by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Collaboration, Creativity, Mindset, Productivity, Resources, Tools
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 45 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: These Movies Will Help You Innovate and Work Better
— From The Little Black Book of Innovation: How It Works, How to Do It by Scott D. Anthony
What happens when you don’t have enough resources to innovate or to do what the gurus and the books say you should do? A modified version of this question is what author Scott D. Anthony received from a workshop attendee.
It is not uncommon to feel that there are never enough resources, and the answer, according to Anthony in his book The Little Black Book of Innovation, comes from pop culture: movies. Specifically, the author cites these movies to help you innovate and work better: Under the Dome, Zombieland, and Honey, I shrunk the kids.
Under the Dome is a book by Stephen King (the king of horror) made into a movie, where the residents of Chester’s Mill, a fictional town, suddenly find themselves trapped under a dome covering the entire town. “The dome lets in enough air to let people live but blocks out everything else,” says Anthony.
“People too frequently approach innovation like the residents of Chester’s Mill, that is, they feel as if they have to do everything themselves, but the best innovators are constantly looking to connect with outside resources. Break free of the dome and find outsiders who are keenly motivated to help you. […] Sometimes innovators seem to think they get extra credit for doing things themselves. In fact, the best innovators have a degree of humility in that they recognize their own limitations. […] The resources at your disposal need not end at your floor, building or–if you are in a large company–department. The world can literally be your oyster if you look at it in the right way. Breaking free of the dome can help you extend your resources.”
Zombieland is a gory movie in which lots of zombies get killed. The point of mentioning this movie has nothing to do with the plot itself, but merely as a reference to “zombies, the walking undead,” says the author.
“If you look closely at the way most companies approach innovation, you see a surprisingly high number of zombie projects. That is, projects with little hope, some of which have been officially shut down, but linger on. Individuals suffer from this zombie-project problem as well: ask how many items on your to-do list really matter… Time management experts suggest that you are probably working on too many things that seem urgent but really aren’t that important. So, start by cutting out the 30% of things that are shuffling zombies. If you are a senior leader in a large corporation, you have to look for zombie divisions or product lines too.”
Honey, I shrunk the kids serves as an apt metaphor for finding resources for innovation, says Anthony. “Cut the size of the zombie projects by 30-50%. Why? Small teams almost always move faster than large teams. Well-oiled teams with a single master can be powerful, but they are the exception… These efforts to reduce the team size allow you to increase focus and financial resources on high-potential ideas that are getting close to a major inflection point, or on new initiatives. You aren’t magically creating more resources here, you’re just making sure that you get the most of your resources by organizing appropriately.”
And there you have your pop-culture answer to the question on how to innovate when you don’t have resources galore. Thinking about the lessons in these movies will help you innovate and work better!
Have you seen any other movies that have sparked ideas for business or innovation? Please share them in the comments here, I’d love to know.
ACTION
TODAY: Make a list of all the activities and projects in which you are currently working. Find the zombies and kill them or shrink them. Of the remaining activities that you are involved in, where can you escape the dome? What can you delegate, outsource or simply ask for help to someone who can do it faster, better, cheaper, or just more efficiently and effectively, overall?
FUTURE: Whenever you find yourself filled with zombie projects (yes, just as the “real” zombies, these projects are relentless…) get in your best zombie-exterminator mindset and get rid of them. Make these movie references a part of your vocabulary to help you innovate, work better, and be more effective when you need to, they come in very handy!
Know a movie buff or two who would like this post? Please share it with them via email, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, thank you!
by Helena Escalante | Celebration, Collaboration, Creativity, Goals, Growth, Leadership, Mindset, Tools, Wellbeing
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 48 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Leading is a Posture
— From Show Up Hard: A Road Map for Helpers in Crisis by Shannon Weber, MSW
I have enormous respect and admiration for Shannon Weber, author of the newly released book Show Up Hard. I am also immensely lucky to call her my friend.
She is one of 14 children and all her work and life can be described with one word: love. As an incredibly accomplished social worker (among other things and accolades, she used to run the crisis hotline in Houston, staffed by volunteers, and receiving 65,000 calls/year), she knows how important the role of love becomes in all our interactions, not just in times of crisis.
