I am honored to share with you a guest post from Frank Sonnenberg.  It is adapted from his wonderful new book, Managing with a Conscience: How to Improve Performance Through Integrity, Trust, and Commitment (2nd edition). Frank is a marketing strategist and top marketing author who has written four books and published over 300 articles.

Trust is the fabric that binds us together, creating an orderly, civilized society from chaos and anarchy.

If we can’t trust our husband or our wife, if we can’t trust our children, if we can’t trust our boss or our colleagues, if we can’t trust our preacher or our senator, then we have nothing on which to build a stable way of life. Trust is not an abstract, theoretical, idealistic goal forever beyond our reach. Trust—or a lack of it—is inherent in every action that we take and affects everything that we do.

Trust is the cement that binds relationships, keeping spouses together, business deals intact, and political systems stable. Without trust, marriages fail, voters become apathetic, and organizations flounder. Without trust, no company can ever hope for excellence.

There has, however, been a deep, fundamental change in the way we view the world today, and, as a result, trust is no longer fashionable. Few adults can remember a world without cynicism. Where “death do us part” once had meaning, today one of two new marriages ends in divorce and countless others exist in name only. Politicians who were once solid members of the community are dropping out of campaigns due to scandals and irregularities. Employees who once believed in devoting their entire working lives to one organization have seen so many colleagues tossed out in restructurings and outsourcings that those who remain are often left emotionally uninvolved in their jobs.

The trust deficit is a sea change from the time when a person’s word was his bond, when employees worked for one company until they retired, when business deals were made on the basis of “I know your father” or “We’ve worked with your company before.”

These were all ways of saying we recognize your values, understand how much your reputation means to you, and know how you conduct business. These values resulted in increased business, stronger customer loyalty, better employee morale, reduced turnover, and higher profit margins.

If businesses are to thrive in the global marketplace, trust must be more than something that is talked about; it must be at the core of everything that is done. Organizations cannot be jungles where only the fittest survive, living in a state of battle readiness in order to meet the grueling tests of everyday corporate life.

In organizations, trust is like love in a marriage: it bonds people together and makes them strong and effective.

Trust in a relationship increases security, reduces inhibitions and defensiveness, and frees people to share feelings and dreams. Trust empowers you to put your deepest fears in the palms of your colleagues’ hands, knowing that they will be treated with care. Trust enables you to be yourself and maintain your own values without worrying about acceptance. Trust makes colleagues willing to spend time together and make sacrifices for one another. Trust is an expression of faith that makes it easy for colleagues to have confidence in one another’s ability to perform well and to know that they will be there if needed. Trust means that promises made will be kept, and it also means that if a promise is not kept, it was probably for good cause. And finally, trust means that a relationship will last not because it is good business, but because the relationship itself is valued.

What can each of us do to ensure trust is “fashionable” once again?

IndustryWeek named the first edition of Managing with a Conscience one of the Top Ten Business Books of the Year.   Trust Across America named Sonnenberg one of the Top 100 Thought Leaders of 2010.  In 2011, Social Media Marketing Magazine (SMM) selected Sonnenberg as one of the top marketing authors in the world on Twitter (@FSonnenberg, @A_Conscience).  To learn more about Frank visit his blog: http://www.franksonnenbergonline.com “Our mission is to spur conversation about the urgent need to reawaken personal values and personal responsibility.” © 2011 Frank Sonnenberg. All rights reserved.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO WIN A FREE SIGNED COPY OF FRANK’s BOOK?

Simply enter a comment below and you will be entered to win one of three copies in a random drawing.  Winners will be selected on January 17th and notified via e-mail.

My daughter and I went to see the movie We Bought a Zoo yesterday.  She and her friends loved it so much they clapped spontaneously at least 3 times during the movie, as did I right along with them.

It warmed my heart to see three 6^th grade girls so moved and inspired.  They didn’t even seem to mind that we were the only ones clapping either.

In the movie, Benjamin Mee, the unlikely zookeeper, shares the most important thing he learned from his brother.  I may not have the exact phrasing, but he said something like this:

“All you need is 20 seconds of courage and a lot of hope and you can do something magical.”

Amazingly simple.  Incredibly powerful.

As a new year begins this thought continues to is run through my mind.  We can spend so much time thinking about and planning for a new year.  The turning of the clock to January 1^st brings with it a magical sense of a clean slate.

