All in Leadership
We throw around the word "partnership" pretty loosely. And often, when we do, we're sincere about it. But it's easy to talk about partnerships when there's nothing at stake.
You really find out whether you have a real partnership (or not) when problems arise. And in those moments, there's one trait that matters above all else, as I discuss in today's episode.
Near the end of Crypto.com’s SuperBowl commercial earlier this year, in which Lebron James goes back in time to talk to his 17 year old self, the younger Lebron asks his future self what’s most on his mind:
“Is the hype too much? Am I ready?”
He’s looking for reassurance, of course, some certainty that the choices he’s about to make, the risks he’s about to take, are the right ones. Valid concerns for a 17 year old.
There’s a peculiar thing about the internet, and social media, in particular.
While it is this incredible and unparalleled form of communication, with a versatility and reach we’ve never seen before, it’s not without its issues (and material ones at that).
Central among these issues is that, while it’s ostensibly an objective and ‘fair’ medium, it also has the capacity - conceptually and practically - to set the world (or at least some relevant, targeted universe) on fire.
One of the biggest issues with high performance in any team is when folks aren't aligned. This division is a problem not only professionally but at a personal level as well. Resolving any division within a team needs to be priority number one, as I discuss in today's episode.
LinkedIn is now giving people the option of adding a career break to their profiles. Instead of having an unexplained time gap between positions, you now have the option of adding a more specific (and appropriate) description of why you were in-between (traditional) jobs.
The options range from those we might expect (Full Time Parenting and Professional Development) to those we might not (Bereavement, Personal Goal Pursuit, Gap Year, Travel and Voluntary Work).
When we’re presented with change of any material scale, it’s not uncommon for us to hesitate, to be concerned.
We wonder what the change will mean for us, how our work will be altered, what ‘price’ we’ll have to pay.
All natural and normal reactions, because change can be scary and overwhelming.
When it comes to strategy and growth in an organization, of any size, the ability to create compelling, well thought-out plan is not the issue. Those are easy enough to pull together.
No, the key is always people. Who's involved, how committed are they and how we bring them along. How we do this is the focus of today's episode.
The “Armchair Quarterback” really is a thing.
In fact, it’s alive and well in each one of us. Time and again, we’ve all taken on that role in one form or another. Whether it’s politics, business or sports, we’ve watched, listened and assessed, and then provided our own commentary on what the answer should have been.
There’s a passage in Ayn Rand’s book, The Fountainhead, where the central character, Howard Roark, lays out his personal rules for Architecture. He says:
"Here are my rules: what can be done with one substance must never be done with another. No two materials are alike. No two sites on earth are alike.
Change doesn’t arise of its own accord. It needs a catalyst. And that catalyst usually comes in the form of pain, problems and (material) discomfort.
Charlize Theron, when commenting on the origins of the #MeToo movement said, “I think at the beginning of every revolution, there’s this opening of a wound.” Intuitively, we understand that - wounds instigates change, and that’s certainly what’s happened there.
A while ago, a good friend of mine sold his company in what was regarded by all parties as a wildly successful outcome. In a little over a decade, he had taken it from an idea to a material, profitable entity, one that was valued enough to be bought out by a major industry player.
From the outside looking in, then, every decision he ever made looked to be validated…
Rented space can be a good thing. It provides for flexibility and minimal commitment, allowing us to piggyback on someone else’s work to serve our ends. Rented space can be a good and useful thing - for the short term.
Longer than that, the problem that arises, is one of control. When you rent, by definition you don’t own. Sure, you might be able to paint the walls and move the furniture around a bit, but if you want to make structural changes, more often than not, you’re out of luck.
In today's episode, I recount a Facebook post from the actor Kevin Smith, and something he was told (handed, actually) when he was 19 years old.
It's a lesson that not everyone is always looking out for us, and ultimately, our path forward - our story - is down to us.
I talk a lot on this blog about ‘doing the work’. That is, in order to get to where we want to go, we need to put in the time and effort to get us there.
More often than not, this means A LOT of effort - long hours and plenty of personal sacrifices. The bigger the goals, the more that’s demanded of us. I stand by that.
And while everyone’s different, and each and every one of us have different levels of endurance, stamina and focus, sooner or later, there has to be some tempering.
Nature loads the gun, nurture pulls the trigger. Or genes load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.
I believe this phrase (using “genes” and “lifestyle” instead of “nature” and “nurture”) was first used in a research paper about obesity, but it applies to so many aspects of our lives. It speaks to the complexity of life, of how we might be oriented and what we might be able to influence.
From a young age, we're programmed with the idea that we'll grow up to get a job and do our work. But we don't often consider what that means.
Why are we doing what we're doing? What are we trying to achieve? As I discuss in this episode, it has to be about more than the money - whose mission are we serving?
“It’s not fair.”
Each and every one of us can recount situations where things didn’t go our way, for reasons that, in our minds, were less than equitable.
Not getting that promotion when we had the experience and the achievements. Losing out on that business opportunity when we’d done what the client asked for. Not making that investment when we had the chance (Bitcoin, anyone?).
In business environments, surprises are not a good thing, because the main thing we want is predictability.
And the only way we can ensure predictability is for us to do the work necessary. This means both listening and communicating much more than we do, as I discuss in today's episode.
There’s a perception many of us have that what we need is more choice.
It’s a perception that has filtered its way into all aspects of our lives.
When we’re deciding which college to go to, we’ll stack the number we apply to, to give us more options. I personally applied to 8 schools when I was planning on Business School, even though a couple of them I had absolutely no intention of attending, even if I got in. Why did I do that?
Whether we're selling a product or an idea, we're often faced with situations where our messages simply aren't getting through - that is, we're just not able to communicate effectively.
There are a number of tried and true approaches to improve our chances and today's episode dives into these practical tips and techniques.