And in her book she also has a beautiful view on leading as a posture, which I’m excited to share with you today:
“Challenging times crave change,” says Shannon. Thus, she suggests we view ourselves as agents of change: “you are well equipped to reimagine yourself in a new role and create the lasting impact you seek to make. Switch from thinking about the job at hand to the role you can play. What if your job is not to be right or knowledgeable; what if your role is to create change?”
Then she goes on to say:
Leading is a posture of being in the world, a role we assume.
If you [i] have the potential to guide someone to a better place, or [ii] possess the ability to shine a light on a path ahead, or [iii] consider yourself a steward of the well-being of even one person—then you are a leader.
You are a steward of creating change. Leaders commit to the emotional labor of showing up to support change. Leaders commit to the long haul of seeing the process of change through.
Leading is both a privilege and a responsibility. Leading is also the responsibility of those with privilege.
A leader is not: a job title, a certain set of skills, a business card, an assignment, or an invitation from someone high up.
The posture of leadership can be adopted by anyone with the guts to believe that change is possible and with the courage to show up.
[…] We do our work of showing up for others within existing structures, institutions, and cultures. Even values-driven organizations can create unhealthy work environments…
Leading is often the work of the everyday and the mundane. Leaders are the people who give the very best part of themselves without expectation. Imagining oneself as a hero is easy: Fly in and save the day. Showing up when no one is watching, when the stakes are less high, when the task at hand is not as attractive—this is the work of creating change. Showing up is what it takes to lead, to be stewards.
Leaders choose to Show Up Hard. Leaders choose to go first.
And Shannon is a leader herself who has decide to change the world, starting right where she is, one love note at a time. She is the founder of LoveYou2.org where she has started a movement to spread love around the world. Here’s a mini-documentary about her project (2:43 min long) and her TEDx Talk where she talks about how it started and the enormous impact it has had. Also, Seth Godin, renowned author and marketing guru, mentioned another one of Shannon’s projects—giving capes to unsung heroes—in his blog asking, “What kind of impact does one act of kindness make? It can last for years.”
There will definitely be more posts about this book, so stay tuned! In the meantime, please let me know in the comments, how has your vision of leadership changed with this post? Do you see yourself as a leader now? You certainly are one! Are you ready to Show Up Hard? I’m cheering for you. 🙂 And in case you need some reminders, here are some beautiful ones that you can print from Shannon’s site.
“A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.” – Lao Tzu
ACTION
TODAY: Reimagine yourself in the role of an agent of change. What lasting impact are you seeking to make? Then commit to showing up hard.
FUTURE: Remind yourself that leading is a posture and that having a lasting impact is a daily job. You have to work consistently on the change you seek to make: you have to show up hard both when others are watching and when they are not—especially when no one is watching.
Know someone who would like this post? Please share this post with them via email, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, thank you!
by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Collaboration, Creativity, Goals, Growth, Leadership, Mindset, Planning, Productivity
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 33 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: 7 Principles of Leadership
— From No Excuses!: The Power of Self-Discipline: 21 Ways to Achieve Happiness and Success by Brian Tracy
Leadership and business guru, Brian Tracy, refers to 3,300 studies of leaders done by James MacPherson where the latter states that the first quality of leadership is vision.
“You become a leader when you accept responsibility for results,” says Tracy. “You become a leader when you begin to think, act and talk like a leader. You become a leader when you develop a vision for yourself and for your company, your life, or your area of responsibility […] and then share this vision with others and gain others’ commitment to make this vision a reality.”
And while there are hundreds of books written about leadership and vision, Tracy boils them down to one single word: success in the leader’s field. For instance, “a military leader has a vision of victory, from which he never deviates. A business leader has a vision of success for the business based on excellent performance, to which he or she is completely committed.”
But that’s not all. The author also points to the fact that in addition to a clear vision, “the leader must have a set of values and organizing principles that guide behavior and decision making.” Thus, he shares the following seven principles of leadership as a starting point:
1. Clarity: “This is perhaps your most important responsibility. You must be absolutely clear about who you are and what you stand for. You must be absolutely clear about your vision and where you want to lead your people.”
2. Competence: “You must set a standard of excellent performance for the organization [or project] as well as for every person and function [involved].”
3. Commitment: “The leader is absolutely committed to the success of the organization… This passionate commitment to the organization–—and to success and achievement—motivates and inspires people to do their best work and put their whole heart into [whatever they’re doing].
