Leadership guru John C. Maxwell reminisces about his father who used to say, “Find the one thing you do well and don’t do anything else.” Following that guidance has taken Maxwell to the realization that, to do a few things well, he has had to give up many others.
“No one can go to the highest level and remain a generalist,” says Maxwell. And this is so true, especially nowadays, where we are pulled in a myriad directions, spread too thin, multitasking and living with FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), and expected to know and give an educated opinion on everything from the Syrian refugee crisis, to the new coach of the Real Madrid soccer team, to the latest environmental policy in California.
And while “giving up” sounds like a heavy sacrifice that we must reluctantly make, the truth is that it is not when we reframe it and simply see it as a choice. We already make choices, willingly and happily, anything from Mexican vs. Chinese food to vacationing in one place vs. another.
The same should apply here. Make willing choices and you’ll be able to focus on the one or few things that you do best and that will take you to the top (whatever the definition of top is for you).
Here are some of those choices Maxwell has made. They make a lot of sense and I think they aptly apply to us all.
You can’t know everyone.
Maxwell is outgoing and loves people, so it’s hard for him not to spend time with lots of people. Yet even if you are an introvert, you may be pulled in the direction of getting to know people in your field and attend events. To deal with this, Maxwell has done two things: “First, [he’s] chosen a strong inner circle of people. They not only provide professional help, but they also make life’s journey much more pleasant. Second, [he asks] certain friends to catch [him] up on what’s happening on the lives of other friends.”
You can’t do everything.
“There are only a few exceptional opportunities in any person’s lifetime. That’s why [Maxwell strives] for excellence in a few things rather than a good performance in many.” For instance, he’s an avid reader, yet he doesn’t read novels or any kind of fiction, instead, he’s chosen to dedicate his reading time to nonfiction as those books are the ones that propel the personal and professional growth he desires.
Maxwell also outsources everything he’s not good at, specifically, technical matters, mechanic or electronic. He can’t do it and does not have the knowledge, so he let’s someone who does have it do the job. Easier and faster.
He also works with his team on what he calls the 10-80-10 principle. Even though there are projects that Maxwell would love to do, he delegates them and only becomes involved as follows: he helps “with the first 10 percent by casting vision, laying down parameters, providing resources and giving encouragement.” Then his team work on the middle 80% and he comes in at the end again to “help them take whatever it is the rest of the way” (if he can). He considers this last effort putting the cherry on top.
You can’t go everywhere.
The traveling demands of a conference speaker and author are high, so Maxwell has chosen not to travel as much as he did before.
You can’t be well-rounded.
Being truly focused impedes being ‘”well-rounded.” Maxwell tells people: “ Ninety-nine percent of everything in life I don’t need to know about.” He focuses on the one percent that gives him the highest return. Of the other 99%, his wife and team keep him aware whenever he needs to know, and that’s how he balances his life.
This reminds me of lifestyle design guru, Tim Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Workweek who doesn’t read or listen to the news. He says: “Most information is time-consuming, negative, irrelevant to your goals, and outside of your influence. I challenge you to look at whatever you read or watched today and tell me that it wasn’t at least two of the four.” Ferriss is another one who has made some choices to be a pioneer in his field.
So, what choices are you making to get to where you want to go?
ACTION
TODAY: Determine what choices you will make today that will take you in the direction of your goals.
FUTURE: Take some time to think about your life and the choices you’ve made so far. What other choices can you make to be focused on reaching your goals?
Know someone who needs to give up a few things to go up? Please share this post via email, Facebook or Twitter, thank you!
One of the most wonderful compliments we can all receive is that of equating us with progress: “He/she stands for progress. He/she is the right person for the job.” I still haven’t met anybody who does not like to be seen as a forward-looking, progress-seeking leader.
Looking forward, thinking progress, believing in progress and pushing for progress are leadership qualities that we can all develop. David J. Schwartz in The Magic of Thinking Big says, “Leaders, real leaders, are in short supply. Status-quo-ers (the everything’s-all-right-let’s-don’t-upset-the-apple-cart folks) far outnumber the progressives (the there’s-lots-of-room-for-improvement-let’s-get-to-work-and-do-it-better people). Join the leadership elite. Develop a forward look.”
