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Inspire Yourself From a Jam

If you are anything like the rest of us, you can find your mind gridlocked in bumper-bumper traffic. Think about writers block or even the stage freeze. You know the times when you just cannot get it to GO anywhere you need it to. Then you have times where your brain and heart are on the autobahn of creativity and mental/spiritual flow - in "the zone."

Chances are if you reflect on these times, you will likely be able to remember a commonality to each situation. For example, think back on those internal traffic jams and you were likely facing stress, fatigue, fear or saddled with anger or even laziness. Perhaps you were in an environment that resonates with you as a place you once had a really bad experience. Make sense -- OK, let's get out of there, but do not forget what got you there.

Think to the moments of speedy inspiration where your heart and mind were firing together like a newly tuned Ferrari. Maybe it was after a great movie, perhaps a recent read that just fired you up, following a great speaker who gave a talk as if they were trying to really change the world. Maybe it's a song on your iPod that just hooks you up! Chances are - you are thinking on these very inspiring instruments of inspiration right now.

Here is my advice - keep something from your arsenal of inspiration (Great book, a hot jam on your iPod, film clip, scripture passage, pleasant memory, photo of your loved ones, etc) with you at all times as if it were an antibiotic. You know the type - "take all of these until they are gone and you should be cured!" The good thing about the medicine of inspiration is that it never runs out - you just have to know where to get it. Be sure to go with whatever healthy method trips your trigger when you need it - especially before you go into a biz or life scenario that demands your best!

I Keep at least one card from Sara Grace with me at all times along with a good read - even it was just a quote from one page such as the following:

"You can either change the world a little bit at a time, or you can leave no trace that you were ever here." .............Nick Morgan.

If you happen to be a person of faith. Each page in this book will free up your jam every time:

Uprising by Erwin McManus

For rallying the power of Creativity: Out of Our Minds by Sir Ken Robinson

Is Strength in Numbers Always a Strength?

We all know it and hear about it at least weekly. If you were to live in my thoughts my brain would ping your mental inbox daily - The Boomers are retiring, the Boomers are retiring!! No this is not shaping up to be a creative rendition of Revere's ride when the British were coming...The Boomers are retiring and nearly everyone who holds any sort of biz sustainment mindset - is thinking of this often. Hopefully your thoughts are moving you to Action - not just thinking!

Sure the numbers tell a lot. Here is one for you - Last year in the US 7,918 people were projected to turn 60 every day. That is 330 per/hour! Check out the US Census Bureau for other wild data (www.census.gov).

So much of the Boomer retiring worry is associated to the upcoming worker shortage. After all, the numbers prove it and we can do the numbers rumba all day long. So long as you have Google you do not need to hear a speaker rant on more and more numbers. There are many more boomers than "This" Gen so we have a mathematical reality that creates a shortage. Fine...move on.

My question to you is: Does this numerical shortage really lead to a debilitation of a company's future?

If you see your company's future in terms of warm bodies (numbers) and your panic button remains red - you're missing it. Upon last check, China is not struggling with a shortage of workers. Heck - if you do not perform at your job in China, they will just find someone else to do it. Why? Because they can! In large part due to the gigantic working populace. In 06' my dad traveled to China with Sara Grace & JMax on an EQUIP trip. They had conversations with business leaders who flat out confirmed this. China has not focused on developing leaders and now they are starving for leadership development. Their surplus has harbored a debilitating mindset. Strength in numbers is not always a sustainable strength. Lack of Development leads to a crisis regardless of the warm body war.

Why not develop the future of your workforce and work insanely hard to create an environment that raises world class leaders no matter what socioeconomic background they come from? Human potential is amazing - you just have to dedicate a huge portion of your sustainability to it!

Take comfort that while smaller in numbers - the next generation is amazingly bright, they desire to be lead and they want a cause. In her insanely awesome article Nadira Hira of Fortune Magazine included the following thought from Bruce Tulgan - founder of Rainmaker Thinking , a leading generational-research firm: " This is the most high-maintenance workforce in the history of the world. The good news is they're also going to be the most high performing workforce in the history of the world."

Their rapid entry into the marketplace coupled with the mass exodus of boomers is actually bringing the demand for timeless leadership principles back to our daily discipline. A warm body is going to be merely that. Harnessing the gifting and wildly creative mind of "This" gen with Radical Leadership will lead to a multiplication factor that can greatly improve  business that is good for the future and oh yes Great for the world.

After all, thousands of years ago - there were many many battles dominated by the group who was smallest in numbers but MOST GIANT in passion, community and belief!

