we can develop the same type of mentality or philosophy, we will find greater success. We need to be strong and unbending on a few basic principles or values but outside of those we should be willing to allow others or ourselves freedom to act. Living this philosophy endears trust and a belief and respect in others which in turn creates great environments and cultures.

I strongly believe that these are three principles that can have a big positive impact in our lives. As we strive to see winners, live with purpose, and develop a loose-tight philosophy, I have no doubt we will see greater outcomes in our lives.

To see how I rated this book, click here.

The Advantage

2013-05-30T05:52:00.000-07:00

The Advantage, by Patrick Lencioni, is a very intelligent business book, and if you have read some of the author’s books before, you will find this one is in a very different format from his others as it does not follow a fictional story to illustrate points. Instead, this book summarizes all of the author’s prior business books in to one, utilizing examples and quotes from his previous works. In the end, the author’s message is very clear, and that is organizational health trumps all.

By self-admittance, organizational health is a little bit difficult to define and is even more difficult to measure. The author states that “organizational health is about integrity, but not in the ethical or moral way,” and that some characteristics of a healthy organization include “minimal politics, minimal confusion, high morale, and low employee turnover.” The author explains that having organizational health does not require “intelligence or sophistication” but rather “uncommon levels of discipline, courage, persistence, and common sense.” Thus all companies, if they want it, can be a healthy organization and benefit from what the author terms the advantage.

This book gives multiple points, strategies, or areas of emphasis in order to make an organization healthy and I want to list a few below that I believe to be some of the most critical.

#1 Communication

Communication is so important because how we communicate, when we communicate, and what we communicate forms the opinions of others about our organization. Because it is so important, every time a leader communicates it should align with the organization’s goals, values, and purpose for existing so that communication is always consistent and constructive. Communication must bring clarity and must be frequent. The author suggests employees won’t believe their leaders really mean something until they have said it 7 times. And communication cannot be delegated to others from the top leaders. The author believes that communication in most instances is the reason for most organizational problems. Many companies and many people in life fail to value words and whether we like it or not, our communication tells stories and becomes reality to others. Thus healthy organizations are great at communicating.

#2 Values

Every healthy organization has to have a set of values that are so important to them, they drive all decisions. Everything an organization does must reflect them. These values guide employee behavior and provide clarity to all in the organization. And the best organizations are completely intolerant of violations of them. Even hiring, and termination decisions should be based around these values. The author states that keeping a strong performer that does not live the values sends a message to everyone else that the organization really isn’t that serious about them. Truly living up to values makes an organization healthy.

#3 Top Priority

Too often to many organizations get weighed down with too many objectives or goals or “top priorities” that they do not obtain the “level of focus they need to succeed” and they end up doing a bunch of things in a mediocre way. Healthy organizations learn to focus on what is most important NOW. Having a very clear top priority that everyone across the organization is focused on will help the company have superior success. Companies must frequently ask themselves “if we accomplish only one thing during the next month, or 6 months (etc.), what would it be,” and then they must ensure all are made aware of the most important priority for the timeframe selected. This top priority should become a “rallying cry”, leaving no room for confusion or disagreement. Having one top priority improves organizational health.

These are three of the many important things “healthy organizations” are good at and thus what makes them healthy. At the conclusion of the book, the author emphasis how organizational health blesses the lives of so many people. Not only are workers happier but also their families, the customers, and everyone who has any interaction with the company. I really enjoyed this book as I believe it provides a lot of great insight in to how to run a successful organization.

To see how I rated this book, click here.

Think and Grow Rich

2012-12-27T05:46:00.002-08:00

There is perhaps no better way to close the year than by offering a short review on the classic self-help book Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill. This book offers hope to each one of us as it provides simple truths and knowledge that will help any and all of us to maximize our potential and discover success in life. Though there are many ideas and thoughts shared by the author, I found two strong reoccurring themes in the book that I believe help readers the most.

