Filed under: Change, Conflict, Happiness, Leadership, Life, Making Mistakes, Optimism
My wife Margie and I needed to fly to New York in early September, and we had made a plan that we weren’t going to fly on September 11. But you know, life is not always in your own hands. I learned that from Don Shula really clearly when he talked about the importance of being audible-ready. That means you have to have a plan, but when plans go awry, you have to be able to “call an audible.” You have to go with the flow.
So on September 10 when we were on our way to our first stop in Dallas, there were all kinds of problems with the Dallas airport, and we had to land in Oklahoma City because we had to get more gas. We eventually got to Dallas at about nine o’clock that night. Of course, our connecting flight to New York had already taken off. So we stayed at the airport hotel right there. The next morning, September 11, we flew safely to New York City. I think one of the things that makes you relax and be more easy in life is if you have an audible-ready attitude. Shula said that when you call an audible in football, it doesn’t mean you don’t have a plan. When things change, you just have to call a different play. You can’t get all uptight and ticked off because you didn’t get to go with your original plan. Some people at the airport were really bent out of shape because their plans were changed. They got themselves all out of whack about something they couldn’t control. So sometimes things change and you have to just go with the flow.
Filed under: Change, Communication, Economy, Happiness, Leadership, Optimism
One thought we have to keep at the top of mind is we are going to make it through this challenging time, and we’re going to do it together. We are. And we can’t get discouraged. We’re figuring this out together. Positive thinkers are winners. Why? Because they get positive results. And we’re going to get those. It’s going to be a story. It’s going to be a celebration. So don’t get down—keep up. We’re doing it all the time. You have a great, positive day, and remember we can do everything together. Remember that quote, “None of us is as smart as all of us.”
Filed under: Happiness, Health, Leadership, Life, One Minute Manager, Optimism, Passion, Relationships, Servant Leadership
I’ll never forget when, right after my dad died, I took my mom up to Robert Schuller’s Hour of Power. They watched that all the time in Florida and that was their favorite Sunday activity, watching the Hour of Power with Reverend Schuller. She had never been up there and this was the last service in the old chapel. Halfway through the service, everybody got up and walked into the new Crystal Cathedral, which is just absolutely beautiful. And the sermon from Reverend Schuller that day was “Every Ending has a New Beginning,” which is a wonderful thought. So as the next season or the next year ends for us and other people, we have new beginnings.
It was also amazing thinking about visualization. I was sitting there with my mom, and it’s a magnificent place, and I leaned over and I said, “Someday I’m going to be up there with Reverend Schuller.” And this was 1979. And my mom said, “How are you going to do that?” and I said, “I don’t know.” And then when The One Minute Manager came out in 1982, the next year, there I was up there with Reverend Schuller and my mom was out there in the cathedral, watching. So life is a very special occasion. I visualize a wonderful fall for all of us.
Filed under: Community, Happiness, Health, Leadership, Life, Relationships, Servant Leadership, Sustainable Leadership
This Saturday is “Make a Difference Day.” From their website at http://www.usaweekend.com/diffday/index.html:
Make A Difference Day is the most encompassing national day of helping others — a celebration of neighbors helping neighbors. Everyone can participate. Created by USA WEEKEND Magazine, Make A Difference Day is an annual event that takes place on the fourth Saturday of every October. Millions have participated. In 2008, 3 million people cared enough about their communities to volunteer on that day, accomplishing thousands of projects in hundreds of towns.
This is a really great project that helps bring people together and gets us all to do good things. I’d love to hear about some of the things you plan to do to make a difference… Leave a comment below and let everyone know what you will be doing. It doesn’t have to be only this Saturday. I think the main point is to make a difference everyday!
Filed under: Change, Communication, Economy, Happiness, Health, Life, Optimism, Passion
I have a great saying for you today that my friend Pat Zigarmi gave me last year when I was recovering from my hip surgery. This is a good one for all of us:
“Peace: It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”
How is that? That’s really pretty powerful. Because with all the stress and the movement with the economy and everybody working hard and all, you have to find a way to stay peaceful in the midst of turmoil. That happens by quieting yourself periodically as you work through the day and know that you’re doing good things—you’re making a difference in people’s lives. Calm yourself down, take a few deep breaths, and recognize that peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart. Have a great day.