Play Offense With Your People

So much of what managers have done is play defense against their very own people in order to keep them at work or try and rule their every every move when in fact Great management and real Leadership calls us to "play offense." Our initiative must be to set our people up to win @ work and in life.

One of FHI's best leaders is Chavis Wright. I am going to call Chavis an Offensive Coordinator when it comes to scheduling his team's work & life. When Chavis stepped into a position of leadership, one of the first things he knew he needed to do for his people was set up a schedule that accommodated each person. Here are a few things that were part of his thought:

1) As a manager, I have a good bit of control over my own schedule and the days I would like to have off, but I want to make sure and serve that luxury to my people. Can you say Servant Leadership?

2) I have to play chess with my people and lead each of them differently, but there is something that puts a song in everyone's soul and that is special occasions related to family.

3) I saw people scared to ask off for these dates, so they would just not show up on those days and in turn hurt their attendance points and the success of the operation.

With this mindset in his offensive arsenal, Chavis met "one on one" with every player on his team to connect more deeply with them. He wanted to come away from the meeting knowing every associate's birthday, the names and dates of birth for each of their children and their spouse along with Anniversary date! This information was written down in his planner and he crafted the work schedule of the team around these dates. Each player has the option to take everyone of these days off and they are scheduled well in advance (He now has his schedule set a year in advance - oh yes, this is a little easier to do since his turnover is almost zip, zero, Nada). And yes, the customer service remains excellent because this Leadership Oxygen has created an environment where other team members provide the necessary coverage when one of their peers is out to celebrate with their family.

Why play defense with your people? It is only going to be a reverse from sport and allow the competition to score on you every time. By the way, today's competition is not just the traditional interindustry operation. It is anyone who can hire your people!

This does not suggest that you just give your people a free-for-all. Be specific with your focus. A culture of discipline must remain in place. In fact, your culture of discipline will garner a much higher respect ratio when you play offense. Another Offensive Angel - Marvin Reaves has done much the same with his scheduling. He has turned a poor performing department (prior to his arrival) into a championship case-study! His team appreciates the scheduling and other high oxygen factors while they also know that if they arrive to work a minute late (This would be 4am - yikes!). They will be penalized.

When you play offense and create an environment like these leaders, your people will very rarely come to work late, they will be more productive, profitable and purpose driven. They respect the leader, they respect the rules and they have a rockin' place to work!

You might be thinking that this rule applies only to hourly and production paid associates in a Freight Handling Industry. Not quite. If your Leadership is within a very white collar world where salaries are the common mix or a ministry where legislative Leadership is paramount - just do the same exact thing. Lend out some of your luxuries. Find out those soul singing dates from your people and play offense by putting them in a position to score a victory with their loved ones several times throughout the year.

This type of Caps Lock Leadership will increase your influence in such a simple way. Please learn from the Chavis and Marvins in your world - I know I surely do!

Your Recipe Needs a Mixture - Never a Balance.

If you happen to have the two "C's" you must keep them in the form of a mixture - not a balance.

What these "C's" might be? How about Charisma and Character - two ingredients often found in successful leaders. Let's look into this a bit and understand why it takes a mixture and why you must avoid creating a balancing act between the two.

Charisma is that smooth bit of elegance per se' that can get you into a game, gain you friends, manufacture smiles and even add to your personal magnetism - i.e Likeability Factor. Often times when the person with Charisma enters the room, your mood swings the corners of your mouth upward to a smile or at least a brighter moment for many. This "C" can even gain you votes on American Idol all the way to the finals (hmm hmm - while you sing quite well). It might even get you out of hot water - not sure what got you there in the first place; take a look at that first before relying on this "C" as your bail out.

Character on the other hand and hopefully for your sake of significance - the overflow of that other hand - is what will bring you to greatness in Leadership. Many of you have all heard it before. It's that 90% of all you do. Think of the iceberg imagery with Character being the 90% below the surface while talent is the 10% above the surface. What's below the surface will sink your ship every time. Long after your charismatic charm has left the room - people will be raving on your Character and lining up to buy the biography on your life.

Why the mixture and no balance? Think about this. There are many leaders who have a hot amount of Charisma and it has taken them down a good long road of accolades and praises only to hit a leadership road block where the law wins every time. They failed to keep Character as the majority mixture. Perhaps they got into a balancing act. This balancing act told them as long as they could maintain a see-saw approach they'd be fine. You Know - A little character, some charisma, a bit more character, a bit more charisma - This will not work!