First, we must have a definite purpose in life. If we do not know what we want than it is impossible for us to get it. Aimlessly wondering through life, simply hoping for good to happen, or willingly accepting whatever comes our way will never get us what we desire in life. Likewise, just having wishes such as I wish I had a million dollars, isn’t good enough. A definite purpose in life is much more than a wish—it is clearly knowing what we want and then wanting it so bad that it nearly consumes our life. Having a true, defined purpose inspires us to develop a plan, take action, and stay with it until our purpose is accomplished. It is something that we must have and we will do anything to get.

Too often people fail to clearly define what they want. Whether it is because of fear, uncertainty, a lack of faith, indecision, a lack of confidence, or something else, people struggle to nail down or acknowledge what they truly desire. Again simply hoping, wanting, or wishing for something is not a definite purpose. Without a definite purpose it is hard to ever achieve great things. Thus, we must have a purpose for our life and until we do so, we will not obtain the success we’d like.

Second, we are what we think. We can control what is in our minds and what is in our minds is what we eventually become. Too often we dwell on the negative, fill our minds with “junk”, tear ourselves down, create nonexistent walls or barriers, or participate in other destructive habits in our minds. If we can learn to have good thoughts, positive thoughts, uplifting thoughts, and believe that we can accomplish anything we set out to do, we will achieve much greater success. In fact the author believes all great things begin in our minds. If we can have the discipline to fill our minds with only positive things, our chances of success are greatly increased.

Think and Grow Rich is a great book and I would recommend it to anyone trying to improve themselves. I truly believe that if we apply the principles found in the book including having a definite purpose in life and controlling our thoughts we will find much greater success in life. Thanks for another great year!!

To see how I rated this book click here

First Break All the Rules Rewind

2012-08-30T04:23:00.000-07:00

“Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to high sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.” Peter F. Drucker

Recently I had the opportunity to re-read First Break All the Rules by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman. This is a good book that opens the eyes, minds, and hearts of its readers as it teaches them how to be more effective managers and leaders. The book shares the message that the most effective managers are successful because they buck many of the common management traditions and focus almost solely on putting their people first. I believe the above quote by Peter F. Drucker really sums up what the book is trying to teach. Below are in my opinion some of the most valuable insights from the book for leaders and mangers and they are applicable to all regardless of industry or leadership position.

#1 “Managers trump companies”

People leave poor management. If a company has a turnover problem, and is losing a lot of talent, it is extremely likely that the number one cause is the management team. It is a misconception to believe people leave their place of business mostly for more money, better benefits, or shorter commutes. The truth is people do not leave companies, they leave people. If you want to keep your best, you don’t need better benefits, more time off, or an increase in pay, rather you simply need better managers. And to retain great managers, you must be a great one yourself.

#2 “The employee is the star and the manager is the agent”

Before completing certain tasks, impressing their boss, finishing reports on time, improving productivity, or reaching certain goals, the best managers put being a catalyst for their team members first and foremost. These leaders focus on developing their people and helping them to discover their strengths and be successful. Great leaders realize it is impossible to force someone to do anything. Instead great managers are experts at helping their people find their own path to success. And this focus on their people leads to excellent results.

#3 “Strong companies become experts in the destination and give the individual the thrill of the journey”

Great managers simply create a vision and then allow their people the freedom to determine how to arrive there. Rather than define every step, smart companies describe the targets. Micromanaging or over controlling will simply result in unhappy people and ultimately poor outcomes.

#4 “We all hate to be ignored”

This is a simple fact and for this reason, the best managers spend the most amount of time with their best people. This often seems impossible and very contradictory to how most of us operate but great leaders make a concerted effort to ensure this happens. People naturally crave attention and the more you give it as a leader, the more people will do what it is that is getting your attention. For this reason, focus on your best, spend the most time with them, and then the best is what you will get in return.

