• You’ve got to believe in your vision. No matter what…Believe.
• And then you’ve got to be willing to do the work to make it happen…Lead.
• And when the going gets tough, honor the emotions you have with it, and “climb back on”…Recover… 

Why? Because, first of all, if you don’t, who will? As the leader of your business and your life, you have to be the driver of your vision, the one to get folks engaged, the one making things happen, the one who believes. You’re the one that brings energy to the vision…and if it’s a true vision - if it’s congruent - that vision will bring energy to you. If you can do that, those around you will feel the heat and follow. They’ll likely line up to lead it with you (after all, just because it’s your vision, doesn’t mean you have to do it all alone! Quite the opposite actually!)

As you’ve heard me say many times over, “energy is contagious” - it’s no different here with the energy of a vision. The true, heartfelt energy of a good vision, authentically expressed, can be felt and “seen” by others. And it works both ways, if you’re not believing it, if you’re doubting it, if you let the naysayers in, if you shy away and play small…they feel that too. It’s easy to forget the bigness of heartfelt visions…and to doubt ourselves - we all do it, we’re human after all - what’s important is to notice when it’s happening, to identify why, to re-engage, to stay the course, to plant the seeds, to do the work, to believe, to be grateful, and to be patient. That’s it.

This isn’t to say that there won’t be days when you question it, fear it, or even curse it…often these feelings just come from being on the edge of a comfort zone and making something even bigger happen. Sometimes the feelings come from being “burnt out” and just needing some conscious disengagement time. Sometimes they come from the sheer vulnerability of a heartfelt vision and how dear and meaningful it can be to us. Whatever the case for you, you can recognize the feelings, acknowledge them authentically, give yourself some space, and then do what you need to do to take care of yourself or “climb back on.” The trick is in the self-awareness and the commitment at a deeper level to keep leaning back into that vision. The trick is in paying attention to the energy of the vision for yourself and making sure that it stays alive and congruent with what you really want. The trick is in keeping it real. And having the courage to keep going, despite fear, uncertainty, and doubt.

Food for thought. What is your vision? What are you believing in and what are you willing to do to make it happen? What are you willing to do to get better at it? To be the best? How long are you willing to be uncomfortable? Possibly unappreciated? Misunderstood? Even “unseen”? In service of making what you believe…happen? What will you do to bring your energy back up when you experience doubt? And when you’ve succeeded in your vision, how will you know?  Happy visioning. Happy energy. Happy living. Happy unfolding.

I’m going to go out on a limb and write a different kind of post today. I actually shouldn’t be posting - I’m prepping for a live call tomorrow on energy and leadership (big turnout so far, feel free to join us http://tinyurl.com/y9nve4k ), but I’m still thinking about these women and this experience. It’s just kind of stuck with me. There’s no profound leadership advice here except maybe to: make sure you get your preventative health care in, take good care of yourself, and dare to engage the things that terrify you (ie. a sinister looking medical tests) - in service of sticking around, feeling well, and having the most energy and stamina to lead for the things you care about (which technically is Bootist Leadership Tenet 3.) I’d also add in, the invitation to revisit what you’re grateful for in your life, and to give a special nod to the women in your life who you love, to the women you don’t even know - but appreciate, and to the women whose names you’ll never know but who’ve sat with you through something like this. Yes, leadership learning can be gleened from any situation, but for this post, let’s just talk about the power of the human spirit. And specifically, since it’s so fresh in my heart, women.

I work with women in business all day long (men too, but today this is a special post for the ladies in the house and the men who love them.) I have 4 younger sisters, a couple of mothers, and several really good girl friends. They’re all worth their weight in Platinum to me. There is just about not a single day that goes by that I’m not moved by something one of them does, says, moves through or gives me. Whether it’s in their business, with their kids, with their spouse, with their money, with boundaries, or with their leadership (it’s hard to distinguish the lines between each!) …each day the women in my life move me (yes, men, you too, but this is not about you! ;). It’s pretty powerful, and I am grateful to be a recepient, a witness, and/or even a catalyst in whatever way I can be.  Sitting in this waiting room yesterday - laughing about mammograms, dental appointments and Brazilian bikini waxes (afterall, what could be a more perfect trifecta of a day?) I was moved yet again. But in a different way. 