4. Constraints: “The job of the leader is to identify the constraints or limiting factors that set the speed at which the [organization achieves its goals]. The leader then allocates people and resources to alleviate those constraints and remove obstacles.”
And I would add to this one that leaders not just alleviate constraints, but help the team work creatively within the constraints to come out ahead. When how can we get rid of this constraint?, is no longer working or simply not feasible, the leader changes the mindset to how can we achieve our goal within or despite this constraint?
This reminds me of a quote by George Bernard Shaw that I love:
“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world, while the unreasonable man persists in adapting the world to himself….therefore all progress belongs to the unreasonable man”.
5. Creativity: “The leader is open to new ideas of all kinds and from all sources.”
6. Continuous learning: “The leader is personally committed to reading, listening, and upgrading his or hers personal knowledge and skills… and encourages everyone in the organization to learn and grow as a normal and natural part of business life.” Hint: I know of a blog that can help you with that… 😉
7. Consistency: “The leader has the self-discipline to be consistent, dependable, reliable, calm, and predictable in all situations. One of the great comforts of business life is… to know that the leader is completely consistent and reliable… calm, positive, and confident—especially under pressure.”
As you can see, these seven principles of leadership are rather simple, yet not easy. While they are obvious and should be a given in leaders, they aren’t always! Have you ever met someone who embodied these seven principles in their leadership? Let me know in the comments here, I’d love to know.
ACTION
TODAY: Create your list of values and principles, the ones that you hold dear, live for, and fully believe in. What are they? Pour your heart into it.
FUTURE: Share your list with the people that surround you so that they can be aware of your principles. Ask them to do the same. You’ll have the most wonderful conversations about this and will get to know each other so well!
Know someone who would like to read these seven values of leadership? Please share this post with them via email, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, thank you!
by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Celebration, Collaboration, Creativity, Leadership, Mindset, Opportunity, Planning, Tools
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 9 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Go Behind the Scenes
— From REWORK: Change the way you work forever by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
Imagine that someone wanted to do a reality show about your business. What would you show them? What would you like them to share on screen? Or if someone brought in a bunch of school kids into your business for a tour, what would you say and what aspects would you highlight for them?
Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson, authors of the wonderful book Rework, suggest giving people a backstage pass to show them how your business works.
“Think no one will care? Think again. Even seemingly boring jobs can be fascinating when presented right. What could be more boring than commercial fishing and trucking? Yet the Discovery Channel and History Channel have turned these professions into highly rated shows: Deadliest Catch and Ice Road Truckers.
It doesn’t have to be a dangerous job either. People love finding out the little secrets of all kinds of businesses, even one that makes those tiny marshmallows in breakfast cereals. That’s why the Food Network’s Unwrapped—which explores the secrets behind lunch box treats, soda pop, movie candy, and more—is such a popular program.”
People are naturally curious about how things are made. I know I’ve always enjoyed getting the opportunity to talk to people about their work, and when possible, I’ve taken the opportunity to take a tour of their workplaces, factories, offices, and more!
The beauty of letting people take a peek behind the scenes of your business is that “it changes your relationship with them,” the authors say. “They’ll feel a bond with you and see you as human beings instead of a faceless company. They’ll see the sweat and effort that goes into what you sell. They’ll develop a deeper level of understanding and appreciation for what you do.”
So, if at all possible, let people come into your backstage and let them see what you do. You’d be surprised about how much fun they have and how you’ll see your business in a whole new light after that!
And on that topic, I’m holding an online party in the form of an Ask-Me-Anything session as a way to—virtually—open up EntreGurus to all the readers in celebration of its one-year anniversary. Woohoo!! Yes, it’s incredible how fast this first year has gone by, and I’m so grateful for you joining me on this journey and allowing me to share 365 ideas with you. 🙂
Please save the date for the virtual party: Saturday, January 19, 2019, from 1-3 pm (U.S. Eastern Time – here’s a handy time converter). I’ll be delighted to see those of you that I know and also to meet those of you that I don’t know yet, I’m always excited to make new friends! Stay for the whole time or come and go as you please within that time frame, here’s the link to join the party. Simply click on it and let the Internet work its magic to connect us.
And, if you can’t join us, but would like to send a Happy Anniversary message, here’s a corkboard where you can leave a sticky note. Would love to hear from you!