Filed under: Change, Communication, Conflict, Ethics, Feedback, Leadership, Optimism, Passion, Servant Leadership, Trust
Something that’s so important in changing organizations for the better is the whole concept of trust. As I’ve said before, trust and respect go together. There are some real trust issues that people are dealing with out there. Sometimes people are not sure that the leader necessarily respects them and seeks their opinions. The leader could even be making an effort to do that, but people may be suspicious because of past leaders. It’s so important. It doesn’t do you any good to be concerned or have an issue about something and not let the person working with you, or someone else, know about it, so something can be done about it. As the CEO of WD-40 Company, Garry Ridge, says, everything is a learning opportunity if it’s an issue we can learn from. So I hope you really listen to your people, respect them, and ask their opinions. Treat everyone you work with as teammates in this tough economic time, so you can trust each other and work together toward what you’re trying to accomplish. I love the old saying that there’s no “I” in TEAM, because it’s so true.
Filed under: Commitment, Communication, Education, Leadership, Making Mistakes, Optimism
We recently offered a workshop at our company called “The Business of You,” that my friend Paul Brenner, who is an MBA and a Ph.D., was conducting with Bob Petrello, a longtime colleague of his. Their belief is that if you are self-aware, if you really understand yourself and your past, your needs, and your strengths and weaknesses, then that’s the beginning of being an effective human being. Then you add relationship awareness, which is about understanding the people around you and what makes them tick. Those are the two key things. Then, if you would really like to accomplish something, how do you do it with other people and get their commitment? It’s being relationally aware of them, and if you can do that, and you can get results. It’s so consistent with what we have been saying, which is that great leadership starts with understanding of self. I think it’s just a fascinating thing.
Filed under: Communication, Conflict, Ethics, Happiness, Health, Leadership, Life, Making Mistakes, Optimism, Servant Leadership, Workplace Culture
I’ve been reading a book by Mick Ukleja, who is one of my good buddies. It’s called The Ethics Challenge: Strengthening Your Integrity in a Greedy World. He says that one of the ways to keep your integrity high is to harness your moods. He says, interestingly, that a study of red-light violations shows a strong relationship between feeling under pressure and breaking the law. Forty-one percent of the people who go through red lights are doing it on their way to work or to school. But only nine percent of the red light violations were committed by people on vacation. He says, “A basic human frailty is that we allow our moods to master us rather than making sure we master them. You’re probably a lot like us. Sometimes we’ve known what to do, how to do it, and that we ought to do it, but we didn’t do it. You discover that your good intentions can be hijacked by your feelings. We speed through a red light, we cut off another driver, we procrastinate, we shut our minds to others because we’re in a bad mood. It’s easy, especially in pressure situations, to let our moods master us. So we really need to harness our moods. When you feel like you’re in a mood, go walk around the building. Go walk around your house. Get yourself back under control so that you can do what you know is right.” So don’t be moody. And if you are, recognize it and get it back under control. That’s a good thought for today.
Filed under: Change, Conflict, Education, Feedback, Happiness, Health, Leadership, Making Mistakes, Optimism, Relationships, Servant Leadership, Teamwork
A great comment I heard recently from our consultant, Tommy Moore, was: “There is no hall of fame for critics,” Ha! I just love that. A lot of times, people are really good at taking shots at what other people are doing. That’s not really very helpful. Redirection is so much different than criticism: Here’s something that has happened, here’s how it has impacted things, here’s what would really help next time, and I’m still excited about working with you. That’s really kind of a nice thing. But we also have to remember, if you do ever get criticism, that feedback is the breakfast of champions, as Rick Tate always used to say. The best response to any kind of criticism, if you get it, is: “Tell me more. Is there anyone else I should talk to? Oh, this is so helpful.” That will really blow people’s minds because you won’t be defensive or anything. You won’t get your ego in the way. Don’t criticize yourself or other people. Give ‘em a hug. That’s what they could really use.