This year we all get a fresh chance to do better and be better.

For at least a moment the notion that “this could be my best year” ever seems entirely possible.

Yet it is the moments we cannot possibly plan for that can make all the difference and can be the turning points and possibly even the source of magic in our lives.

In an instant there can be one of those opportunities to do or say something courageous to make a difference or to take one giant step closer to turning a possibility into a reality.

Whatever your goals and dreams are for 2012 I encourage you to be on the lookout for those moments of opportunity to be courageous…and to take them!

In the language of “Random Acts of Leadership” I call these moments of courage opportunities to commit an act of leadership.  Whether you see yourself as a leader or not you can commit acts of leadership that can profoundly shape the future.  Promise yourself you will not just to see the opportunities, but that you will seize them.

There are 31,536,000 seconds in an ordinary year.  Since 2012 is a leap year you have an extra 86,400 seconds this year.  That’s over a million and a half 20 second opportunities to make something magical happen in your life or the lives of others.

All it takes is 20 seconds to speak up and be heard, to step up and be seen, to stand up and be known in order to make a difference in whatever matters most to you.

May your year be filled with moments worth clapping for!

In Label Me Not I wrote about the cost of labeling others.  Quite a few people asked if a label can ever really be removed, and if so, how?

Here are some thoughts on how you can apply the fundamental acts of leadership – speaking up, stepping up and standing up – to take back your personal power in the face of feeling diminished or limited by a label.

Speak Up

If you feel you have been labelled in a way that limits or diminishes you in some way, don’t let it slide – speak up.

First assess whether the label assigned was intended to be derogatory or limiting or whether you just related to it that way.  If it was intentionally derogatory or diminishing speak up to let them know you won’t tolerate being diminished.  If you aren’t willing to or don’t believe it is wise to confront the offense head on then make sure you are prepared with what you will say the next time that label is assigned to you to more subtly send the signal that it is not ok with you.

On the other hand, the label assigned may have occurred as limiting to you because that person only sees one facet of who you are.  In that case consider it feedback about how you are occurring to some people in the world.  Then decide whether it is worth the effort to expand this particular person’s or groups view of you.  If it is, then speak up and let them know more about who you are and what you offer.

If it is someone who you know cares about you, speaking up is a no brainer – they will want to know.  Just make sure you own the label in terms of how it occurred to you as opposed to using language that may leave them feeling bad they harmed you in some way.

Step Up

Stepping up is about taking personal responsibility through your actions for who you are, how you occur, and what you do in the world regardless of your circumstances or what other people do or say.

In this case it means starting by owning the label to the extent it is valid.  It may not be a blanket truth about you, but it may point to how you occur in some situations and/or with some people. You can learn a lot by the words people use to describe you.  Of course not all of those words are unflattering either – some labels you may actually want to let stick!

Once you can see how your behavior might be eliciting the label assigned though, consider what changes you can make in your actions (or perhaps even in your reactions) to begin to shift that perception of you.  Start simple by choosing one change to make.  Then step up and make it.

Stand Up

Standing up is about being willing to declare a commitment and then backing up that commitment with your words and deeds.

Who better to take a stand for than yourself!  To do that you need to be clear about how you want to be known in the world and then letting others know who you are consistently over time with your words and deeds.

Note that when your words and deeds aren’t a match for who you say you are all there is to do is correct course.  None of us are perfect and if you are taking a bold stand it is going to take work to become who you declare yourself to be.  Don’t let that stop you from taking a stand for you.

Consider the label someone else assigns or has assigned to you may even apply to who you have been n the past.  That doesn’t mean you have to let it stick though.  Once again use it as feedback and continue to modify your behavior to transcend the label for yourself.

However, when someone assigns a label to you that doesn’t fit who you know yourself to be, then choose to speak up, step up or let it go.

Sometimes the best way to deal with a label is to not let it stick to you internally in the first place. Besides, just because someone says it doesn’t make it true and doesn’t mean you have to internalize it even though that is how you occur to them.

In the end the only person who can truly make a label stick to you is you.  Choose wisely.

And always remember this…

People are like diamonds with many facets, each one reflecting a distinctive light into the world. Together they shine with a unique and magnificent brilliance.

May you shine brightly because the world needs all of you.

Earlier this year I was sitting at a table of 6 people I did not know in the role of a coach. One of the participants shared what she had accomplished and a challenge she faced right now.