ACTION
TODAY: What creative way can you find to open up your business to your clients? From writing a blog post or creating a slide show or a video, to having an open house, your imagination is the limit. How can you engage your readers?
FUTURE: Set up times throughout the year when people can go behind the scenes for virtual or real tours. Your clients and other curious folks will be grateful for sharing with them your knowledge and expertise. In turn, you will forge a stronger bond with them that will result in loyalty and recommendations.
Know someone who would like this post? Please share it via email, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, thank you!
by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Celebration, Collaboration, Creativity, Growth, Leadership, Mindset, Miniseries
Links to other parts of this miniseries:
Everyday Leadership – Part 1
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes, 57 seconds
TODAY’S IDEA: Everyday Leadership-Part 2 
— From This Is Day One: A Practical Guide to Leadership That Matters by Drew Dudley
In yesterday’s post, we learned about the influence and impact that someone can have on us–and that we can have on others. It’s not difficult. On one hand, it’s simply a matter of doing our jobs with excellence. On the other, it’s a matter of noticing and acknowledging a job done right.
In his book This is Day One, author Drew Dudley focuses on the actions we can take to become leaders. Not heads of state, or corporations, or larger-than-life leaders (which is how most people perceive the concept of leadership, and that is indeed one way to see it); but instead, simply the very best version of ourselves to influence and impact our communities for the better.
And for this, he tells another remarkable story about one of his students named Aaron:
“Aaron had waited at his old bus stop for the man who had driven him to elementary school when he was a kid. When the bus pulled up, Aaron waited for the children to board and then stepped on the bus himself.
‘What are you doing?’ the elementary school bus driver naturally asked a 22-year-old.
‘Sir, you drove me to school for nine years,’ Aaron told him. ‘Back then, I was incredibly fat and really, really smart… I was bullied so badly [that I’d cry every day before leaving my house] … You’d pull up, and I’d sit up in the front because all the cool kids sat in the back.
And you’d sing Disney songs all the way to school, every day. And you were terrible, and the kids in the back mocked you constantly. You heard them and you never seemed to care. What those kids thought was so important to me and watching you not care about what they said about you–watching you just keep smiling and singing–on so many days, is what convinced me I could get through just one more day of their crap…
I go to Harvard for grad school next year. You’re as big a part of that as any person in my life. I never said thank you. I never told you you’re one of the greatest leaders I know’.”
While this story is absolutely beautiful and very moving, the most important lesson that Dudley derives is this (I left it verbatim since he writes it so eloquently and on point):
“We recognized [those leaders] in our lives once, but we did so because they had impacted us many, many times, and most of those times went unrecognized. Until we looked for those moments of leadership, we didn’t see them. Until we recognized they were moments of leadership, neither did the people who created them.
Most of the leadership on the planet comes from people who don’t see themselves as leaders. Aaron’s bus driver and the cashier I spoke with are examples of the world’s most abundant type of leader: people who impact others by doing more than what is expected. Those in this group often feel the jobs they do and the positions they hold don’t qualify for the title of a leader.
Leaders aren’t identified by their jobs, they’re identified by how they choose to do them. When you do your job and live your life in a way that impacts others positively, you’re a leader–whether your job is commanding an aircraft carrier or getting someone’s child home safely after school. Many people don’t believe that, so we need to tell them. In doing so we live our own leadership. The cycle continues–but we must be consistent at reinforcing it.”
Leadership, as most of us have been taught, is very narrowly defined and only reserved for those at the top. I love Dudley’s definition because it helps us see ourselves and others in a new, very positive light, and recognize that we can all make a change and impact in our corner of the universe.
Who has had an impact or influence on you? How have you recognized it? Has someone recognized your efforts? I’d love to know your thoughts! Please let me know in the comments here.
ACTION
TODAY: Take a moment to rethink your vision of leadership to include everyday leadership. Recognize and acknowledge yourself as a leader and recognize and acknowledge others as well.
FUTURE: Keep reinforcing the cycle of everyday leadership with acknowledgment and gratitude. We will build better families, better communities, and better businesses by doing an excellent job at what we do, and recognizing others for doing so as well!