I found a wonderful quote about how doing well is a decision you make. It’s from Abraham Lincoln: “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” That’s really true. So you can choose how you are going to feel on any given day. So I hope today you choose to be happy. It seems to be a beautiful day and life is a very special occasion. So go for it.
Filed under: 2008 Presidential Race
Filed under: Corporate Governance
In thinking about the election I came up with three leadership tips for President-Elect Obama, and they all focus on in him modeling servant leadership. The country is in desperate need of a servant leader as President. This is a President who thinks of the country first and himself second.
The first tip has to do with the leadership part of servant leadership. Leadership is about going somewhere. If people don’t know where they are headed, leadership doesn’t matter and becomes bogged down in politics and self interest. What President-Elect Obama needs to do is develop a compelling vision that helps us as a nation know who we are (our purpose), where we are going (our picture of the future), and what will guide our journey (our values).
Once there is clear direction, my second tip has to do with the servant part of servant leadership. Now President-Elect Obama has to move to the bottom of the hierarchy and become the cheerleader, supporter, and encourager of everyone in Washington and around the country by working on making that vision a reality. Now it is not about him, it is about the vision.
My third tip for President-Elect Obama makes servant leadership come alive. He has to lead with his ears. As Abraham Lincoln did, he needs to gather around him a team of rivals who are the best thinkers; a team who can help us solve the major problems that confront us today. We know President-Elect Obama is a great speaker, but if God wanted him to speak more than listen, he would have given him two mouths. I hope the theme of his presidency is to listen, listen, and listen some more, and then make the best decisions possible.
Filed under: Leadership
It is interesting to note that the title of Ken’s blog is “How WE lead,” instead of “How THEY lead.” This clearly sends the message that we share a responsibility in leadership.
My name is Francisco Gomez and I am this month’s guest blogger. In previous posts, Ken has mentioned how important is the leadership that the new president and his team will need to exercise for positive change to occur and last, starting with the VISION that he should set for all of us. But once that vision is clear for all, it is our turn to contribute our share, it is our turn to act. President Obama also thinks this way, as can see when he said “we are the ones we have been waiting for.”
It is an important responsibility for each of us to realize that the change we want will require that WE act differently as well. We will need to unlearn some things we have adopted as habits, learn new attitudes and behaviors, and relearn some fundamentals that we forgot along the way.
I want to invite you to contribute to this discussion by selecting one change you want to see happen over the next couple of years, and then providing your responses for the following questions:
· What will I need to START DOING to help this change happen?
· What will I need to STOP DOING to help this change happen?
· What will I need to CONTINUE DOING?
To kick off the discussion, one change I would like to see is a new kind of relationship between the United States and the rest of the world, based on what is good for the world at large, not just what is good for America. This means that sometimes we would be willing to do things that are not solely in the best interest of our country, but are desirable for the greater global good.
To help make this change happen, I will:
· Get better informed about the world and the issues different countries face
· Become more tolerant of different points of view
· Accept that we, as a nation, are not immune from making mistakes
· Have renewed faith in our political leadership
· Express my views and participate in the political decision making process
What is one change YOU would like to see? How will you contribute to it? Let’s share our visions and inspire others to do the same.
With the way things are right now, I hope we’re all wishing the best for President Obama, whether we voted for him or not, because we have so many problems and we really need a leader who can deal with them. You might have seen that two of his top cabinet appointments resigned because of tax problems. I love what Obama did on NBC News and on CNN — he said, “I screwed up.” He said that part of the era of responsibility is not never making mistakes, it’s owning up to them. This is really all about The One Minute Apology. He said, “I campaigned on changing Washington and bottom-up politics. I don’t want to send a message to the American people that there are two sets of standards—one for powerful people and one for ordinary folks who are working every day and paying their taxes.” I admire that.