I do alot of work with people in their businesses on leadership and personal congruency and energy management. Part of the goal in our work together is often just to help them become even more of themselves, to unfold their authentic desires, visions, and styles of leadership, and to help them achieve more internal peace and positive energy. (Of course all of this is part of a virtuous cycle that then helps them be more effective in their work.) This internal peace and positive energy, I’ve always believed, comes from congruency. It also comes from gratitude. And it comes from connecting - just as you truly are.   

Often, when I’ll start with a new client, I’ll have them write their eulogy - what do they want their life to stand for at the end? What do they want to be remembered for? (If you want a short cut to figuring out the meaning of life and what’s really important to you - do this exercise with earnest.) What strikes me about this exercise, and I guess part of what struck me yesterday, is that all of the BS just goes away. Forget all the leadership training and “doing it right” and being strategic (yes, of course this is important, but roll with me here), forget “work/life balance,” and keeping up with the Jones or the Walmarts or the ???  Just forget it, and look to the core of what’s truly important. Underneath all that “stuff”, all the shoulds and the niceties and the chaos - is the essence of who you really are. And who we really are in relationship to others.

Unfortunately it often takes writing a eulogy, or sometimes a health scare, or a horrible catastrophic event, to reconnect - if even momentarily - with who we really are, to bring out our full humanity and vulnerability, and to live and connect from that beautiful place. I think part of what was so moving to me yesterday was that, despite the concern each of these women had for themselves, they were still able to laugh and connect and support each other; to giggle over the presence of coffee in the breast health center, to book Brazilians to round out the day, and to learn each others’ stories. Oddly, I don’t know a single one of their names (there were 5 of us and names seemed trite), but I do know alot about them, their spirit, their appreciation for life, and their willingness to stand in the face of the unknown - gracefullly.  It was a good day. And a day that I’ll continue to unpack the learning of for some time.

What are you appreciating about the women in your life? Talk to me. Men, chime in. //anese

Please join me on January 14th for an informative call on “3 Ways to Optimize the Energy & Productivity of Yourself & Your Team in 2010.” 

Sandra Martini, good friend and colleague of mine, and owner of SMG Communications, will be hosting me on this call to discuss this very important topic that often goes unnoticed or is taken for granted, yet reaps serious rewards and delivers a nice ROI on your bottom line - physically, emotionally, and yes, financially.

Sandy and I have worked together for the last couple of years in many capacities. Her business is all about helping small business owners streamline and optimize their systems so they can put their attention and focus where it’s most needed. To me, this translates into energy management. I have been a happy beneficiary of her services for years and rely on her team as part of my own “energy management system.”  Last month, when Sandy and I were discussing the importance of energy in leadership, and its impact on teams, we decided to do this call together to bring you an extra level of insight.

Please join me, on this hosted call with Sandy, as my guest. You can register by going to the call registration page here.

Call date: Thursday, January 14, 2010

Call time:  3:00-4:00 p.m. CST

When you register you’ll be given call in information and all that good stuff that goes with it. Please feel free to forward this announcement on to your colleagues who would benefit from learning more about this “secret weapon” in leadership.

Hope to see you there!

Boots on?

P.S. For those of you practicing Bootist Leadership^TM or who are interested in learning more about “Bootism^TM” - “Energy Leadership” and “Systems Work” are primary components in the Model. They are foundational; so much so that they have their very own Tenets (Tenet 3: Conscious energy leadership & vitality are the secret weapons to sustainable and effective leadership. And Tenet 6: Systems that support and stimulate create the foundation to “get it done” in a more rewarding and effective way.)

Join us for this call to learn more!

The beginning of the year is a great time to look at this and set some intentions moving forward. One of the best ways I know to “put your boots” on is to make some promises to yourself and set some solid intentions and action plans for the year coming up. While it may be tempting to “slip back into those slippers” when you find “curves or mountains ahead” on your path, or when you look back and have to pull learning from rough or “failed” trails - it’s essential to your growth and success as a spirit and a leader to do so. Good news; the boots will help you stand in your strongest self, tell yourself the truth, access your most effective resource state, and move forward as powerfully as possible. Really.

So put your boots on, click your heels together, and join me for some possible New Year’s intention/planning/musing activities. Do one or all - whatever strikes your fancy!

“Boots On” Option 1: Hit the questions on my blog - take them seriously and see what you can create.