But how?
There are two things you can do to develop your progressive outlook: 1. Think improvement in everything you do. 2. Think high standards in everything you do.
Students, employees and people in general pattern their thoughts and actions after those of their leaders. That is why a new teacher, a new boss, a new president, or any kind of new leader can make such an enormous difference, for good or bad. Schwartz says, “Remember this: when you take over the leadership of a group, the persons in that group immediately begin to adjust themselves to the standards you set. […] Once they know, they act accordingly.”
Schwartz goes on to say something very profound and powerful: “Over a period of time, [people] tend to become carbon copies of their chief. The simplest way to get high-level performance is to make sure the master copy is worth duplicating.” (!)
So, how can we make make sure that, as master copies, we are worth duplicating??
Fortunately, Schwartz includes a checklist to make sure that we are thinking progressively in four areas: work, family, ourselves, and our community. Keep it handy!
Do I think progressively toward my work?
Do I appraise my work with the “how can we do it better?” attitude?
Do I praise my company, the people in it, and the products it sells at every possible opportunity?
Are my personal standards with reference to the quantity and quality of my output higher now than three or six months ago?
Am I setting an excellent example for my subordinates, associates and others I work with?
Do I think progressively toward my family?
Is my family happier today than it was three or six months ago?
Am I following a plan to improve my family’s standard of living?
Does my family have an ample variety of stimulating activities outside the home?
Do I set an example of “a progressive,” a supporter of progress, for my children?
Do I think progressively toward myself?
Can I honestly say that I am a more valuable person today than three or six months ago?
Am I following an organized self-improvement program to increase my value to others?
Do I have forward-looking goals for at least five years in the future?
Am I a booster in every organization or group to which I belong?
Do I think progressively toward my community?
Have I done anything in the past six months that I honestly feel has improved my community (neighborhood, churches, schools, etc.)?
Do I boost worthwhile community projects rather than object, criticize or complain?
Have I ever taken the lead in bringing about some worthwhile improvement in my community?
Do I speak well of my neighbors and fellow citizens?
Lastly, I’ll leave you with a quote from Benjamin Franklin that I love:
“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.”
ACTION
TODAY: Take one of the areas described above (work, family, yourself or your community) and answer the questions on the checklist. Determine where you are and what you need to do to make progress in that area.
FUTURE: Take some time to answer all the questions in the checklist and determine where you stand in each area. If you are reading this it’s clear that you are indeed a forward-looking, progressive person. Decide in which area you’d like to make (more) progress first and move into that direction. Then tackle another area and so on. In following along the lines of yesterday’s post, take these questions as decision criteria to measure progress as a state of being.
Think progressively toward your circles and please share this post with them via email, Facebook or Twitter, thank you!
The Accidental Creative by Todd Henry is a great book about prepping yourself to do your best creative work and generate good ideas consistently and purposefully. By creative work Henry doesn’t mean just those professions in a typically creative field, such as the arts or advertising. He says, “You may even cringe when you hear the word [creative] applied to you. […] You may prefer the term ‘strategist’ or ‘manager’ or something else that feels more concrete. Call yourself anything you want, but if you’re responsible for solving problems, developing strategies, or otherwise straining your brain for new ideas, I’m going to call you a creative—even if you ended up being one accidentally.”
Henry shares his methods and insights for all of us, creatives or “accidental creatives,” to create faster, better and more effectively to fulfill the demands of our lives.
One of the strategies that he suggests as a way to enrich relationships and enrich our mental ability to create is called head-to-heads. “We rise to the level of our competition,” says Henry, “we need others in our life to help us stretch and grow.”
He draws a parallel with sports, where you compete with others head-to-head, such as in running, and this helps you keep the pace. The same principle is applied to your creative life as Henry suggests establishing the practice of head-to-heads.