I listened to her story.  She was quite inspiring. There were many directions I could have gone with my response. As a coach, perhaps even more than in any other role I play, I am aware there are never “right answers” or a single best response. There are only questions and perspectives that can be offered for consideration.

What happened next caught me by surprise. And it was only later that I realized what had happened and why I reacted the way I did.

Another coach at the table jumped in and began by saying “Susan is clearly a blueprinter, and I am a firestarter…” I don’t recall what came just after that as that little voice in my head piped in taking my attention away from the speaker.  I was irritated and in that moment not quite sure exactly why because I typically love to hear alternate perspectives.

I pushed away my thoughts and managed to mentally return before missing too much of what she said.  As I listened though my mild irritation escalated into major annoyance. It was interesting to me I could feel so annoyed in that moment, yet at the same time really appreciate the perspective being offered.

I was surprised by my reaction and wondered “why the heck am I reacting so strongly?”

The word “blueprinter” was clearly not assigned in a negative context and I am certain there was no malintent.  On the surface it looked like a good way to segue into an alternative point of view.

It wasn’t until later I realized what had happened for me.

This person, someone who did not even know me at all, had stuffed me into a “box”.

I felt at once confined and diminished by a simple linguistic act – I was given a label.

It may have even been a valid assessment about me, at least at some level. However, given I was not familiar with the distinction so authoritatively assigned to me, I had no choice, but to accept it.

Categories are not inherently a bad thing.  Your mind is constantly assigning categories to everything to help you make sense of your world.  The ability to categorize is essential to functioning in a complex world.

There is, however, a big difference between using categories in our own minds and overtly assigning them as a label to another.

Using distinctions to understand ourselves better is often very empowering. Tools such as Meiers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Kolbe Index can be great tools for fostering understanding of ourselves and others.  When applied in a group setting and done well they can improve our effectiveness in how we relate to one another.

However, even these well thought out tools can be misused when the distinctions provided are used as labels that oversimplify who someone is and confine who they can be in our world view and the world view of others.

The moment you overtly assign a category to someone else in the world you are not just making sense of your world, you are influencing theirs.

This is because when you overtly assign a category to someone, in other words label them, you influence not only how they see themselves, but how others see them as well.  If you are in a leadership role it is a good idea to be particularly mindful about this because positional labels such as “manager” or “vice-president” or “chairperson”  often add even more authority to the labels you assign.

Does that mean you should stop using categories?

Of course not. You couldn’t even if you tried. And when you become well versed in a tool that distinguishes categories you can’t help but see people through those lenses. The understanding you gain from such inquiries can be very helpful in guiding your interactions with others.

If, however, you want to empower and support others in living into their full potential consider keeping your labels to yourself.

Instead of telling someone who they are, leaders listen for and paint a possibility of who someone can be.

The former relegates someone to a box from which it may be hard to escape, while the latter creates an environment in which there is not only room to grow, but also a compelling reason to try.

What do you think?

During the Holiday Season opportunities to express our appreciation abound.

What will you do with those opportunities?

Will you say the obligatory words and make the expected gestures – a business as usual approach to appreciation?  Or will you take these opportunities to stretch yourself to truly make a difference through your appreciation?

Appreciation has two very important purposes – to let someone know you care and to let them know they matter.

With these two objectives in mind consider how you can transform your practice of appreciation from “business as usual” to acts of generosity and leadership.

Here is my “recipe” for appreciating people in a way that will enrich both you and them.  The ingredients are Action, Quality and Impact.  Stir them all together with heart and authenticity and be prepared to be inspired.

Action

What did someone do that stood out for you as a special and distinct expression of this individual?  And be specific – specific to the individual or team.  If it sounds like your appreciation could apply to a lot of people or any great team then you will know specificity is missing.

For example, thank you for your hard work may be a start, but if that is where you stop you are missing the point.  Anyone can work hard and a lot of people do.  Consider what they specifically worked hard at that sets them apart from others who may have worked just as hard.

Challenge yourself to look past the default sentiments that can too easily sound like a generic hallmark card.  For example, in the face of daunting circumstance (e.g., your power was out for four days from a hurricane) you somehow met every deadline and delivered the project on time.

Qualities

It is not just what people do, it is often how they do it that can have them stand out and give you something distinctive to appreciate about them.

