All in Careers
There’s a mythology that's built up around the idea of growth that’s only accelerated in this age of on-demand news and ubiquitous social media.
We’re so enamored by the pursuit of growth (and scaling and valuations) that we discount those who aren’t interested in that ethos. That the idea of lifestyle businesses and staying “small” is a “settling” of sorts. That not growing is a failure of some sort - of the idea, the offering and the entrepreneur.
I moderated a panel discussion this week about the topic of Sustainability, particularly as it relates to the Procurement function within organizations. It’s a big, meaty topic, one that has been getting plenty of airtime over the last decade and much more so in recent years.
And precisely because the subject is so big and meaty, there are many angles to it, many aspects to rethink, many stakeholders to get aligned. And, as a result, there are many actions that can be taken to effect change on this front.
This month's podcasts focus on people - the teams we work with, the people we surround ourselves with, and how we should think about them. People make all the difference.
Today's episode discusses that the worst thing that can happen to an organization is for its most passionate people to go quiet. The truth is that we need their passion and despite how difficult they might seem to be, we need to nurture them, not turn them off.
It’s a romantic notion, the idea of silver bullets.
It’s exciting (and oh so promising) to believe that there’s something out there - a solution, a framework, a technology, etc. - that has the potential of solving all of our problems or, at the very least, delivering a material, manifold improvement in our situation immediately.
I think we overstate the idea of originality.
We’re too caught up in this belief that being original means doing something that has never been done before. That unless we create something profoundly unique - the likes of which no one has ever before seen - then we aren’t original.
This month's podcasts focus on people - the teams we work with, the people we surround ourselves with, and how we should think about them. People make all the difference.
In today's episode, I discuss the importance of surrounding yourself with people who believe in you. As much as you need to believe in yourself, it's as important to have an open, welcoming, encouraging environment for us to flourish.
I know when most people think of Van Halen, they think of the song Jump, which was their biggest hit. And when it comes to guitar players, they automatically go to “Eruption” off the first Van Halen album. Those are the seminal pieces in Van Halen lore.
For me, though, while I love both of those tracks, the song that defines Van Halen - the one that got me into the band and, in fact, made me start playing the guitar, were the ‘joint’ songs Intruder/Pretty Woman.
A couple of weeks ago, ahead of the Chelsea-Liverpool game in the English Premier League, a reporter asked the Chelsea Manager, Frank Lampard, how he felt about facing Liverpool considering where each team finished at the end of the prior season. (For those who don’t know, Liverpool won the league with 99 points, and Chelsea finished in fourth place, a whopping 33 points behind.)
This month's podcasts focus on people - the teams we work with, the people we surround ourselves with, and how we should think about them. People make all the difference.
In today's episode, I talk about something Warren Buffett said about the best thing about being rich. It isn't what you (or I) might have originally expected, and it has everything to do with people.
Many years ago, one of my closest friends was discussing career choices with his father and in that conversation, his father told him something that I thought was on point, and profound. He said:
“Even if you win the rat race, you’re still a rat…”
There’s many ways to unpack that statement and you can certainly have your own interpretation of it.
We seem to have arrived at a place where, for many, the measure of a person’s worth and value to society is based on their net worth. And the proxies for this are in the titles we hold (and covet), the toys and trinkets we own and the clothes we wear.
We talk a good game, though. We talk about the value of hard work, the need to be happy, that love and caring trumps all.
This month's podcasts focus on war stories, recounting situations and experiences that were unique, intriguing and (always) educational.
In today's episode, I talk about going to see Liam Gallagher perform (or not), but more precisely about what we get when we pay for something, and how we need to set our expectations accordingly.
There’s a quote attributed to the Portuguese writer, Saramego, that says, “old age starts where curiosity ends”.
When we’re young, we’re ‘naturally’ curious. We’re willing to try new things, take new paths and push ourselves (often to the point of discomfort). When we’re old, according to conventional wisdom, we seek comfort and contentment. We seek safety, and are willing to trade excitement - indeed, believe we’re required to trade it - in return.
When I was 22, I decided to get my ear pierced.
I was a Business undergraduate working in Marketing & Sales, but with a wannabe musician buried deep inside who was trying to find a way to express his “Inner Bono”. And the form of that expression at that age was, ultimately, to get an earring. And so I did - a diamond stud that I wore all the time and never thought twice about.
This month's podcasts focus on war stories, recounting situations and experiences that were unique, intriguing and (always) educational.
In today's episode, I talk about my early experiences traveling - something I originally wasn't happy about, but soon came to realize that it is, actually, a hygiene factor today.
Overnight successes are all the rage. We see or hear a success story and we marvel at how they’ve come out of nowhere. Clearly, they had an idea that resonated, got their message out at the right time and were able to capitalize on the opportunity. I wish I could be as lucky as that!
Of course, overnight successes are almost never that.
The point of a brand is, in one way or another, to tug on our heartstrings.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a consumer brand, or a B2B brand, the goal is entirely the same: to establish a preference that has, as its basis, criteria well beyond the rational.
Attaining leadership - in a business, in an organization, in any sphere of life - is a difficult task. It demands a lot of us and absorbs us as we pursue the path. At times, the task feels beyond us, and yet we persevere and work towards our ambitions. So when we get there, it feels like an achievement. Because, of course, it is.
The thing we forget, though, is that we haven’t actually reached the end of the path.
The problem is apathy.
When we’ve been burned long enough, when we’ve been ignored long enough, when we’ve been taken for granted, we might decide we don’t care. So, then, we ignore the issue or avoid it. We get on with other aspects of our lives, and deprioritize those things that have caused our problems.
This month's podcasts focus on war stories, recounting situations and experiences that were unique, intriguing and (always) educational.
In today's episode, I share a story from my early days in Management Consulting and specifically about working with a partner who, seemingly, liked to talk in riddles. There was, of course, a method to his madness, as I discuss on the show.
