Lately I’ve been really interested in how creative geniuses (a sorely lacking term, but stay with me) remain on the path. One of my shortcomings (or strengths?) is that I constantly get excited about new and shiny ideas and then slowly my interest fades and I’m on to the next.   How do others do it? It takes discipline and consistency to build something of substance, not to mention a body of work or a legacy.

I recently read an interview with Walter De Maria, an artist I admire. He’s probably most well-known for his “land art” — huge installations in nature, like Lightning Field, a series of tall metal poles set up in a grid out in the desert of New Mexico. When a thunder storm passes through, well, you know what happens.

Walter De Maria is a key figure in 20th century art, but he could have been a key figure in 20th century music. He was an original member of The Velvet Underground. He played with Lou Reed and John Cale in 1966. My question is: how exactly does one quit the Velvet Underground?!? De Maria knew what he was doing:

[The conflict] was really going on because I was playing with this good band, with these great musicians, and records were coming, contracts, great hi fi sound, tape, everything you could do. Music was in a great renaissance, but I went back to the art.

This recognition, to me, is such a personal moment. That moment where you make the decision that supports your dreams and ambitions and in the process reject a different kind of life. De Maria knew himself and knew his purpose as a fine artist. He had that vision and that conviction so the decision made itself. I think this is a great way to frame the process of decision-making — in service to a purpose. 

Are you making decisions in service to a purpose?

What do you think?

(BTW, I wrote more about Walter De Maria and The Velvet Underground here.)

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Anyway, speaking of David Burkus and his book, David organized a FREE virtual conference from June 2-6called The Truth About Creativity and he kindly asked me to be a part of it. It features some great writers/thinkers on creativity like Daniel Pink, Scott Belsky, Todd Henry, Jocelyn Glei, etc. etc. Just go check out the experts involved, kind of an amazing line-up! And by all means, please sign up and spread the word!

P.S. – Did I mention it’s free?

In the definitive book on the topic The First 90 Days, Michael Watkins outlines a specific plan to ease transitions for leaders at all levels. It’s good reading for anyone beginning a new job (and anyone who leads teams).

Think of it as your battle against misunderstanding. According to a study conducted by the International Data Corporation: “U.S. and U.K. employees cost businesses an estimated $37 billion every year because they do not fully understand their jobs.” By assimilating into a culture and gaining an initial sense of purpose, you’re actively minimizing your own frustrations and showing your worth right off the bat.

But what, specifically in creative professions, is important to look out for when starting a new role? What should you pay attention to?

1. Assess the business case for your hire. You were hired for a reason. Is it to generate ideas? To train others? To add design or technical skills that were lacking? To deftly oversee client projects? Learning where you fit within the overall business strategy is something that may seem obvious but is often overlooked. Figure this out early.
2. Show your work. After a rigorous interview process, it can feel like you described your skills and experiences ad nauseum, so now that you’re hired you can get work. The thing is, most people in the company don’t know who you are, why you were hired, or what specifically you bring to the table. Make sure your team knows your resume and has viewed your portfolio. It gives people around you context, a view into your style, and an idea of how you complement or challenge them.

(…)

Click here to read the rest of this post at 99u.com

It turns out, my wife is not the correct audience for a banana convention.

The hard truth is: sometimes people are not going to want your bananas. They’re not going to want what you’re giving them. No matter what. It’s not because they hate you. It’s just because it’s not for them.

But sometimes you find the banana lovers.

The trick is that your people are out there. The banana lovers. If you can find them and present them with exactly what they want, when they want it (the finest, yellowest, ripe bananas; now), they will go absolutely, uh, bananas.

Where do they congregate, your banana lovers?

The reason I’m thinking about bananas this morning is because last Monday I shipped a short, free, actionable guide to help new managers and first-time leaders panic less and gain confidence. It’s called New Manager Handbook.

(You can download it for free, if you’re into that kind of banana.)

People wanted it. In fact over 300 people have downloaded it in the past seven days with very little promotion or exposure (a link at the bottom of a recent post and a few strategic tweets).

I’m not saying this to show off or boast or something. After all, to some people that number would be tiny (to me it’s significant).

No, I say it to illustrate the simple fact that if you account for your gifts and offerings and align them with what people really need and want, the sky is the limit.

Sounds simple but this is something that has taken me anembarrassingly long time to figure out. How many years have I offered things because I wanted to offer them, instead of what people wanted?

Here’s the formula:

1. Know your audience
2. Learn what they’re clamoring for
3. Align with your gifts and give it to them

Who wants your bananas?

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P.S. – Do you need a coach? Even this surgeon thinks you might.

Being entrusted with a leadership role in your workplace requires a shift in mindset. Leaders cannot afford to compartmentalize like the worker. They must simultaneously juggle the long- and short-term while inspiring those around them to do great work.