“Boots On” Option 2: Pick a theme for 2010. A word. A phrase. A mantra. Whatever. Last year mine was “leverage, connection, quality, and contribution” - those words served me greatly this year and did a lot for my business and spirit. This next year I’ve chosen the 4G’s for myself: “grace, gratitude, growth and ——–” (Can you guess? Email me, if you get it right I’ll give you a surprise.) These words, along with my intentions and criteria (in business and my personal life) will help guide me in 2010. What words or feelings pull you right now as you head into this new chapter?

“Boots On” Option 3: Pick a Tenet from the Bootist Leadership Model to lean into hard (and gracefully) this year. The actual tenets are listed in full on the LeadingWithBootsOn.com site - click here to access them. In a nutshell - here are 7 areas you could focus on that will give you more direction, intention and impact in the new year - IF you stay focused and do the work.

1. Your vision
2. Your self-awareness
3. Your energy & vitality
4. Your relationships
5.  Your mindset & leadership presence
6. Your systems
7. Your leadership impact

Energy, leadership, relationships, and congruency with self - that’s the name of the Bootist Game - how will you play it?

That’s all for now. Make it count. And really - if you’re ready to dive in and create some real shifts with your business, your team, or your life in 2010 - let’s talk “boot”.

Other indicators of “this time of the year again” are the countless holiday email cards, the e-videos, the end of the year advice, and some really beautiful music. These amongst many others (I’m sure you have yours! One of which may include the promotion already of Valentine’s Day coming up - Yowza!) - signify the end of the old year, the preview to the next. Love, generosity, gratitude, magic and  melancholy abound.

This week between Christmas and New Years is one of my favorites. People tend to be taking a bit of time off, I kind of “shut down” my office, extra time with kids and family, an extra workout in here and there (the snow makes for an interesting twist), and even time to read a good book or two. In fact, truth be told - yesterday I indulged in a couple of hours of “Sex in the City” and “Mad Men” episodes that I’ve wanted to watch but have never found the time for “since there’s always so much to do!”  It’s a good time of the year. Regardless of what’s happening in our lives; challenges, highlights, sad stuff, happy stuff, conflicts, whatever…I find that it’s a “hybernation week” that allows for healing, breathing, sleeping, appreciation, and of course that occassional episode of brainless tv or movie going!

That said, it’s also a great time to do some final reflection as we head into 2010. Below are some questions I invite you to ponder should you find yourself in a reflective mood. If not, dive into those extra delights - and if you’d like to dive into the depths of you - where you’ve been and where you’re going - dive into these questions (all listed below if you “read more…”) Even better…do both! Stay warm, stay grateful and Happy New Year! xo anese

Reflection for 2009…things to think about to celebrate and take with you…

•  What’s happened this year that has gone well?
• What are you most proud of?
• How have you grown this year?
• What learning do you want to make sure you take with you into 2010?
• What do you have to celebrate?
• What are you grateful for
• What do you want to do even better in 2010?
• What do you want to be better, and who will you need to “be” to make that happen? (With your mindset, presence, leadership, etc.) What will you have to do? Etc…
• What promises do you want to make to yourself for 2010? Promises to others?
• And finally, pull any challenges or “bad things” from 2009, find the gift in them, pull the learning, the outcomes, etc. What good things have happened because of these challenges, that might not have, without them?

Quick note: If you want to get a copy of the Bootism(tm) paper, act quickly. You can access it by signing in on the right hand side of this blog (see where it says “name and email address”?) The paper will be available for a limited time as we’re getting ready to replace it soon, so if you want it - go get it!

Thought for the day: I’ve been working with clients all day and have had a couple of interesting themes come up in our calls. One I thought I’d share is one that is so simple, we complexity loving human beings forget to use it more often. Here it is…You know that feeling you get when you’re nervous, being “careful”, tense, not sure what’s bugging you, or just don’t know what to do? Think about how it shows up for you. (Tension, babbling, avoidance, jumping to solutions, “I know it all”/”prove it” energy, deflection, lack of eye contact, low energy, amped energy, high blood pressure, etc….Okay, got it? Now think about how it impacts your communication and relationships with others. Just notice.