#5 “Average thinking actively limits performance”

If you are simply trying to be average or just above average then you are grossly underestimating the ability and desires of your team. Great people don’t want to be average; they want to be the best. As leaders, we should have very high standards and not accept average as satisfactory. By doing this, always upholding high standards, we will attract the best people to us and our organizations and will get the best results in return.

First Break all the Rules is a great book for new or experienced leaders and managers. Applying the ideas taught in its pages will help any leader to be more successful and become a better leader.
To see how I rated this book, click here

Great by Choice

2012-06-21T04:39:00.000-07:00

“We are free to choose, free to become great by choice.”

Great By Choice The pure title of this book by Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen makes me excited about its content and indeed the book talks a lot about how greatness is a choice. Analyzing and studying many successful companies in our time, the authors develop ideas on why great companies “thrive in uncertainty and others do not.” The book also uses other interesting real life stories and adventures in history to make their points stick. Though there are different specific strategies and ideas about what these companies and individuals did to stand out, I have a short list of the characteristics recited over and over again in the text demonstrated by those who choose to be great.

Discipline

“True discipline requires mental independence, and an ability to remain consistent in the face of herd instinct and social pressures.”

First, the successful companies and individuals in the book were wildly disciplined. Each of them demonstrated a tenacity to stick with what they knew or believed to be the right course despite hardships, challenges, prosperity, trends, or outside warnings. They had a plan, a value system, a method, a way to prepare, and they stuck with it no matter the changing circumstances. They stayed true to what they were as a company rather than conform, even amongst immense pressure to do so. This level of resolve made them unique from their peers and eventually much more successful. True and complete discipline toward the right things will create success in our own lives and will lead to consistency which is the next trait.

Consistent

“The signature of mediocrity is chronic inconsistency.”

Second, they were consistent. Never wavering, never jumping from one trend to another, never formulating new values, never changing their actions, these successful companies and individuals were very consistent and methodical in their approach. Day in and day out they held to what they knew would work. Their long-term objectives never wavered or moved from one thing to another. Their methods stayed the same, their daily activities stayed the same, their beliefs stayed the same, their messages to their team stayed the same. In a world that is extremely inconsistent and volatile, consistency brought these successful companies and individuals strength day in and day out.

Ownership

“Reject the idea that forces outside your control or chance events will determine your results. Accept full responsibility for your own fate.”

Finally, the successful companies and individuals in this book took full ownership for their results. No matter their luck, whether good or bad, they determined their results were up to them. Although they could not control the future, they believed they could create it. They utterly rejected that something outside of themselves would determine whether they succeeded or failed. Taking ownership for their results in life led them to success.

Great by Choice is a great read and learning to practice the characteristics exhibited and reiterated over and over again in the book by those who chose to be great including discipline, consistency, and ownership will lead us to great outcomes in life.

Crucial Conversations

2012-03-08T18:21:00.000-08:00

For many years I’ve wanted to read “Crucial Conversations” by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler but for one reason or another, I have always put it off. Well, I’ve finally read it and I am glad I did. The book is a great read and provides many strategies to improving our communication skills.

First, a crucial conversation according to the authors is defined as a conversation “where stakes are high, opinions vary, and emotions run strong.” Thus, most of us are involved in these conversations daily. And learning how to best navigate these crucial conversation can greatly enhance our relationships and success in life.

According to the book, one of the most important elements to a crucial conversation is safety. All parties most feel safe. The book offers many strategies on how to create safety for all parties. Without safety, it is common for most people to revert to silence or violence. They either clam up and stop contributing to the conversation or they begin to attack others. Both of these end up killing dialogue thus the important conversation. For this reason, protecting and maintaining safety for all parties is one of the most critical aspects to having an effective and crucial conversation.