Your Ingredients for a life of enhancing existence should be 10 parts Character to 1 part Charisma. Perhaps you may not have any charisma but your character is so abundant it would not fit inside a Suburban - Cheers Mate - I will line up to follow you! Always keep your Character focus so much stronger than what your Charisma provides. In the perhaps the GREATEST business book ever Jim Collins tells us:

"Indeed, those of you with a strong, charismatic personality, it is worthwhile to consider the idea that charisma can be as much a liability as an asset. Your strength of personality can sow the seeds of problems, when people filter the brutal facts from you. You can overcome the liabilities of having charisma, but it does require conscious attention."

Read the book (p. 73) and find a great tactic of conscious attention from the highly charismatic Winston Churchill. He knew how to keep his mixture in line for a successful leadership recipe.

How are you doing with your mixture?

Application to do alone or in front of your accountability friend: Go to the store and grab a small box of food coloring. Get a clean tall glass. The glass represents you! Get some purified drinking water. The water represents "Pure Character" and each drop of food coloring will represent "Charisma." Using the water first - be brutally honest with yourself and poor in an amount that represents your character. Maybe thinking on these questions will help you with the determined amount.

How do I handle my companies finances? Do I honor my spouse? Do I do the right thing even when I do not feel like it? Do you practice what you teach? Would I want my Children to be lead this way? You get the drift....

Now that you hopefully have some water in the glass (congrats if it's overflowing)...add your charisma drops. If your charisma overpowers your character - you will have one foggy reality of your Leadership, but a sure sign where your focus needs to be.

If this test takes your glass to all food coloring and no water - you have a toxic concoction. 

Remember - with high charisma comes conscious attention to a "pure water" state of daily Character.

Service Each Step -- Manufacture a Smile

Recently my travels took me to Indianapolis. No, this entry is not about racing again....

Following the normal procedures of getting my bag and proceeding to the Avis rental counter and that's when things began to bring more energy to my day. Erin was working the Avis counter, smile on her face and joy in her voice as she processed my reservation promptly and super-friendly. That took about 3 minutes and then I proceeded into the gorgeous afternoon sunshine only to be picked up by Ron. You see Ron had pep in his step and pride in his voice as he greeted me and helped me with my bag. Ron was the shuttle driver, better yet - SHUTTLE LEADER because he was leading me to my destination and creating a better day for me simply with his attitude of service. I heard Ron call in to the car terminal and I heard my name and evidently the spot number where my wheels were waiting on me. Well, when I sprang off the bus to my designated spot, there was Jennifer waiting on me and greeted me by name and wanted to know what else I needed from her, directions, etc. When I smilingly responded that I had some directions, she was sure to give me some pointers to the most efficient route to exit the airport. She did not want me to get caught up in the construction that Google maps may not have known about.

This level of friendliness and excellent service added a spring to my step and made the sun even brighter for my mood state.

You notice that in a span of perhaps 10 minutes, three pieces of Avis' business process were laced with rocking service. Erin had the tool of the reservation system to pull my name up, but her CPU is not what put a smile on her face and joy in her gestures. Ron had the shuttle to transport me and the tool he needed (Hand held Radio) to call in to Jennifer. The bus nor the radio put the pep in Ron's step, they just helped him do his job well. The radio did not make Ron call ahead to Jennifer with my name and space number and Jennifer did not have a machine in her hand that greeted me like she did nor offer the directions with a smile!

There was a tangible culture in place! likely lead by an emotional angel who understands service every step of the way. The mood state of this team was infectious and they manufactured a smile from me and certainly a repeat customer time and time again.

What is the service level like in each step of your process. Whether you are renting cars, unloading trucks or running a restaurant, are your customers pleasantly surprised by your people during each step OR do they make it through the first piece of the process only to be let down 2 minutes later during the second or third step of the experience?

Recommendation: Gather your troops for a lunch n' learn and draw a simple schematic of the process from  your customer's first point of experience thru their exit. Who are the people @ each step? Are they the correct person? Do they have the physical tools and the emotional intelligence to be that pleasant surprise? Put a simple check mark beside each step that is prepared for excellent service and an X where there may be a breakdown. Be honest with each other. Perhaps you need to send in a secret shopper who has been educated as to your points in the experience process. Make this a priority project within the next 30 days. Take fast action to repair or better yet prevent the breakdown areas.

Within 10 minutes, your customer could decide to go somewhere else or tell the world how good you were!

Oh yeah - Thank you Jim for leaving a note in my car to let me know you were the one who serviced it for me! It was immaculate!