People sense what’s going on for us, even underneath the surface. They feel our energy. They can sense when we’re sincere, when we’re present, when we’re paying attention, or when we’re nervous, careful or tense. They feel it. They may not know exactly what it is, but they feel it. What I notice is that when we try to “talk” or “work” around those feelings by rushing or getting the words “just right” - we’re skipping over fertile ground for learning, relationship building, and better solutions. Afterall, it doesn’t help to fly right past it, and it doesn’t really matter how “right” the words are if our energy is off. In fact, this will often result in the individual reading more into the situation because he/she will make up what that “energy” is about - and often misinterpret it (and usually not in a positive way.)

Simple solution? Ready? It’s so simple you’re going to say either “duh” or “I couldn’t do that” - let’s see which is true for you…Simple solution? Name it. Name the emotion or tension you’re experiencing. Get it out of the way. Use it to build a bridge and break the tension/nerves. “Wow, I’m feeling really anxious about delivering this feedback to you.” “Hmmm…I notice I’m feeling really careful about telling you this.” “You know, something seems off in our relationship, and I just can’t put my finger on it…let’s figure it out.” “Wow, I really don’t know what to do here, what do you think?” When you “name it” - it loses its power and you can actually do something about it together. When you “name it” you actually increase trust and credibilty (even when you say “I don’t know”) and the end result is more likely to be a better outcome and a stronger relationship along the way.

Want more tips and information like this? There’s plenty! Sign up in the opt-in box, get on my list, and you’ll recieve a ton of articles to support you in your leadership adventures.

1. Acknowledgement and connection: In “Boot Speak” I call this “12 Hugs” (read the paper – opt in on the right – for an explanation of this.) “12 hugs” are about truly acknowledging the human beings you work with and taking the time to connect with them, to fully engage – fully present - with them – if even for 1 minute. An acknowledgement recognizes someone for who they “be” or who they are, while a compliment recognizes someone for what they do or what they’ve done. The acknowledgement cuts to the essence of them as a human being and has an impact of having them feel seen and appreciated. Compliments are great too of course, but acknowledgements, in my experience, are much more powerful. Use what is real for you. Engagement Booster #1: Acknowledge and connect – authentically and with full engagement - and do it often.

2. Bring joy to yourself and your organization – do the little things: I call this “Cupcakes” (again, check out the paper.) Cupcakes are about indulging in those extra things in your life that may seem luxurious or extra and are really not necessary, but boy do they make you feel good. They increase your joy factor, they nurture your body and spirit, they just feel good. The impact? Happy, energized, fulfilled people make better leaders. Better leaders increase engagement naturally by who they are and how they show up. What are cupcakes? Well “cupcakes” can be things like making cupcakes with your kids (this is one of mine), taking an afternoon off, taking a “white space” day to regroup with yourself and your vision, getting a massage, taking a balloon ride, getting yourself flowers or a bottle of good wine, etc…they can be anything – you know what yours are. Go make them. Engagement Booster #2: “Eat your cupcakes” and share them with others too (or not! )

3. Replace assumptions with curiosity: Did you get your degree from the University of MSU? My colleague John Foster shared this term with me last year and I thought it was brilliant. The University of Making Stuff Up – most of us have at least one degree from there (present company included!) – some of us have a PhD at that particular institution. We all do it – the trick is to know when we’re doing it and be conscious about what we want to do with it. If you were to do something else to add to positive energy and joy and engagement in your organization – this would be another place to look. Check your assumptions at the door. Check them out. Even better, just don’t make them. As human assumption making machines, I notice often these assumptions tend to lean towards the negative (shocking, right?) What’s interesting to watch is how draining they can be, how much energy they take up, how quickly they ripple out, and how unproductive they are (check it out for yourself – do they help things go right or create more aggravation?) If you must make them – make them work for you (ie. assume good or positive intentions), if you can’t do that, at least check them out. Engagement Booster #3? Bust assumptions and get curious instead.

Just thoughts on a beautiful morning here in St. Charles. What are your thoughts? Chime in…//anese

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I’m getting ready to sign off for a couple of days of family, food, fun, movies, games, some nice runs along the river, and some “me” time. Every year, with gratitude being one of my favorite energy producing leadership and connection tools, I write something about it for my clients and subscribers. This year I’m sharing it on the blog as well. All I can say is this…if you’ve got gratitude, lead with it. If you don’t think you do, look for it. And if you aren’t doing so, express it. And soon. And more. After all as Gertrude Stein (1874-1946) once said “Silent gratitude isn’t very much use to anyone.”