An additional important element to having a successful crucial conversation is what the authors refer to as a “shared pool” of meaning. What this means is that in order to arrive to the best resolution, every person involved must add to the pool of meaning or share their true opinions and thoughts. Without this shared pool, it is impossible for everyone to feel good about the conversation and want to contribute to the resolution. Likewise, without it, the best solution will probably never be made. Thus, again creating safety and encouraging all to share their true opinions is important to successful conversations.

Another important point is to be a successful communicator the authors remind us that we must keep our emotions in check. This is much easier said than done because often the more important the conversation is to us, the more we allow our emotions to run wild. Again, the authors offer suggestions on how to master emotions and keep them from destroying our conversations with others. In the end, the authors remind us that no one makes us mad, or sad, or upset, other than ourselves. We create our emotions and therefore we have complete control over them.
Finally, being skillful communicators takes practice and this book offers many tips to help us to be better and practice so that we one day can be skilled communicators.

Crucial Conversations is a book that can’t wait to be read because of the great advice and the importance of conversations in our lives. I’d highly recommend this book to all who are interested in communicating with others more effectively. Applying even a small handful of the many ideas found in this book into your conversations will greatly enhance our ability to be successful leaders and successful in life.

It's Your Ship

2012-01-12T04:03:00.000-08:00

It’s Your Ship is a leadership book written by Captain D. Michael Abrashoff and is based on his experiences in the navy with a focus on his leadership practices as the captain of the USS Benfold. Below are some of the main points of emphasis found in the book that I believe if applied, can help us all to be more effective leaders, and help us more successfully guide our ship.

#1 Simplicity

Captain Abrashoff mentions at many times that good leadership requires doing simple things well. He writes “the art of leadership lies in simple things.” Sometimes we believe that in order to be great leaders we have to do big things to motivate and inspire others but we are reminded time and time again in this book that simple things produce great results. For example, Captain Abrashoff allowed younger enlistees to tour the ship when visitors came aboard when it was common practice for the Captain or some other high ranking officer to provide these tours. This simple act had a profound impact on his crew. Thus as leaders, we too can focus on the little things that can have a big difference on the performance of our team.

#2 Empowerment

It is emphasized over and over again in this book how Captain Abrashoff empowered his team to make decisions. He writes “The most effective managers work hard at showing people how to find their own solutions and then get out of their way.” During his time as Captain, it seems he was never caught peering over his crew member’s shoulders but instead trusted them with great responsibilities. Captain Abrashoff confesses that in many cases he was nervous as he stood back and allowed his people to take responsibility but in the end, they always seemed to perform well and gain confidence. Likewise, when we truly empower our people we open the door to a much higher level of success. People want to feel trusted and they want to do a good job. Showing this trust as a leader and allowing our people flexibility and decision making authority will strengthen our team and end in better performance.

#3 Others Focus

Many high ranked leaders are focused on themselves but Captain Abrashoff strongly emphasizes that the best leaders are focused on others. Rather than seek for praise or recognition for one’s self, truly great leaders look for praise for their team and others. Captain Abrashoff writes, “A great leader puts other’s performance ahead of their ego. Never once do anything to promote yourself…”. By doing this, we gain the trust and respect of our team which is essential in our ability to lead them. When people feel and know you are looking out for them, they will go the extra mile for you. Having a focus on others rather than self significantly magnifies our ability to be successful leaders.

I believe these suggestions applied will greatly enhance our leadership ability. In the end, as the title suggests, ultimately it is ‘our ship’ and we can decide how effective we will become as leaders.

To see how I ranked this book click here

The Power of Positive Thinking

2011-12-01T07:01:00.000-08:00

One day, not too long ago, I saw a stack of old books that had been donated to my place of work. One of the titles of the books caught my eye so I immediately picked it up and began reading it. The book was written in 1963 and is called “The Power of Positive Thinking” by Norman Peale. I found that the book was full of wonderful insights and great truths that if applied will help us be more successful leaders and more successful people. Below are three of the main themes found in the book.