I’ve talked with some of my friends recently about the idea of serving two masters or two kingdoms or two worlds—the two worlds are really ourselves and others – Ourselves and the highest good – Ourselves and leading at a higher level. It’s a constant battle, because that little ego is waiting there to kind of snap us up periodically and make us think that the world really centers around us, rather than saying, “Gee, I wonder how I can help. I wonder how I can support. I wonder how I can reach out to make a difference to somebody else.” I think we need to recognize that there are these two worlds and these two focuses. How do we balance those two, or at least be aware when our self is in charge? And then watch it—so that more often than not, we can be serving others and making a difference in other people’s lives. It’s a constant battle—a constant conflict between serving ourselves and serving others. You have to recognize that it’s not always an easy task. So my thought for you today is: Watch out. Get out of your own way as much as you can, and recognize that you really, finally, become an adult when you realize you’re here to serve rather than be served, and to give rather than get. But also recognize that little “self” that sneaks up once in a while.
We did a pretty good webinar recently. Twenty-five hundred people signed up for it. Do you know what the title was? “Leading in Uncertain Times.” Of course, we don’t have any uncertain times here, do we? Ha! Let me tell you three points I shared in the webinar, because maybe it could help us, because we’re all hitting times that are interesting.
The first point is: You have to be a bearer of hope. Some of you might think, “Blanchard, will you stop this? These are hard times.” Hey—I’m going to be a bearer of hope. I thought you could be a bearer of hope, too. Is that always tied into reality? No. But what difference does it make—if you don’t hope, then why don’t you just lie down and we’ll throw some dirt over you.
The second point is that you have to make people your business partners. I want to tell you—in our company in this kind of economic situation we’re going to keep on asking our people whether they have any suggestions. Where can we cut costs? Where can we increase revenue? Our people are our partners. We need everyone’s input. That is so important now.
The final one is to be a servant leader. This is not the time to be self-serving and say that it’s all about me, even though you’re concerned and you have some fears and all. But if you realize that life is about how to serve, not be served, in the process of reaching out to help others and maybe forgetting your own problems for a minute, you know what? Your own problems might be helped. It’s a real simple fact, but I have found it true.
A couple of friends of mine were saying how you can’t deal with hard times if you don’t embrace the good times, and the laughs. Good times are an example of hope. A lot of people are saying how things are really rough. A friend of mine says, “Don’t waste a crisis!” This is a time to change our attitude even when people around us aren’t having the same feeling. Another friend of mine said, “If you can see the future, then what’s the use of faith?” I think that’s really so true. In my locker room in high school, my coach said, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” And he also said, “Winners never quit and quitters never win.” So what we really need to do is remember that we have the capability to do anything. Together, together, together! And that’s what we’re going to do this time, okay?
So put your chins up—put your smiles on. Go out and make a difference in people’s lives. And in the process I think we can all continue to make a difference in our own lives. To be bearers of hope, we have to catch people doing things right and celebrate when people go beyond the moment, beyond the circumstances. You know, sometimes in life, you get “in the zone,” where positive things are happening and you can’t explain it. So I was just wondering—how can we encourage each other to get into the zone? How do we help each other go beyond where we ever thought we might be in what we do? Every job is important, whether you’re a visiting professor, or director of first impressions, or shipping, or doing sales, or whatever. Get in the zone. Think about it. How can you get yourself in the zone?
Filed under: Corporate Governance, Economy, Leadership, Servant Leadership, Trust
How do you maintain trust in uncertain times? Trust has been an important concept since the beginning of our country. On our dollar bills, we have said In God We Trust. Yet today it’s hard for us to trust people—particularly our business leaders, whose greed and self serving leadership seem to have been a major cause of our economic crisis. Yet, if we are going to pull out of this present situation, we have to realize that none of us is as smart as all of us. There are companies that realize this simple truth and have maintained trust before, during, and I’m sure after this economic downturn. All these companies seem to have two characteristics in common.
First of all, they have a higher purpose than making money. As an example, Southwest Airlines, from its beginning, has been convinced that it is in the freedom business. The freedom of all Americans to be with friends and relatives during good times and bad times—thus their low price structure. Chick-fil-A’s purpose is to glorify God by having a positive influence on everyone who comes in contact with Chick-fil-A. They aren’t open on Sundays, even though that is often the busiest day in the fast food industry.