If you’d like the full article (as well as additional articles) make sure you opt in on the box on the right. In the meantime, enjoy the poem below. Thanks for being here, have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and let’s get ready for 2010. “See” you next week!

Leading With Gratitude Poem - Anese Cavanaugh

Leading with Gratitude

Through our life it’s important to know,

The people and events that have helped us grow.

These events have challenged us, sometimes taken us to task,

And to get through them, of leadership, we have often been asked.

They maybe simple, or entirely complex,

They maybe fleeting, or a lifetime of events.

Whatever the case there’s a gift to be had,

Whether we view the situation as terrific or bad.

For being called to lead is a gift in itself,

We can lead through the challenge - or put it on the back shelf.

Authenticity, courage, engagement and play,

Are things that can help us everyday.

Gratitude, conviction, honesty and trust,

Are more than qualities, an absolute must.

For in leadership, the situations and people that challenge us most, 

Are one’s that bring the greatest gifts, and ask us to get close:

“Close” to our awareness, strengths, heart and courage,

“Close” to hanging in there and “staying” even when discouraged.

And gratitude is that special gift that helps us step up to the test,

Lead with gratitude, appreciate the challenge, and give “it’s hard” a rest.

The power is in thanking the challenge for coming into your life - and then finding the learning.

And you can rest assured, that whatever the case,

it will be much more powerful then churning.

Thank the people who are in your life, for all the gifts they bring,

No matter who they are to you, gratitude will make both spirits sing.

Be it a colleague or a confidante, a brother or a sister,

a parent or an in-law, a friend or a great listener,

a team mate or a direct report, a mentor or a “boss”,

a champion, an advocate, a naysayer, or even ”person cross”, 

find the gifts, take the good and bad, look for that secret sauce,

lead with gratitude, keep it real, and you will never be at a loss.

So when the going gets tough, work your stuff,
Discover what’s true for you.
Lead your energy, hold your space, you’ll know what to do.

Stay strong, stay true, lead your attitude, 

And when in doubt, step on out,
and lead with gratitude.

Copyright © 2007-2010. Anese Cavanaugh. All rights reserved.

First off, it’s uncomfortable. At first you feel like you’re gonna gag, your eyes may tear up, it may be hard to communicate to your peers, and your gag reflex makes you want to choke it up, spit it out, quit. Problem with that is that if you do any of these, you gave up too fast, the spinach doesn’t get digested, the organizational change doesn’t happen, and you’re back to square one – possibly having to gobble it down again (and maybe with a better strategy, but who’s to say?) Second off, it’s green – organizational change is green for a couple of reasons – 3 that I think of now are – it’s new for everyone, it’s got to have time to grow like grass, and it’s not always a pretty color. Third, if you throw it back up, you’ve made a big mess, and it’s probably better not to have started eating it in the first place, plus your dinner companion and employees may be less likely to believe you’ll follow through the next time.

Now on occasion, you really are choking, so it’s time to signal for help, call in the troops, get support, get the hymlic. But more often, you just gotta go with it, take the big gulp, swallow and eat your spinach. It’s how Popeye got strong and it’s how your organization can get strong. Just note to self to make sure you’re thoughtful about it, cut it into the right size pieces, “eat” with the right people, and pay attention as it’s going down.

Speaking of Ari, Zingerman’s, leadership, and organizational change, Zingerman’s ZingTrain has a couple of really great seminars that you ought to check out if you’re serious about creating positive organizational change in your company, becoming a “small giant”, getting better at training, engaging your organization in “open book finance” and many other things. There’s a whole bunch of information on the main ZingTrain site. In fact, they have a really special seminar coming up next week – on the 19th and 20th – called “Small Giants: Creating a Vision of Greatness” that Ari co-leads with Bo Burlingham (author of the Small Giants: Companies That Choose to be Great Instead of Big book  and the Editor-at-large of Inc. Magazine.) DTE clients get a special rate on all ZingTrain Seminars, for this one, there’s an extra special arrangement for all clients and subscribers that we worked out after I survived my little spinach incident—for this seminar you get to bring one colleague, companion or co-worker for free when you sign up for the seminar this week. Basically, buy one, get one free.

If you want to come, let me know or email Ari at ari@zingermans.com – code word “SPINACH.” If you have questions on Small Giants, feel free to write to Ari directly or to Bo at boburlingham@aol.com – code word “POPEYE.” To spinach and organizational change….