#1 Thoughts are Power

Based on the title of the book it is pretty obvious that this is the main theme. Throughout the book the author explains that our thoughts determine who we are, our outcomes in life, our happiness, and our ability to be successful. Controlling our thoughts is such an important practice in our life and too many of us allow our thoughts to hold us back or even sometimes to destroy us. Thus we must become masters of our minds and control what we think about. The author states, “Our happiness or unhappiness depends to an important degree upon the habit of mind we cultivate.” Thus being happy, being successful, and being content starts in our mind. For how we think is what we are. For this reason there is true power in positive thinking.

#2 What we Believe, we Achieve

If you are a fan of the "The Secret", then you will be a fan of this book because the author stresses over and over again how what we picture in our mind becomes our reality. In essence, we create our own reality by the mental pictures we hold on to and by the desires we have. The author states, “When either failure or success is picturized it strongly tends to actualize” and “what the mind profoundly expects, it tends to receive.” The author also refers to this as “imagineering”—for what we imagine in our mind can ultimately become reality. Our vision, and our ability to believe leads to our ability to achieve.

#3 Make Relationships a Priority

We were not meant to come to this world and be alone. Personal achievement is great but helping others achieve greatness is even better. The author stresses that relationships are important and that good, healthy relationship is a desire each one of us has whether we admit to it or not. Learning to get along with others, serve others, and help others leads to success and happiness for us. The author noted that as we help others, others in-turn help us. It is nearly impossible to help someone else without helping ourselves. The author frankly encourages his readers to “Love others and forget yourself” and when we do, we will find the joy in life we are searching for.

I believe there is true power in positive thinking as the title of this book suggests and I believe some of the main points in this book can have a profound influence on each of us for good. By controlling our thoughts, picturing our desires, and caring for others we will find a recipe to realizing our goals and living our dreams.

To see how I ranked this book, click here.

Start-Up Nation

2011-05-26T15:22:00.000-07:00

I recently finished reading “Start-Up Nation” by Dan Senor and Saul Singer. The book is written about Israel’s incredible economic growth and how it has survived and thrived despite the many seemingly obstacles such as size, lack of natural resources, and surrounding enemies. The book shares true examples of some of Israel’s top entrepreneurs and businesses to make certain points on why and how Israel has succeeded. Through these stories we learn some of the strategies, ideas, and concepts used to help spark Israel’s economy—things that I believe can be applied in our individual lives to help us reach our own success. Below are three of my favorites from the book.

#1 Chutzpah

“The most careful thing is to dare.”

Chutzpah is defined as gall or incredible guts and each Israeli seems to possess it. Rather than take it easy, be conservative, or hold back because of fear or comfort, Israelis seem to go for it every time. Their ability to embrace intelligent risk-taking has rocketed their economy to great heights. When they have a business idea, they do not hesitate, they start a business. This seeming ability to take risks no matter the circumstance or potential cost has helped Israel compete with some of the top nations in the world. In a similar manner, if we can have the same confidence and “chutzpah” that Israel has shown, our ability to find success will grow immensely!

#2 Philosophy on Failure

“Mistakes are acceptable, provided they are used as opportunities to improve individual and group performance.”

A powerful force behind Israel’s success is their acceptance and lack of fear of failure. Most of us refrain doing certain things because we are afraid to fail but in Israel, failure is not only accepted but often admired. Israel uses failure as a way to learn and they dissect failures thoroughly enabling themselves to maximize their learning while ensuring they do not make the same mistake(s). This powerful attitude and study of failure leads to more start-up companies and entrepreneurs than most every other country in the world! It seems in Israel that failing is simply part of practicing business until you eventually succeed. Developing a similar perspective on failure will greatly increase our own ability to reach our full potential.

#3 Results Oriented

“Be much more about being performance-oriented than about seniority or ranks.”

