Our little weekend thought tries to inspire you to think differently about your life, your career, your business and this week I want you to....relax!
Too often we take life too seriously, we look at meanings behind everything.....we look for hidden meaning in the gestures of others, the words of others, why we are here etc etc
But remember...the only meaning you need to consider is this
What do you want YOUR life to have meant? When you are out in the garden, at the gym this weekend think less about the meaning of life...and focus on the meaning of YOUR LIFE.
Focus beats freedom. You need to focus on ideas that matter to the business.
Insights come from the outside. Connect to the outside world to find original ideas.
Be ready - in fact want to - tweak as first ideas are usually flawed.
Select - Remember your role is to select ideas, as not all ideas are created equal and you must discard the rest so you can focus on the best.
Stealthstorm past the internal politics so they work for you not against. Internal politics of innovation will always exist....your role is to pave the way for the innovation to succeed.
And then add that vital leadership behavior.....Persist - Not for ONE day but EVERY day to move from one successful product launch to a business culture that lives and breath innovation - helping your people bring great ideas to life.
Life has a way of overtaking you and often weekends can be a great time to take stock of your personal brand - both inside and outside of work....
Bab's Booster this week is a little reminder that personal growth is a choice, your success is not about what you can expect to be given...but a result of what you give to life.
It may seem a subtle play on words but the effect can be dramatic. If your career has stalled or you feel in a rut...change your mindset from one of passive living to one of active design. We can wait a long time to finally get what we wanted or we can start today designing the life we want and how we can create a legacy to be proud of...
So grab a pen, write a blog post, get on social media....whichever way works best for you transform your thinking from what you expect from life, to what life - and all those people around you - can expect from you.
I love business anecdotes, for me they help capture the essence in a way that we can all connect to...my moleskine is filled with little titbits that I have found a long the way.
I often get accused of seeing the positive, my only defence is that it is so much better than the pain, worry and frustration of only seeing the negative!
Here is a little anecdote that has stuck with me over the years about being positive and at the same time, annoying the competition!
A company always held a summer picnic, which included a hugely contested softball game between 2 departments that had developed a great rivalry over the years. They only played one game every summer, but argued over it all year!
Dept A won the game, but Dept B posted the following write up..." Department B is proud to announce that following this year's softball game, we finished in second place, having lost only one game all year. We also offer condolences to Department A who finished next to last, after only winning one game all year"
One of my favourite poems is by Ralph Roughton called On Listening.
It is a great poem to keep close to you, on your desk or on the wall - as a reminder of the most precious gift you can give people....listening. I wanted to post it today because this poem is as relevant at home, at work, at play.....as we are now 5 days into the New Year, it is a great reminder of how we can be the best we can be - this year.
On Listening
When I ask you to listen to me and you start by giving me advice, you have not done what I asked,
When I ask you to listen to me and you begin by telling me why I shouldn't feel that way, you are trampling on my feelings.
When I ask you to listen to me and you feel you have to solve my problems, you have failed me. Listen !
All I ask is that you listen, not talk or do...just hear me.
When you do something for me that I can do for myself, you contribute to my fear and inadequacy.
When you accept as simple fact that I do feel what I feel, no matter how irrational then I can quit trying to convince you and get about the business of understanding whats behind this irrational feeling.
"It is not the start of the we(a)k tomorrow, no its the start of the strong"
If we turn up at our desk thinking "oh, it's Monday morning again then we are either in the wrong job or not focusing upon what the week can be.....
A strong start includes
A good night sleep on Sunday! We so often forget to keep our bodies well fueled for the week.
A sense of purpose. Yes, you can go in and fulfill your role but that is not inspiring. Think about how you can make a difference in the world around you - it may be as small as a thank you note, or it may be setting a huge goal you have always wanted to achieve and taking small action steps to get it going
Controlling your diary. This is a biggy - take a look...how much of your time is going through the motions? How can you build in time that are future thinking, on creating, on thinking about the next big thing?
Don't get dragged into whinging and moaning - one of the biggest drains on personal energy is dealing with other people's problems. Yes, listen....but turn the conversation around by asking "What can we do differently? How can we make that happen?" and balancing that time by spending other time with energy givers...people who make you smile, who inspire you, who see the opportunities.
There is a huge difference between living and existing. The difference is....you being proactive in making things happen which give you energy.
When you live you seek out opportunities to develop, to make a difference.....no one can do that but you...
So this week, be strong.....find the strength to lift yourself above all the reasons why you can't do something, and make it happen.
A new week is a chance to start with a fresh mind...here is this weeks challenge to us all
We rush to compare ourselves to others but the only comparison which is worth making is between who you are today and who you want to be remembered for being.
We rush to compare others to what we expect of them..but the only comparison worth making is to compare how you are bringing value to their life and what you could be doing....
We rush to compare our results with a plan, a budget....but the only comparison worth making is how many people loved the product today compared to yesterday.
This week....make comparison not between things, not between people but between now and the future.
Tom Peters has been a huge influence on me. As a leader, as a write and possibly most of all as a presenter.
I do many speaking gigs a year and the one thing I try and do is bring energy, bring ideas, bring inspiration - for me it is not about selling me, it is about getting the audience to leave with their head fit to explode with questions, ideas, inspiration - why? Because that is how I feel when I see Tom Peters speak.
I miss my Dad everyday of every week of every year. Not just as my Dad but as my business mentor and that is why I produce each week The Engaging Brand podcast - to keep alive his desire for me to learn and for me to share....and for me to help others.
Dad was a simple soul. He wasn't 'educated' like all of us are today and he was dyslexic to boot. However his simplicity in his view of business stays with me. Here is what he said when I asked for tips on leading a successful business
When I went to and indeed left work I didn't enter through the main doors, I always went through the factory. Never forget the shopfloor is where people painstakingly make your ideas reality. Never forget that the shopfloor is full of people who can see how to make the business better.....never fool yourself that people will follow because you are a leader, they follow you because they believe in where you are going together....that walk on a morning keeps me close, and keeps the conversations flowing.
Remember a customer is a human being first and a consumer of your ideas second. Too many see it as the other way round.
See business as the ultimate treasure hunt...you are searching for that hidden talent, that idea hiding out there in the world and that feeling that you have done your very best for the world.
For all the business books I read, I return to these wise words. Simple but true...but then aren't the most complex problems, in reality simple...it is just us human beings who make them hard!
Happy Father's Day from your little girl who has realised Dad's do know best!
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