Secondly, they value both people and results. The way that plays out is that their leaders and their people respect and trust each other by celebrating good times together and working out tough times together.
I first realized the importance of trust and respect going together by listening to Ichak Adizes, a long-time consultant and professor at UCLA. He argues that respect and trust have both nonverbal and verbal messages. If you respect someone, you face them, because you are interested and want to hear their opinions. If you don’t respect someone, you turn your back on them, because you couldn’t care less what they think. If you trust people, you will turn your back on them because you are convinced they mean you no harm. If you don’t trust them, you watch their every move. How does that work at Chick-fil-A and Southwest Airlines? In both cases, they respect their people and therefore share information with them about the performance of the company in both good times and bad times. In good times, they celebrate together, and in bad times, they are problem-solving partners. Does that work? You’d better believe it. Unlike many companies today where the top managers are locked behind closed doors, cutting costs and having everybody’s fate in their hands, these two great companies open their books to everyone so they know what’s happening and immediately go to work to cut costs as well as increase revenue.
This is exactly what our company, The Ken Blanchard Companies, did after 9/11 when we lost $1.5 million in sales that month, and what we are doing today with sales and operating income going down. We believe that none of us is as smart as all of us, and we are convinced we will pull out of this together.
What are you doing? Are you betting on the brain power of your top managers or on the brain power of everyone in your organization? What’s at stake? The future of your company, trust, and respect.
In the last couple of weeks at our company, we’ve had our own special March Madness going on down on the basketball court at lunchtime. Next week, we’re going to start to get into the semifinals of this great tournament. One of the things I was thinking about was how, in basketball, the team that really wins is the one where all the players are really contributing. One star can’t be enough, and we saw that even in our own games. When there were two people who were both playing well, they tended to win. If you depend on one person, you can’t win. It applies to basketball and everything in life. I remember when Michael Jordan was the big star in Chicago. They never really got winning when it was just Michael scoring 30 or 40 points, but then he got some other teammates who contributed and made a difference. We need everyone to contribute. This is the way it is as we work together through this tough economic time. It’s not going to do us any good if a few people are putting in 150 or 200 percent and other people are only giving 60 or 70 percent. We need everybody giving 100 percent if we’re all going to really be a winning team in this effort.
I was talking to a friend who is in the automobile industry through advertising, and they are a big user of Gung Ho! with us. They have shared with their customers the whole Gung Ho! framework and he thinks it’s a perfect message as we manage through these tough times. It’s really interesting if you look at it:
The Spirit of the Squirrel is about worthwhile work, and the first thing that all of us have to recognize is that what we do is really important. We make a difference with our clients. Those who can’t work with us are really sad because they recognize what we do.
The Way of the Beaver is to be in control of achieving the goals. One of the things that we need to do in our organization, and every organization, is that everybody has to take responsibility for asking, “How can we help? Who can I help? What can we do?” The Way of the Beaver has got to be an operation.
And the last one, which is what we all ought to be doing with each other, is The Gift of the Goose, which is to cheer each other on and applaud each other and catch each other doing things right.
Let’s keep on pulling together and knowing that no matter what happens, we can get through tough times because we’ve done it before.
Filed under: Corporate Governance, Leadership, Servant Leadership, Teamwork, Trust, Workplace Culture
Wanted to let you know about this recent article that was published in Forbes: http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/23/trust-respect-employees-leadership-managing-blanchard.html
Leadership
Make Sure Your Employees Trust You–Or Else
03.23.09, 5:48 PM ET
How do you keep people trusting you at a time like this? Trust is essential in our lives, and it has been since the beginning of our country. Our dollar bills say In God We Trust. Yet today trust is all but vanishing, especially trust in our business leaders, whose greed and short-term selfishness seem to have been a major cause of our economic crisis. With negativity running amok, it is no small wonder that trust within the organizational context is slipping.