2 people can do the same job, yet one person may stand out because of who they are being in the process of doing that job.  For example, they were calm no matter how crazy things got, they were willing to learn beyond their comfort zone, they were particularly compassionate and supportive of their colleagues, etc.

Think about the adjectives you would use to uniquely describe how they do what they do (or did what they did). For example, my Aunt baked us a cheesecake for Thanksgiving because she can’t be with us this year for our holiday dinner.  We could stop at “thank you so much for the wonderful cake”.  Or we could add something like: thank you for always being there even when you can’t be with us; or you know we love your cheesecakes, but most of all we really appreciate the love and care you put into everything you make for us.

Taking your appreciation to this next step not only has someone feel appreciated for their actions, but also has them feel known for who they are.

Impact

Every action and every quality or way of being has an impact on us and on others.  If you really want people to feel appreciated and known then you can take your appreciation to another level by naming the impact their actions had for you and others, including the impact of  who they were being in the process of taking action.

This is one of the best ways to show people that they are actually demonstrating leadership through their everyday actions. Every time someone does something that impacts others in a forwarding and contributing way consider they have committed an act of leadership.

To build on the last example of my aunt’s cake, we might add something like thank you for finding a way to be there even when you cannot be with us.  You will be missed.

Here is another example building on “in the face of daunting circumstance you somehow met every deadline and delivered the project on time.”  You might add something like “no matter how crazy things get, we always know we can count on you” or “Somehow you always remain calm and that helps to keep the rest of the team focused and on track.”

My challenge to you between now and the end of the year:  go one step further in every expression of appreciation and make sure the people in your life are left knowing just much you care and how much they matter.

“Character is what happens when life scratches itself onto your soul.”

from It’s Not About You by Bob Burg and John David Mann

It’s Not About You is a compelling story that doesn’t just talk about the kind of leadership that resonates in today’s world; it shows you what it looks like in action.  It is filled with simple yet rich distinctions and brings the wisdom to life through a well crafted story.

For me the story demonstrates the power of letting go of what we want for ourselves, and even what we want for others, and stepping into the world of what others want for themselves.  Ultimately that is the source of our influence.

Letting go of thinking we do know or should know what others need and what is right for them is perhaps one of the biggest challenges leaders face today, especially those who have risen through the ranks in more traditional organizations.

Ultimately our true source of power may come from recognizing, despite our best attempts, we cannot control what others think or believe, nor can we control their choices.  In the end the main character demonstrates the antithesis of what I would call the “used car salesman”.  It is his journey to this realization that makes this book full of insight into ourselves.

When I say “used car salesman” there is a reason it conjures up visions, and for many of us memories, of being manipulated.  We all know that feeling of having to resist the convincing and cajoling behavior.  It puts us on gaurd.  Even when the logic makes perfect sense, we somehow have that sixth sense they are out to take rather than give and we must protect ourselves.

It is easy to unwittingly become our own version of the “used car salesman” when we are focused on ourselves and what we think.  We can have the best of intentions, have all the facts, and feel confident we know what is right.  Our content and presentation may be flawless.  We may even convince some by our flash and/or eloquence.  Yet even if the choice in the moment is a “yes”, that “yes” probably won’t last in today’s world.

This book was a potent reminder of the potential cost of an “I know best” attitude when it comes to relationships.  Embracing the notion that “it’s not about you” is simple, but certainly not easy.  I am appreciative of the wisdom John David Mann and Bob Burg share in this book to help me stay the course despite the all too human tendency to focus on myself.

So when you find yourself thinking you know best, keep in mind it might be costing you more than you think.

When we don’t trust the people we work for, it can be very difficult to lead.  When trust is lacking we are more likely to try to figure out what “they” want and how we can play it safe than we are to speak up, step up or stand up in any noticeable way.

When we don’t trust our peers we are likely to build a virtual fortress around our particular silo of responsibilities.  Once again the focus is on protecting ourselves and our turf.

When trust is lacking, fear is present.

Protection is the typical strategy for dealing with people and situations in which our trust is weak. We may not even feel particularly afraid.  In fact the better we are at protecting ourselves, our people and/or our turf we may just experience an illusion of safety rather than the fear that is pressing on us to take protective action.  We may even experience the satisfaction of winning every time our protective maneuvers pay off.