But being a great leader is hard, and great leadership is hard to understand. “Leadership” is a term that’s been abused. Everybody wants it, no one’s quite sure what it means. As a new leader, first try to adopt three specific (often counterintuitive) mindsets of good leadership:

1. You may think you have to have all the ideas yourself and a direction worked out before assuming a leadership role. Fear not, you just have to shepherd the ideas to life. Instead, you must be a steward of people and ideas. Stewardship is the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to you.
2. Some people think leadership is a matter of consenting, as in politics, of choosing the lesser of two evils. But leadership is not all tact. Instead, have a point of view (or better yet, a worldview) and don’t be afraid to say it aloud, repeatedly. Say what’s in your heart. People are attracted to this quality. To paraphrase Steve Jobs: if you don’t have a burning desire to execute an idea or solve a problem, you’ll never stick it out.
3. To become a leader you don’t have to excel at just one thing. Instead, put yourself in uncomfortable situations as often as possible. Stretch your parameters. This develops the improv muscle. A good leader can find comfort and calm — the still point — in any situation, and this skill only comes from taking smart risks.

(…)

Click here to read the rest of this post at 99u.com

There are still only four ways to make more money, as explained by the Ansoff Matrix, which was published in Harvard Business Review in 1957. (Things haven’t changed much.) From least- to most-risky:

1. Sell existing products to existing customers.
2. Sell new products to existing customers.
3. Sell existing products to new markets.
4. Sell new products to new markets.

If you’re thinking about scaling, or the problems associated with scaling, then you’re probably concerned with one of those four things. To accomplish even the least risky on that list involves extending your capacity in some way. The lifecycle of any service business at some point rubs up against your personal capacity to get things done: your time and energy.

There are two ways increase capacity and, hence, two ways to scale a service business.

1. Save time and energy
2. Create more time and energy

Ways to save time and energy:

• Increase your personal productivity
• Automate your processes
• Reduce the number or complexity of services
• Package your services into products
• Create systems

Ways to create more time and energy:

• Hire people
• Engage in strategic partnerships

Time and energy are usually viewed as finite, unyielding problems. “I don’t have enough time.” “I’m too busy.” “I’m exhausted.”

With a little creativity, strategy and elbow grease, you can create a scalable business and make your life better.

Photo courtesy Storm Crypt via Compfight

In the book Difficult Conversations by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton and Sheila Heen, the authors write, “Our anxiety results not just from having to face the other person, but from having to face ourselves.”

Whether the source of the conflict stems from circumstance, a challenge to your identity as a leader, or protecting one’s turf, stemming the tide of personal emotions and dealing in a direct, measured way can let the air out and diffuse conflict effectively.

Here are some methods to use with your team or anyone else in the face of everyday conflict. (…continued)

Click through to read the rest of this piece over at OPENforum.

One of the big strengths of this new form of independence is in thinking differently about how to package and deliver services, and new approaches to building whole businesses.  The creativity is inspiring and encouraging.  I love being a witness.

So it seems odd to me that many small services businesses consider the problem of growth with a traditional mindset:

I HAVE TO GROW > I HAVE TO ADD PEOPLE UNDER ME WHO DO WHAT I DO  > I HAVE TO TRAIN THEM TO DO IT EXACTLY HOW I DO IT

Which, by the way is perfectly fine. And I happen to think it’s doable, even though the fear of turning into a training business is justified.

Growth is a change management exercise.

When you undergo change of any kind, it’s important to pause and rediscover what your purpose is, what your goals and plans are.  It’s an opportunity for branding and marketing.  It’s important to approach growth with these questions and concerns.

What do you want to spend your time doing?

Do you want to develop then supervise business that you have other people deliver?  Do you want to remain integral to the delivery of your services working intimately with clients one-on-one?  Do you want to consolidate your services as one part of something much larger and personally learn new compatible skills?

I call these “your business’s soulful questions” and without answering them and others, it’s impossible to really grow successfully.

But – and this is most important – if you start thinking about this problem of expansion in a different way possibilities start to open up.

So you want to grow. Why not start a craze?:

The Wagon Wheel: Hire a variety of assistants, a team of helpers who get you and free you up to work on delivery.

The Love Connection: Find someone whose business is very similar who you love and become a partnership.

The Understudy: Find someone whose business is just starting and offer her to your customers at a lower rate while offering her your brand to build off of.

The Sherpa: Find someone who handles business development, who JUST attracts clients and builds the brand (so you do all the delivery).

The Napoleon: Buy another larger successful company that you love (not impossible).

The All-Day Buffet: Expand your services as part of something else. Then hire someone who specializes in that.

The Contrarian: Find someone with a radically different voice and become this dual headed beast covering a larger market share.

The Multilingual: Find another way that may not exist yet. For example, can your thing work in other languages?  Find a French you.

CC-licensed illustration via Amy.Ng on Flickr.