Know someone who would like to read this great story of everyday leadership or the one from yesterday? Please share this post with them via email, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, thank you!
by Helena Escalante | Accountability, Celebration, Collaboration, Creativity, Growth, Leadership, Mindset, Miniseries
Links to other parts of this miniseries:
Everyday Leadership – Part 2
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes, 22 seconds.
TODAY’S IDEA: Everyday Leadership-Part 1
— From This Is Day One: A Practical Guide to Leadership That Matters by Drew Dudley
As I was reading Drew Dudley’s wonderful book This is Day One, I had an a-ha! moment on the meaning of “everyday leadership” that the author explains throughout the book, and also in his TEDx Talk in Toronto called Leading with Lollipops.
John C. Maxwell, renowned leadership guru, says that leadership is influence. Everyday leadership, then, as Dudley describes it, is about us and everyday people–those who surround us–influencing others for the better. And while we will never know the extent of our influence, we should not underestimate how profound and lasting that impact can be.
Dudley recalls a time when he was at a packed grocery store. While he was standing in the shortest line to pay, it was still about 20 people long, and he couldn’t just leave to return at another time. Here’s the story as the author tells it:
“Glancing up for a moment, I caught a glimpse of the young woman operating the cash register. She was quite simply the greatest cashier I had ever seen. Her arms were a blur as she fired items across the scanner at breakneck speed. Everything beeped, everything found its way into a bag in an instant. This woman was a checkout ninja.
It occurred to me how unusual it was to think to myself, ‘That woman is the greatest cashier I’ve ever seen.’ Unfortunately, the more people in our society we believe capable of doing a job, the less likely we are to recognize excellence in that job. There are magazines and websites dedicated to debating the Top 50 athletes/musicians/business titans of all time, but with cashiers, serving staff, bus drivers, janitors, and even (inexplicably in my mind) teachers and nurses, there’s too often the perception that ‘anyone can do those jobs.’ As such, it seems we treat high performance in those jobs as somehow a lower class of excellence.”
As his turn approached, Dudley watched people treat the cashier poorly–when they noticed her. Some of the patrons didn’t even acknowledge her presence. She never stopped doing her excellent work.
When the author reached the front of the line, he asked her what candy she liked from the shelves next to the checkout, and when he paid for them, he gave them to the cashier. He said, “I got those for you. I have to tell you you’re the very best at this job I’ve ever seen. My job is to teach leadership and the way you’re approaching your job is exactly the type of example I use for what real leadership looks like. […] I’ve been watching and I’ve seen no one has really given you the credit you deserve for it, so I thought you deserved some chocolates.”
The cashier was so moved, she started to cry. Then Dudley realized what a profound impact that interaction had on both of them. Regarding the cashier, he says, “Up until that point, had her family asked how her day was when she got home, it’s quite possible she would have snapped at them and passed along that lack of consideration and respect she’d experienced time and time again from those of us in line. Now… even if not a single positive thing happened to her all day, she was going to lead with ‘This guy did the nicest thing for me today!’”
As per the realization of the impact on himself, he says, “I had been letting a lot of similar opportunities for impact pass me by. I had identified a small percentage of my daily interactions as important and, outside of those interactions, tended to let my focus rest on my phone, my to-do list and the things I felt I had to do to excel at my job. That moment was a reminder that every interaction was a chance to model [leadership].”
And Dudley closes with a beautiful thought: “If you want to model your leadership more consistently, be more conscious about looking for and recognizing the leadership of others. Look for leaders like that cashier: those whose behavior goes beyond what is expected and reminds you of what is possible. Leadership recognized is leadership created.”
And I would append to this last phrase two simple words at the end: Leadership recognized is leadership created and repeated.
Who has had an impact or influence on you and whose leadership have you recognized, thus creating an impact on that person? Let me know in the comments here. It’s a beautiful cycle, isn’t it? Come back tomorrow for another wonderful and moving story about everyday leadership.
ACTION
TODAY: Notice all those everyday leaders who surround you. Recognize and acknowledge their impact on you and your surroundings. Let them know. They will be grateful and you will be positively impacted as well for creating an impact on that person. Keep the cycle going.
FUTURE: Dudley makes a point of recognizing everyday leadership on a daily basis. Give it a shot: you’ll start to see that you can impact lives in a very positive way and, as a result, your life will be impacted too.
Know someone who would like to read this great story of everyday leadership? Please share this post with them via email, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn, thank you!