Unique to Israel is their seemingly lack of respect or credence for superiors. This lack of respect, in the worlds view, is a powerful force in its ability to challenge, improve, and succeed. In fact, in Israel, regardless of rank, tenure, power, or position, it seems everyone is on the same level playing field. An employee freely challenges his boss, a student his professor, a sergeant her general, etc. And this type of behavior is not only accepted but expected. As people, in order for us to be our best, we must be challenged and put to the test day in and day out by anyone and everyone. This also creates constant competition where it is not uncommon for one person’s boss today, to be his employee tomorrow because in Israel you are judged on results. Israel is a great example of what can happen in a society where your latest results are rewarded regardless of tenure, stature, or past performance. Creating a similar environment in our own lives would push us to be our best every single day.

There are many other reasons and examples of what has contributed to Israel’s economic success in “Start Up Nation” but these are three of my favorites. I believe if we can apply these as well as some of the other concepts found in this book in our personal lives, our success much like Israel’s economy, will soar to great heights!

To see how I ranked this book click here.

The Anatomy of Peace Rewind #2

2011-04-28T04:40:00.000-07:00

Continued from last week…

“People respond more to how we’re regarding them than they do to our particular words or actions.”

It has been said that actions speak louder than words and I believe this to be true. However, I also believe that how we regard others speaks even louder than our actions. What this means is that often we do things begrudgingly, or simply out of obligation or duty. I guess we can say our attitudes when doing things may sometimes be poor and others can sense this. For example, my wife may ask me to help with the dishes. Now I may do it, but how will my wife feel if I do it while complaining under my breath the whole time or if while doing it I slosh water around, bang the dishes, and then slam the dishwasher door as an indication that “I’m finished!” Although I did what my wife had asked me to do, so my actions were good, how I did it probably spoke louder to my wife than the actual action. Often times we do the right thing or say the right thing but we do it in the wrong way. How we regard people and how we speak and act determines how people will respond to us. And when we can regard people in a positive way and treat them like people with thoughts, feelings, fears, and desires just like ourselves, they will likewise respond in a positive way and we will find more success in our relationships with others and we will be more at peace with ourselves.

“Most problems at home, at work, and in the world are not failures of strategy but failures of way of being.”

Similar to the above quote, how we regard people, and our “way of being” toward them really determines our ability to build strong, trusting relationships. Though we may have a solid strategy in place that has been carefully crafted and prepared, the way in which we roll out the strategy will often determine our success. In essence, there is a wrong way to do a right thing. For example, I may have a child that needs to be disciplined. If I simply scold the child and tell him how rude he is my ability to help that child has been greatly reduced. However, if I pull the child aside, look him in the eye and tell him exactly what he is doing wrong and my expectation of him and my confidence and love in him, my ability to be successful is greatly improved. So many times our strategy or our actions are right on but our implementation goes awry. Thus implementation rather than our strategy alone often determines our results.

“We must spend most of our time actively helping things go right rather than dealing with things that are going wrong.”

Many times we get caught up on dwelling on the bad that we fail to see all that is going good. In fact many times we develop tunnel vision where all we see is bad sometimes resulting in our own poor thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors. When we can direct our focus and energy instead to those things that are going good and then do all we can to help those things continue to go good, we often end up helping those things that may be going wrong as well. Focusing on the positive and striving to help things go right rather than constantly correcting the wrong will lighten our burden and stress and will allow us to be more successful in what we are trying to accomplish.

“Peace within us is merely a choice away.”

Finally, our choices determine our peace in life. If we are constantly feeling stressed out, anxious, and at “war” with others, it is probably because of our own actions and our own way of being towards others. The Anatomy of Peace teaches us how to obtain a lasting peace in any circumstance or situation.

If the above quotes seem incomplete, a little bit difficult to fully grasp or understand, or leave you wanting more, please read the book. The Anatomy of Peace is an outstanding book that can change lives as each of us strives for peace. I believe reading and rereading it to fully comprehend and apply what it teaches will bless each of us and will improve our success and peace in life.