Consider the real value of trust, however, is not ultimately that we feel safe to be where we are.

Effectively protecting ourselves from those we don’t trust can create the same effect, except in this circumstance fear is driving us to mitigate the perceived risks.  I use the qualifier “perceived” because whether real or imagined, the feeling of fear is very real.

The real value of being able to trust others is this:  trust creates a condition in which you are more likely to choose to face your fear to do something that matters even if it does scare you.

Mistrust puts our focus on mitigating risks.  Trust fortifies our courage to risk leading the way.

I was reminded recently of this when I had to choose whether to back down on an issue or continue to press on the the face of the resistance of someone with whom I was working.  I could have chosen keeping the peace over ensuring my concerns were fully addressed.

Everything inside of me wanted to back down and take the path of least resistance to keep everyone happy.  Yet it was because I trust this person and believe they trust me that the discomfort of the moment was less important than the achieving the best possible outcome.  It was difficult.  It was uncomfortable.  There were moments when I felt frustrated.

It was even a little scary since I seem to have been wired from a young age to keep the peace.  To this day challenging someone for any reason feels uncomfortable.  So far there is no amount of trust in anyone that has ever changed the way it feels for me.  The degree of trust, however, makes the difference in just how willing I am to press on to forward my commitments despite the discomfort.

I also had to choose to trust myself. I had to make sure in the process I was being trustworthy.

In this case it meant I had to check in with myself a few times along the way to make sure I was keeping my attention on doing what was best for the team rather than reacting when I was triggered or getting caught up in the all too human need to being right.

There were a lot of times along the way in this exchange where it didn’t feel very good.  There is a myth that when we work with people we trust it is always going to be easy and comfortable.

That may be true if we want to stay right where we are, but if we aspire to anything together there will be times we put our trust to the test.

And every time we do and we succeed, our foundation of trust grows that much stronger and ensures we will be ready for the next even bigger test.  Of course, sometimes we may fail.  In the wake of that failure we may have misunderstandings.  It may take some honest conversations to reestablish trust.  Yet this is not an indication that trust is permanently lost or broken, but rather an indication that we have more work to do to build the foundation of trust necessary to fulfill on our aspirations.

When we know someone has our back we are more likely to speak up, step up, and stand up for something that matters to us.

We are more likely to challenge the status quo for the sake a future possibility.   When we are surrounded by people we trust we actually believe the future we want is possible and that our willingness to take a risk serves more than just ourselves.

When we choose to trust the people around us, we are willing to risk feeling uncomfortable for the sake of a higher purpose.

What about you: Do you have sufficient trust in your relationships to face your fears for the sake of doing something remarkable?

Meetings are a persistent source of complaints.  We complain there are too many of them, they are not productive, they waste our time, and they take up valuable time during which we could actually be getting work done to name a few.

While giving a talk recently titled “3 Simple Ways Anyone Can Lead Everyday” I let the phrase “meetings suck” slip out of my mouth.  I don’t usually say it so crassly, but the sea of nodding heads seemed to indicate I had hit on an unfortunate “truth”.

Meetings all too often suck our time, our energy, our productivity, and our enthusiasm.

On the other hand meetings also present one of the most significant opportunities for anyone to lead every day regardless of level or role in the meeting.  After all, if any group of people share this persistent complaint, at least on occasion, why not do something about it?

Yes, we have all attended meetings that sucked.  But they don’t have to if you are willing to provide personal leadership.

Follow these three very simple ground rules. and you can provide leadership in any meeting you attend.  Enroll a group of people in embracing them and you can together transform every meeting you have together.

1.  Stay in One Conversation

There is a natural tendency for people to have conversations on the side.  It’s one of those things we know we shouldn’t do, but can’t seem to help ourselves.  The reasons why don’t matter.  If the conversation you are in isn’t worth everyone’s attention, including yours, then you should find a way to move the conversation on to another more important topic or start paying attention.  Anything less is disrespectful and not productive.

Even when it is just you and one other person this ground rule applies.  Have you ever been talking with someone and you are not really there, but instead distracted by the conversation you are having in your head?  When you catch yourself doing it stop.  You may even just want to own up to it so you can refocus and let the other person know you respect them enough to be responsible for your bad behavior.