“In a head-to-head meeting, to people get together, and each party is responsible for sharing new insights and new resources they’ve encountered since the last meeting.” Here are four principles to set up effective head-to-heads:
1. Set a time and be consistent. “Agree to a date, time, meeting place and frequency for the meetings with the other person. Choose someplace quiet and comfortable and make it a priority on your calendar. Once a month is a good frequency because it leaves enough time between meetings for each of you to have experienced something new to share and to have generated a few fresh insights that would make for interesting conversation.”
2. Vary your subject matter. “Don’t harp on the same topic month after month. The idea is to challenge each other with new insights and to spark conversation about things that may otherwise never show up on the other person’s radar.”
3. Choose someone you respect and admire. “Preferably someone within your area of expertise. This will enhance the conversation when you get together, leading to ideas and insights more appropriate to each person’s context. Ask yourself, ‘If I could see inside of anyone’s notebook right now, just to see what they’re currently thinking, who would it be?”
4. Prepare about 15 minutes of content. “Don’t just show up with a sandwich. Spend time putting together materials to discuss. Build them around a topic or insight that you are presently working on or just fascinated by. Again, choose a topic of potential interest to both of you.”
The topics you select are up to you and your creative goals. Henry suggests asking the following questions: “What are you currently interested in or curious about? What have you read or experienced recently that you think the other person knows very little about? What new insights or thoughts have you had that are ripe for application?”
These head-to-heads are a fantastic opportunity to build strong relationships as they challenge and stimulate both of you with the new insights. Give it a try and let me know how it goes!
ACTION
TODAY: Think of someone with whom you would like to set up a head-to-head set of meetings and touch base with that person to see if he/she is interested. Set up a time to meet. You don’t have to make a lifelong commitment to do it, simply set up an initial amount of meetings, say 3 or 4, and then review how each of you is doing and whether you want to continue.
FUTURE: Following the principle of building a FAB PAB, where you set up your own advisory board for a particular project, think also about setting a head-to-head for a particular season or a particular project. This way it may be less daunting, more focused and then you can decide—when it naturally comes to an end—whether you want to continue.
Have someone in mind for a head-to-head? Send him or her this post via email, Facebook or Twitter, thank you!
Do you remember Jack Mitchell talking about hugging as a mindset? Jack is the chairman of the Mitchell’s stores and a renowned personality in the field of extraordinary customer service. His second book, Hug Your People, talks about creating a Niceness Culture to inspire, empower, recognize and reward associates.
We’ve all heard that we shouldn’t mix business with pleasure. Mitchell says that the opposite is true, “Work and fun shouldn’t be considered antonyms. We think of them as synonyms.” And he points out that, “Scientists have discovered how quickly we adopt the emotional state of those around us by measuring the physiology, heart rate, blood pressure, skin temperature, etc., of two people sharing a conversation. As the conversation gets started, the vital signs of the two bodies are different. But after fifteen minutes, the physiological profiles of the two bodies become very similar.”
This point is incredibly important because “one associate’s happiness becomes the other associate’s happiness.” Mitchell says that in many companies, people feel guilty if they’re having a good time. It goes like this: “associates are chuckling over something when the big boss arrives and everyone immediately adopts a somber face and scurries to their desk to look like they’re ‘working.’ ”
When you have a Niceness Culture and this scenario happens, the boss joins in the laughter. Mitchell continues, “we want people to bring their real selves to work, not some artificial ‘business self.’ ” And he practices what he preaches: he joins in the laughter, the dancing, the singing and the overall cheering. But it doesn’t stop there.
Mitchell makes a point of fostering the fun in all he and his associates do. He will close the store for an evening and invite the associates to play poker. Or he will take all associates bowling. And he will also do it in smaller ways: at meetings he’ll ask everyone to think of positive words that start with a letter, write them down and share them in his CEO letter that goes out to everyone. Or some of his associates will kick off meetings by asking questions like, “What is one word that describes you?” Or “If your great-aunt died and left you more money than Bill Gates, what would you do with it?”
The sky is the limit in terms of what small or big actions you can take to have fun yourself and make your team have fun too. You can even start your own holidays! Work is such an important part of our lives that we should do something that we like and enjoy it fully!