Yet that need not be the case. “Managed properly, trust can actually grow in such adverse conditions,” says Shawna O’Grady, associate professor of management at Queens School of Business, in Kingston, Ontario. “Taking this point to the extreme, consider the bonds forged between comrades-in-arms in a theater of war.”
The key to building trust in both good and bad times is to realize that none of us is as smart as all of us. There are companies that have embraced this simple truth and used it to maintain trust before, during and, we’re sure, after this economic downturn. All these companies seem to have two characteristics in common.
First, they have a higher purpose than simply making money. Let me give you a couple of examples.
Southwest Airlines, from its beginning, has expressed the conviction that it is in the freedom business. The freedom of all Americans to be with friends and relatives during good times and bad times–thus, their low price structure. Herb Kelleher, who co-founded Southwest, not only wanted to give his customers the lowest possible price, he also wanted to give them the best possible service.
As a result, Southwest is set up to empower everyone, right down to its frontline employees–to make decisions, use their brains and be customer maniacs so they can create raving fan customers.
Chick-fil-A’s purpose is to glorify God by having a positive influence on everyone who comes in contact with its stores and foods. The stores aren’t open on Sundays, even though that is often the busiest day in the fast food industry. S. Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-fil-A, first did this for religious reasons as a devout Southern Baptist and lifelong Sunday school teacher, because Sunday is the day of rest. But it has turned out to be a good business decision. Chick-fil-A attracts many of its employees, including managers, because they know they will be able to be with their families and friends every Sunday. Has it paid off? The chain has by far the lowest turnover of restaurant managers and frontline employees in the quick-service business.
Second, companies that engender trust democratize the decision-making process by soliciting input and sharing the decision-making itself with as many people as possible. In his primetime address to Congress in February, President Barack Obama acknowledged “difficult and trying times” but sought to rally the nation with an upbeat vow that by working together “we will rebuild, we will recover.” How do you do that in business organizations?
It isn’t complicated. When leaders treat their people as their business partners and involve them in making important decisions, those people feel respected, and respect leads to trust. If you respect your people and they trust you as a leader, they will give their all to get the best results they can for your organization.
Ichak Adizes, a longtime consultant and professor at UCLA, observes how respect and trust are conveyed by both nonverbal and verbal messages. If you respect someone, you face them when you speak to them, because you are interested and want to hear their opinions. If you don’t respect them, you turn your back, because you couldn’t care less what they think. If you trust people, on the other hand, you can turn your back on them, because you feel certain they mean you no harm. If you don’t trust them, you watch their every move.
How does that work at Chick-fil-A and Southwest Airlines? In both cases, they respect their people and therefore share information with them about the performance of the company in both good times and bad. In good times, they celebrate together; in bad times, they are problem-solving partners. Does that work? You’d better believe it.
Unlike many companies today, where the top managers are locked behind closed doors, cutting costs while holding everybody’s fate in their hands, these two great businesses open their books to everyone so they can know what’s happening and go right to work cutting costs and increasing revenue.
Many leaders are afraid to share negative information with their people, because they fear appearing vulnerable and therefore weak. We have found the contrary to be true. Everyone knows leaders are not perfect. When leaders admit problems and involve their people in problem solving, respect and trust rise.
Corporate leaders may also fear Wall Street’s reaction to their trusting moves, but that’s like playing tennis with your eye on the scoreboard and not on the ball. The ball in business is results and people. If the focus is only on results, you’ll never be able to maintain or build trust in a time like this.
What are you doing? Are you betting on the brainpower of your top managers, or on the brainpower of everyone in your organization?
What’s at stake? The future of your company, based much more than you may realize on trust and respect.
Ken Blanchard is co-author of many New York Times bestsellers, including The One Minute Manager and The One Minute Entrepreneur. He serves as chairman and chief spiritual officer of the Ken Blanchard Companies.
Terry Waghorn is an adviser to senior executives in companies ranging from small to Fortune 500. He is co-author of Mission Possible and author of The System.