Relation Foundation

Many of you that know me will certainly not be shocked at my thoughts on this one. Your positive relationships with other people is paramount to your business and life success. Let me say your overall SIGNIFICANCE in life will greatly ride on your relationships. It does matter what other people say of you - good, bad or ugly will render a synonymous response from your human audience.

Everything from increased productivity to sustained human attraction will be steeped in your ability to sustain positive relationships throughout your career. Your enemies will go into a downward spiral and your allies will climb your Likeability Ladder. The culture of your organization should value the importance of lasting positive relationships. I highly recommend that if you are trying to build an organic leadership culture, you start with intense education on relationships and how all of your KPI's stand to be powerfully impacted based on your success. From the board room to the barn door - you gotta have it or the air will sure smell as to what's beyond the barn door.

Allow me to dive towards my interest in auto racing and share a perfect example. Whether you are an Indy fan and root for Scott Sharp, an F-1 fanatic, or good ol' Nascar...you likely know that Dale Earnhardt Jr recently shocked the racing world when he announced he would leave the company his later father started and seek to drive for someone else. The rogue racing fans were left to guess where he would go. Myself included just knew that he would return to Richard Childress Racing, where his late father drove, they'd bring back the number 3 and create a soul tugging scenario and a many millions marketing freak out. This just had to happen, why any other way. Well, once again we were left surprised when Jr opted to join the leadership power stable of Rick Hendrick Motor sports. WHY??

In the words of Dale Jr = "My personal relationship with Rick Hendrick is what made the difference for me.....I have always been impressed by the stories I have heard about Rick helping people with personal issues such as medical care. You want to be around people like that. You want to surround yourself with people like that - not to take advantage of that kind of behavior, but to try to improve yourself. They make you a better person. They teach you how to treat other people."

There's your playbook response my friends. What are your current relationships like? How attractive is your life to those that can take your organization to new heights. If you want a bright read on improving your relationships and your network, you must read Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferazzi.

The "R"(elationship) is the rock your house must be built upon.

Gorgeous weekend to ya!

Learn From Others Daily!

I cannot articulate the importance of daily growth. I truly hope that this weblog is becoming a way for you to grow yourself. In spirit of this advice, click on the following. I could not have said it any better and I am trying to lead myself in this very area. Won't you join me!

Find Last Week's Broken Promise

Cheers!

True Leadership - It Does a Body Good!

I am stoked today to have the opportunity to give a talk to our excellent management team in Atlanta, GA. FHI leader Shad Santee asked me if I would talk with his team on the importance of leaders touching a heart before they ask for a hand (Law of Connection - Thanks JMax). Knowing this is something Shad's team has heard many times from him. Praise you Shad for wanting to keep the message alive and well.

I want to take this deeper though. I am going to rave on the psychological and physiological aspect of this principle (touch a heart before you ask for a hand). Heartmath Institute has been doing fascinating research for years on the powerful partnership between the heart and the brain. We are learning more and more that the heart is a tremendous component to the ebb and flow of our emotional funky bunch. Your heart produces extensive inputs that rocket ship straight to your brain therefore making a major contribution to the Emotional Experience.

When appreciation, praise and compassion are placed on you from someone, especially a boss, your heart does the happy dance and fires away at your brain, which puts a pump in your step, powers your productivity and pulverizes negativity.The addition of this Leadership Oxygen flows into your environment and enhances the business at hand. This physiological experience is termed: Physiological Coherence which tells us that SUSTAINED positive states of mind lead to a clear and concise mode of physiological function that appears to help the body regenerate! Active regeneration and maintenance of Positive EMO(emotions) can produce extended periods of productivity.

If you are a leader, you have a new job = to create positive feelings in your team. If the technical dynamics of your workplace have the makeup of high stress, like a Distribution Facility or a Belligerent Boss Boot Camp. Transforming stress requires intervention at the emotional level. Your leadership necessity is to make their Heart and Brain talk to each other several times throughout the shift, not just as a one-hit wonder. Get to know what puts a dance in the step of everyone on your team and be the person who pushes those buttons with a smile.

True Leadership will lead to passionate productivity, turnover reduction and injury reduction. Perhaps you never thought "touching a heart" was so literal. Go to Heartmath Institute to learn much more.

What kind of emotions do Dictators create and what are their results? What kind of emotions did Mother Teresa create and what were her results? That'll make it stick.

If Leadership is Rallying people to a better future, why would you not want to make contributions to their HEALTH?