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” George Bernard Shaw
ACTION
TODAY: How can you imbue some fun in the things you do? Think of small and big ways to do it. Can you record a fun message in your voice mail so that every caller that goes to voice mail gets a chuckle? Can you start a meeting in a fun way, such as “tell us something few people know about you” and then go around the room? Can you plan to go bowling or plan an ice-skating escapade during winter? Your imagination will lead you to come up with many fun ways to spice up your work and your business culture.
FUTURE: Commit to have more fun from now on. Think about fun “traditions” that you can establish either at work or at home, or both. Could you do an annual picnic? I once went to a “picnic” held at an office conference room where the organizers had set a red and white checkered table cloth and had sprinkled plastic ants all over it. It really was a fun touch and everyone had fun with the ants! One of my favorite invented “traditions” with my family in Spain—since we see each other once a year—is to celebrate all birthdays at the same time by adding the amount of years we will turn or have turned that year. Thus, last year we celebrated our 599 birthday! (Below is the picture of our cake). Could you do something similar at work, perhaps on a monthly basis? For example, “the September babies are turning 349 this year!” Think of fun and creative ways to celebrate and enjoy life.
Know someone who could use more fun in his or her life? Send this post to that person! You can do so via email, Facebook or Twitter, thanks!
“The only purpose of starting is to finish,” writes Seth Godin in his remarkable book Linchpin. Finishing or shipping, as Godin calls it, “means hitting the publish button on your blog, showing a presentation to the sales team, answering the phone, selling the muffins, sending out your references. Shipping is the collision between your work and the outside world.”
But one of the things that makes shipping so difficult is thrashing. Thrashing is “the apparently productive brainstorming and tweaking we do for a project as it develops… sometimes thrashing is merely a tweak; other times it involves major surgery.”
Thrashing is essential; however, it’s the timing of the thrashing that can make or break a project. In the video below, Godin insists on thrashing early because that is when it’s easy and cheap. He is right. Professionals thrash early and then they get to work so as to ship with top quality and pride, respecting deadlines and other people’s time, and doing so within budget. It’s not a dream, it can be done.
The problem comes when people behave in an amateur way and do all the thrashing near the end. Godin continues, “the closer we get to shipping, the more people get involved, the more meetings we have, the more likely that CEO wants to be involved. And why not? What’s the point of getting involved early when you can’t see what’s already done and your work will probably be redone anyway? The point of getting everyone involved early is simple: thrash late and you won’t ship. Thrash late and you introduce bugs. Professional creators thrash early. The closer the project gets to completion, the fewer people see it and the fewer changes are permitted.”
Thrashing allowed at the end leads to missed deadlines, much stress, unnecessary changes, late nights, much heartache, frustration and resentment. Coordinating all the thrashing from teams of people that increasingly get larger as the deadline approaches is very difficult. “Projects stall as they trash. Nine women can’t have a baby in one month, no matter how closely they coordinate their work.”
So, what to do? Godin offers two solutions. Both will make people uncomfortable, yet they are the only way in which projects will be shipped on time and without the unnecessary heartache that too-many-cooks-in-the-kitchen brings. Here they are:
1. “Relentlessly limit the number of people allowed to thrash. That means you need formal procedures for excluding people, even well-meaning people with authority. And you need secrecy. If you have a choice between being surprised (and watching a great project ship on time) or being involved (and participating in the late launch of a mediocre project), which do you want? You must pick one or the other.”
2. “Appoint one person to run it. Not to co-run it or to lead at task force or to be on the committee. One person, a human being, runs it. [His or] her name on it. [His or] her decisions.”
In the video, Godin tells the story of how his boss loved to show up the day before with “just a little suggestion” that led to a domino effect of changes resulting in missed deadlines. Godin’s solution was to adopt a disciplined approach: thrash at the beginning and allow people to share their input and ideas early on. Then, have the thrashers sign a form stating that they have given their input and that they will not provide further input or changes after a certain deadline. This allows the people who are working on the project the necessary time for completion and shipping.