You know, I was thinking the other day about how in the news they are saying that we’ve got this problem and that problem… I’ll never forget when I worked with Norman Vincent Peale and he told this story. He was walking down the street one day and he saw his old friend, George. He said to George, “How are you doing?” Norman said he meant it as a casual greeting, but George took it as an opportunity. Twenty minutes later, Norman said, George dropped his last problem at Norman’s feet. Then George said, “Norman, it’s problems, problems, problems. If you could only solve all my problems, I would write a check right this moment for $5,000 for your church.”
Norman said he could never turn down such an opportunity and a challenge, so he meditated and cogitated and agitated. Then he said, “George, I was just at an organization yesterday where no one there has a problem. Would you like to go there?” And George said, “Absolutely! That’s where I want to be, Norman.” And Norman said, “Well good, George, tomorrow we’ll go to Woodlawn Cemetery. Because people who are dead don’t have problems.” Norman always said that if you don’t have any problems, race home, run into the house, run into the bedroom, get on your knees, and say, “Good Lord, send me some problems! What’s going on? Don’t you like me anymore?”
So you know, there’s always a different perspective on things. And remember, problems are a way of life, and if we hang in there together, maybe we can solve them.
You know, there’s a big movement in Europe, and we’re way behind here, on sustainable leadership. The talk there is about people, prosperity, and the planet. When they talk about prosperity they mean of all people, not just financial, but plenty of food and water and a place to sleep and things like that—the importance of people and also of saving the planet. I think it’s really an important thing for us to take into consideration. We have a partner in Holland who is really doing good work in this area. So sustainable leadership—people, prosperity, and the planet. It all starts with taking a look at yourself. How do you treat people? Do you help people? How do you look at prosperity? How do you treat the planet? It’s an important, wonderful day. So have a great one and remember, life is a very special occasion. Don’t miss it!
I’ve also partnered with 2LEAD4US on a sustainable leadership project. Find out more details at http://howwelead.org/planet/.
Margie and I wrote a wonderful book with Dee Edington years ago called The One Minute Manager Gets Fit. And then we reissued it as The One Minute Manager Balances Life and Work. The whole concept was that we need to take care of our health. We need to take care of our bodies. We had a wonderful little saying in there about how, early in life, you give up your health to gain wealth—in other words, we work hard. We want to accomplish goals. We want to take care of our families and all, and we don’t exercise, and we overeat, and we drink too much, and all. And then later in life—you know, health costs at the end of people’s lives are amazing—people give up their wealth to regain their health. They’re trying to patch things up and all that. So one of the things I’ve really decided is that we have a lot of good wellness activities in the company and I really want to start getting involved in those. We have our room where we can go on the treadmill and exercise and things like that, and I’m sure your company is the same way. We really need to take care of ourselves—particularly in these tough times. You need to think about your health and what you can do to take care of it.
So my thought today is to take a look in the mirror and be honest with yourself—are you eating right? Are you drinking right? Are you exercising? Are you taking care of yourself? Because you owe it not only to yourself, but to your family and to your company.
You know, I was thinking today about the San Diego Padres. They’re 7 and 2 now and it’s interesting to hear the analysts. At one point they were 1 and 2, and they were down by 3 runs to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the eighth inning, and somehow they rallied and won the game and made 2-2 and split with a team that’s supposed to win the championship in our league outright, and suddenly the team started to belief in itself. And they started saying, “Well, we really hang together,” and all that kind of thing. And suddenly they’ve just pulled off all these wins in a row. So what would have happened if they had lost and they had been 1 and 3? Would they have been able to hold their heads up?
So often how you feel about yourself is completely a choice. One of our problems is that how we feel about ourselves is usually related to our performance. So if we don’t have such a good day, or if we lose an account, or think we did something wrong, all that kind of thing—what we have to recognize is that performance will go up and down. People’s opinion of us will go up and down. You have to believe in yourself. You have to choose that we’re doing good things and you’re doing good things. So let’s just see what happens to the Padres – if they keep it up, or if they suddenly lose a couple of games and start staying, “Maybe we’re not as good as we thought,” and all of a sudden their attitude changes. Life is really a series of choices. Norman Vincent Peale used to say, “When you wake up in the morning, you have two choices in life: You can feel good about yourself or you can feel lousy. Why would you choose the latter one?” So today, make the choice to feel good about yourself!