2.  Listen for the Gold

Do you listen, I mean really listen, to what people have to say?  It is not easy, especially when you know people already.  Giving people your full attention is one of the best ways to honor them.  If you think you know what someone is going to say, try actively listening for something new.  Ask questions.  And be mindful of the tendency to be thinking about what you are going to say next rather than listening to what people are saying.

Consider that if you have “heard it all before” maybe there is no reason to meet or perhaps you need to ask a different question or talk about a different topic to accomplish what you need to accomplish.  But if you are going to show up at least listen for the value, the “gold”, in what people have to say.  We hear what we listen for.  You might just learn something new.  Now wouldn’t that be productive?

3.  Speak to Make a Difference

We speak at meetings for a lot of reasons – to answer a question, to offer our expertise, to make a point, to defend our point of view, to build political capital, etc.  Yet no matter what we have to say it is important to first consider does what I have to say make a difference given the purpose of THIS conversation.  One of the most unproductive habits we can bring to group conversations is to speak about things that aren’t relevant to the conversation at hand.

So before you speak ask yourself: will what I am about to say contribute to the intention or intended outcome of THIS interaction?  This isn’t about being positive or negative either.  Sometimes the thing that could make the biggest difference is the thing people don’t want to say or hear.

What would be possible if every one of us took on the perspective that the success of every meeting we attend or conversation we have was up to us?

These ground rules are a way to do just that.

Do you have any to add?

As I work with a client on a project involving a survey, I am reflecting on all of the employee opinion surveys I have been involved with through the years as both an employee and a consultant.

I find myself thinking about the real purpose of surveys – are they being used  to empower progress or as a crutch when communication isn’t working?

Whether you are among those completing a survey or among those asking the questions, you have an opportunity to choose whether you want to use this as an opportunity to lead or not.   Consider if the only way you think you can give or get straight feedback is to participate in or conduct an anonymous survey then what does that say about your leadership?

There are 3 major pitfalls to be mindful of when you intend to use a survey as a way to inform your focus as a leader:

1.  A survey does not foster personal responsibility. In fact it can reinforce a victim mentality and fuel any underlying “us” vs. “them” dynamics.   “Us” refers to the people who have no power to affect change and “them” refers to those whose fault “it” is and the only ones with the power to affect change.  If “us” and “them” can’t talk to each other you had best start there.

2.  People do not take ownership of a solving a problem they anonymously identify. They often don’t even consider that they are both part of the problem and part of the solution.  I’ve seen many cases where 90% of people say something like “poor communication is a big problem”, but when asked do they personally communicate well 90% say they do.  The math just doesn’t work.  Yet it is so common to think I am doing ok, but since I think this is a big problem “they” must not be.

3.  Plans devised to fix poor results based on a survey often fail. There is no clear cut cause and effect in human systems.  Yet we try to analyze results and come up with action plans as though there is.  We often form committees to address problems identified, yet  no one on the committee personally owns the problem and how they might be contributing to it.  How can you possibly effectively address a problem you don’t own?

It’s not that I don’t think surveys serve a purpose.  Rather I think we depend too heavily on what the “survey says” when attempting to understand the current state and determining where to focus our future efforts.   Surveys can be a great tool to help us see patterns, but the results of a survey will never tell the whole story about either the current state nor effectively serve as a guide for the future.

Understanding, the kind that leads to effective action plans and meaningful change, requires dialogue among committed stakeholders; real, honest, meaningful conversation about the issues we face together and the dreams we share for our future.

Here are 3 things you can do to leverage surveys to actually make a difference.

1.   Skip the focus groups and train your leaders, formal and informal, to facilitate effective and satisfying dialogue. Using a professional facilitator may still be a good idea, but partner with them so you get better at dialogue from the process rather than use the facilitator as a crutch because people can’t or won’t talk to each other.

2.  Dialogue about the results in the context of the future you say you want. The only reason to fix a problem is because it is in the way of your future.  Maintaining a future focus can help you discern what is most important to focus on and can help prevent dwelling on what happened and why it happened in the past.  You can’t change the past, so why bother spending so much time analyzing it?

3.  Focus on what you are creating rather than what you need to fix. Spend a lot more time in the follow up after the survey focusing on your goals and dreams and how you are going to achieve them rather than on how you are going to fix problems and remove barriers.  When a team is focused on a goal that truly matters to them it is amazing how they seem to find a way past the problems and barriers without even focusing on them.