ACTION
TODAY: Think of ways in which you can apply early thrashing to your projects. How can you also instill the discipline in your team of thrashing early and shipping on time?
FUTURE: As you encounter the start of new projects, think of the optimal time and way in which thrashing should take place. Should it be a meeting? Should it be one-on-one? Should it be via a form? Think also of the time when thrashing should come to an end. Don’t veer away from the discipline of thrashing early and having a cut off point. Then take the best ideas, incorporate them into the project and get to work so that you can ship the best possible project on time and on budget.
Know someone who needs to stop thrashing at the end of a project? Please share this post with that person via email, Facebook or Twitter, thank you!
When we think of the bottom line, the first thing that comes to mind is money. However, in Thinking for a Change, leadership guru John C. Maxwell says that if we solely focus on financial matters as the bottom line, we may miss something critical. He says, “Instead, think of the bottom line as the end, the take away, the desired result. Every activity [and organization] has its own unique bottom line. If you have a job, your work has a bottom line. If you serve in your church, your activity has a bottom line. So does your effort as a parent, or spouse, if you are one.”
Maxwell tells the story of Frances Hesselbein who headed the Girl Scouts of America for many years and turned it around into the successful organization that it is today. When she became CEO of the organization, it was in trouble because it lacked direction, and interest in it was dwindling from girls to participate as well as from adults to volunteer. She needed to focus on the bottom line. In her words, “We kept asking ourselves very simple questions. What is our business? Who is our customer? And what does the customer consider value? If you’re the Girl Scouts, IBM or AT&T, you have to manage for a mission.”
Asking these questions and her focus on a mission led Hesselbein to find the Girl Scouts bottom line: “We really are here for one reason: to help a girl reach her highest potential. More than any one thing, that made the difference. Because when you are clear about your mission, corporate goals and operating objectives flow from it.”
In this case, her bottom line was not measured in dollars but in changed lives.
If you are wondering how you can put bottom-line thinking to work for you, Maxwell shares the following five points to do this.
1. Identify the real bottom line.
“It can be as lofty as the big-picture vision, mission or purpose of an organization. Or it can be as focused as what you want to accomplish on a particular project.” Be very specific. “What are you really trying to achieve? When you strip away all the things that don’t really matter, what are you compelled to achieve? What must occur? What is acceptable? That is the real bottom line.”
2. Make the bottom line the point. Your bottom line will be your guide and goal for all you do, and everything else revolves around it. “Sometimes, for example, an idealistically stated mission and the real bottom line don’t jibe. Purpose and profits [seem to] compete [… but] profits serve purpose—they don’t compete with it.”
3. Create a strategic plan to achieve the bottom line. Organizations should identify and focus on the “core elements or functions that must operate properly to achieve the bottom line. […] The important thing is that when the bottom line of each activity is achieved, then THE bottom line is achieved.”
4. Align team members with the bottom line.
“Ideally all team members should know the big goal, as well as their individual role in achieving it. They need to know their personal bottom line and how that works to achieve the organization’s bottom line.” (A post to reinforce this point is Believe.)
5. Stick with one system, and monitor results continually. “Bottom-line thinking cannot be a one-time thing. It has to be built into the system of working and relating and achieving. You can’t just tune in to the desired result every now and then. Achieving with bottom-line thinking must be a way of life, or it will send conflicting messages.
ACTION
TODAY: Do you know the bottom line for the various aspects of your life? Take a moment today to pick one area you want to focus on and find out the bottom line.
FUTURE: Don’t lose sight of that clarity and the bottom line you just figured out. Everything you do should revolve around that bottom line. As you embark in any action or project, ask: is this in alignment and getting me closer to my bottom line? If the answer is yes, go for it! If it’s no, then course-correct and do something instead that gets you closer to your goal.
Happy bottom-lining!
Know someone who could benefit from figuring out his or her bottom line? Please share this post via email, Facebook or Twitter, thank you!
TODAY’S IDEA: What are you giving up to go up?