The Anatomy of Peace Rewind

2011-04-21T04:34:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading The Anatomy of Peace by the Arbinger Institute again. This is one of my all-time favorites because of the tremendous positive impact its teachings can have on our lives. I truly believe The Anatomy of Peace can change our perspective on life and on how we view and interact with others. It also provides us with a method and solutions to finding peace in our lives. Over the next two weeks I will share just a few of my favorite quotes and thoughts from the book.

“Normally our preferred solution to problems is that others change.”

Isn’t this the truth!! We spend so much energy and time worrying about how others must change that we lose the opportunity to develop and improve ourselves. The Anatomy of Peace encourages us to take full ownership of our own actions and focus inwardly before responding outwardly. It challenges us to be the solution rather than a contributor to the problems we face. If we can learn to focus more on improving ourselves, rather than on changing others, our life will be significantly enriched.

“The state of your heart toward others will determine your success.”

Too many times when interacting with others, our hearts are not right toward them. Rather than regarding them as people with wants, needs, fears, etc. just like us we see them as objects to help us get what we want. When we do this, we inadvertently push people away, or provoke them to oppose us, or make them feel poorly. On the other hand, when we regard them as people just like ourselves, we invite them to change, to follow, and to feel good about themselves. When we are able to help others feel good about themselves, we have a greater ability to interact, build trust, and compromise with them eventually resulting in much better outcomes and results in life. The Anatomy of Peace helps us understand how we can more consistently have a heart that is right towards others.

“We compulsively act in ways that make our own lives more difficult.”

It is very natural and common for all of us to act in ways that make our lives more difficult and stressful. In fact, through our actions, we often invite in others exactly what we hope they will not do. This book teaches us though how to act differently and in turn invite others to do more of what we’d like them to do. It helps us see how our simple actions towards others can greatly improve our lives and lessen our worries and struggles.

To be continued next week...

Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars

2011-03-17T18:10:00.000-07:00

“There is perhaps no greater cause of professional anxiety and turnover than employees fighting with people in their own organization.”

Have you ever felt at home or at work that you are at war against the very people who you thought were supposed to be on your side?! This issue of “internal fighting” is at the heart of the book Silos, Politics, and Turf Wars by Patrick Lencioni.

Too often organizations are greatly hindered or even sometimes destroyed by people who seem at times to be unwilling to work together. Insecurity, a lack of trust, dishonesty, different objectives, and an unwillingness to share information plagues our places of work and just about every group of people. If we can figure out how to eliminate these silos, we can begin to reach our potential as organizations. The author of this book offers some good insights in to how we can solve this great epidemic.

Unifying Purpose

“If everything is important, then nothing is.”

Perhaps the number one way to start eliminating infighting and silos is to create a common purpose. Do people know why they come to work every day? Do they understand what the ultimate goal of the organization is? Do they know how they can contribute? Too often people are uncertain what is most important and thus they create their own priorities based on their personal beliefs. When this happens, (multiplied by numerous individuals, departments, divisions, etc.) we can understand why there is so much fighting and confusion. Leaders must create a vision with common goals and objectives that can unite and unify their teams. When everyone has the same end in mind with a clear sense of purpose, working together becomes much easier.

Create a Crisis

“A crisis brings out the best in companies.”

The author notes how often in the event of an emergency, people work well together. Very little infighting, resistance, arguments, etc. tend to occur when someone’s life is in immediate jeopardy for example because people want to do all they can to help save the life. Similarly the author encourages leaders to find a way to ensure members of an organization feel a sense of urgency in reaching goals and obtaining results. When organizations can create mechanisms that cause discomfort and “emergency” situations, silos are greatly eliminated.

Make a contribution

“That is why you are here, so that you contribute across the board.”