Surveys don’t communicate, people do.  A survey can open the door to straight communication, but it can never replace the need for committed conversation.

That’s one way to describe the mission of Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute’s Marine Mammal Research and Conservation Program.  They protect wild dolphins which includes rescuing them when they are hurt.  They were part of the team who rescued Winter who is now a movie star in Dolphin’s Tale.

Over the last month I have been immersed in the world of wild dolphins while developing an iPad app with Harbor Branch, the Institute and the Foundation, with my partners at Polymash, Juergen Berkessel and Robyn Stratton-Berkessel.  Working on this project gave me the opportunity to observe collaboration, leadership, and relationship  from an angle I have not observed from in many years – from the view as a project manager.

There were three ingredients present for me that I think are essential elements of great collaboration.

1.  I was inspired – over and over by the passion and the can do attitude of all of those with whom I worked on this project, and by those whose stories we had the privilege of telling in this app.
2. I was challenged – the 30 day timeline from start to finish made this a true breakthrough initiative for us all.  There was nothing easy about this project and success was by no means guaranteed.
3. I am proud – to have been a part of this incredible team, of the product we created, and to be a part of creating something that helps people to understand more about these magnificent animals.

It was a reminder of what a small group of people can accomplish when they have a shared goal they are passionate about.  That was so for this project.  And it is the norm every time an injured dolphin is in need.  People come together.  It brings out the best in people even when it’s messy and even when emotions are high.  It teaches us what we can do and shows us gifts we perhaps didn’t know others among us had.

In being part of this team I became inspired by the stand of Harbor Branch to, as they put it, “let the wild ones be wild”.

I now understand better than ever the fragile relationship between man and nature and the profound impact we have on wild dolphins.  In the process I learned how through small actions we can all make a difference in preserving the delicate balance of our relationship with these animals and the environment we share.

Although it is hard not to be interested in the topic, I wasn’t trying to learn something about dolphins.  Yet I learned naturally because for this brief period of time I was immersed in the world of people who choose to take a stand every day to “give a voice to the voiceless.”

That is the power of a stand.  It finds its way into the hearts and minds of the people it touches.

A stand  is not about THE leader.  It’s personal for everyone involved.  And from that stand many other leaders and acts of leadership will emerge to keep that stand alive.

It is with great pleasure I announce that today the Wild Dolphins iPad App is now available in the iTunes store!

Uniting around a stand is also the source of great and enduring relationships.

I want to take a moment to appreciate the people who have made this app possible and who have touched my life in the process.  Congratulations to you all for an exceptional job in an unprecedented timeframe. And thank you all for your extraordinary partnership.

To my partners at Polymash, Robyn and Juergen. Your gifts are immeasurable and your partnership and friendship are invaluable.  And even hurricanes and earthquakes couldn’t stop you from delivering!

To my very dear friend, Megan Davis. Your invitation and stand for “it’s never too late” made this app possible.  Thank you for your leadership and your partnership every step of the way.  It has been so wonderful to work with you.

To our partner Janet Alford. Thank you for clearing the way to make funding possible and being willing to take the risk to invest “outside the box”.  Please extend our thanks to the Harbor Branch Foundation.

To my constant companion throughout this project, Jan Petri. You have been the MVP Jan, always delivering what was needed no matter what it took, contributing your incredible gift with words, and keeping us all laughing every step of the way.  It has been a privilege to work with you.

To the inspirational Stephen McColloch.  Your passion for wild dolphins, your leadership in protecting them, and the entrepreneurial spirit you bring to all you do is a wonderful demonstration of authentic leadership.  Thank you for all you have done and are doing to make this project a huge success.

To the dedicated Dolphin Doctor Juli Goldstein, for sharing your beautiful story and for your passion and leadership in “giving a voice to the voiceless.”

To the creative and passionate Jim Masterson, Brian Cousin,  Nancy Hatch and Larry Macke. Your contributions to the content and design of this app were abundant.  We loved working so closely with you.  Brian, your story in the app is one of my personal favorites.

To the unstoppable Patrick Boles, Carol Harwood, Nelson Beaman, and Damian Batchelor. Your technical assistance and partnership were essential to “Helping Us Help Them”.  Thank you for all of your support and contributions throughout.

Now that I’ve shared about one of my most exciting projects, I would love to hear about yours.  What principles of collaboration, leadership and relationship building are you observing in action right now?