Finally, team members must understand that their overall objective is to make an overall contribution to the vision of the organization. Simply helping yourself or your department at the expense of sacrificing performance toward the main objective is unacceptable. Leaders must stress that group members are a part of the team to make an overall positive impact on the group. Too often leaders reward individuals who help themselves or their departments succeed but in the process hurt progress toward the ultimate goal. Ensuring that rewards are based on overall contribution to the organization’s purpose is critical.

One final important point from the author is that most people want to work well together—people do not enjoy the battles!! Leaders often inaccurately believe their team members are to blame or that they actually do not want to work together, but this rarely is the case. Often the main reason why team members do not work well together is because leaders in the organization are failing to follow some or all of the simple suggestions above.

As we unify our teams around a common purpose, create a crisis, and teach and reward contribution, our ability to eliminate internal fighting and silos within our organizations will greatly increase. And in turn, our ability to lead and be successful will grow. Good luck!!

To see how I rated this book click here

Built to Last

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When I first read Good to Great by Jim Collins, I instantly had the desire to read his first book called Built to Last and after many years, I finally did! And although I believe Good to Great in its entirety is a better book, some concepts in Built to Last are extremely valuable for all businesses and for all individuals as well. These principles when applied will help us achieve enduring success in life. Below are the top 4 ideas and concepts found in the book that I believe can help us reach success.

#1 The Power of the ‘AND’

The power of the ‘AND’ comes from the idea that we can be two contrasting things at the same time. For example, I can be extremely disciplined and extremely flexible at the same time or I can be level headed and a fanatical at the same time. Too often many of us settle for the ‘OR’. We believe that we have to choose between this ‘OR’ that, or that we have to find a balance between two contrasting extremes somehow. We fail to realize or believe or strive to have or be both. Companies and individuals who embrace the power of the ‘AND’ realize that being good at two different extremes is not only attainable but often necessary for long-term success. Different situations call for different abilities and as we embrace the power of the ‘AND’ and dismiss the fallaciousness of the ‘OR’ we will find success.

#2 The Power of the Core

So in exercise programs these days it seems the idea of focusing on strengthening the “core” is very popular. Likewise, the authors of Built to Last emphasize over and over again the importance of strengthening and preserving the core of a company. In the book, the core refers to who we are, why we exist, what we live for, our vision, values, and what we hope to become. In business, and I believe in life, we must protect this core at all costs. Sure practices, strategies, methods, programs, rules, policies etc. may change (and often need to) but the core can never change because the core is who we are and gives us meaning. When businesses or people try to change the core or ignore the core, or forget to strengthen and protect the core, they fail. Thus, we must always remain true to our core which includes our values and ultimate vision in life. Because without the core, our purpose for existing becomes nearly obsolete. This simple concept is the most central theme and probably the most powerful idea found in the book.

#3 Go Back to the Basics

The authors of the book believe there are basic, fundamental principles that must be applied at all times to be successful and I agree with them. Simple things such as the value of honesty, hard-work, persistence, and discipline never go away. These fundamental concepts have with stood the test of time and always produce success when practiced consistently. So, when we find ourselves looking too deep for a secret formula or an easy solution to our problems, we often must simply remember the basics that always lead to success.

#4 Get Out of the Comfort Zone

Finally, the book inspires us to get out of our comfort zone. Too often we settle for comfort over greatness and many times without realizing it. Staying in the comfort zone is dangerous because it does little to stimulate our progress whether for a business or an individual. In fact, great companies establish systems to eliminate complacency and create discomfort. I believe if we do the same in our personal lives—meaning we seek ways to create discomfort and force ourselves to stretch and grow—we will obtain higher levels of satisfaction and success. Thus, we must avoid getting too comfortable because when we do, our ability to progress is significantly reduced.

Believing in the power of the ‘AND’ and the core, focusing on the basics, and getting out of our comfort zone are all meaningful principles found in Built to Last that I believe will help us achieve greater success in life. As we apply these ideas, we will grow and progress and more fully reach our potential as leaders and as individuals.

To see how I rated this book click here.