You know, in these tough economic times, I’ve been thinking about what’s the best financial advice I’ve heard. I was once talking with the great financial advisor Sir John Templeton. Somebody asked him about the best financial advice he had ever given anybody, and he said, “Tithing.” He said, “I’ve never known anybody who has tithed (given away) at least ten percent of their income to good causes who didn’t have it coming back tenfold. Just reaching out and helping others brings that energy back to you.” And I firmly believe that. Templeton said, “Don’t wait until you have a lot of money. Reach out and help somebody now.” I think we all know people who are hurting, and maybe you could do something special for them—maybe even pay the rent for them or get them some meals or do something like that. Tithing is not necessarily giving to a church. It’s really the whole process of sharing what you have with others. I know some people are pretty tight at this time financially and all. But you know, my belief is that this is the time—maybe more than ever—to really reach out and see if you can help somebody else. I love the whole concept that we’ve talked about, “Each One Help One.”
Filed under: Love
We came back home from Tucson recently, and it was a joy to get here. Why? Because Joy was waiting for us—our fuzzy little dog. And you know, more and more I just believe that dogs, particularly puppies and all kinds of other pets, teach about unconditional love. They want a lot of attention but they give you back that unconditional love. She was just so excited to see us. It just kind of lifted up our spirits. I hope this week you will reach out and really hug some people and just tell them how important they are and make them feel like you are really excited to see them. You can even behave a little bit like a dog if you want to. It’s just so wonderful when you get a sense that people really care about you and that you can make a difference in their lives that way. Dogs know how to do that. It’s great to be home.
This morning I sat down and wrote a personal note to someone who recently helped me. You know, I have this personal stationery that was specially made and it’s just beautiful. And I thought, you know, I have to learn to use this more. Because just writing this personal note made me feel so good, and I think it’s going to make her feel good to get it. You know, everything is so instant around us nowadays. Everything is done in a fast-forward mode. There’s the EasyPass for our tolls, fast food for our stomach, ATMs and online banking for our finances. There are instant messages and all kinds of other stuff. But I tell you, I still think it’s important to reach out personally to other people. A handwritten note nowadays, when you get one, is just so special. I know when I was recovering from recent surgery what a difference it made for me to get cards from people I work with, with little personal notes on them, that people went out of their way to write. What a special thing. So my thought for today is this: If there are people in your lives that really make a difference to you, reach out to them in a special way. Don’t just email them or telephone them—those are nice and all—but sit down and write them a note to tell them how much you care and appreciate them. I think that would be a wonderful thing for you to do.
Last week I had lots of festivities set up around my birthday. It’s really kind of funny—why did I do all this? I invited all my coauthors, as many as could come, to come to our house for a little reception on Tuesday night. Then for the next couple of days we all talked about celebrating simple truths and what we’ve all done together. We talked about our body of work—what it was all about and where was it going in the future. Margie probably summed it up the best when she said it was really about being champions of self worth and individual dignity, and that everything we’ve done is to try to help make people feel important and cared for. And when people feel good about themselves, they produce good results. I think that’s probably a really good message for you as you continue to interact with each other and people at home and work. Every chance you get, ask, “How can I make the world a better place by the moment-to-moment decisions I make as I interact with other human beings, and build up their own sense of self worth?”
I’m really still amazed that the company Margie and I started with some of our friends is 30 years old, and that I’ve been able to do some of the things that I had never thought about before. People told me I couldn’t write—that I should be a college administrator. Zig Ziglar has a wonderful quote: “Regardless of your lot in life, you can build something beautiful on it.” And you know, I didn’t do it all by myself. I think that’s one of the reasons I wanted to invite everybody—because you know, my mother always said, “Why don’t you write a book by yourself?” and I would say, “Mom, I already know what I know.” So I built a wonderful life with the help of tons of people. I love another quote by Woodrow Wilson: “Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together.” So we not only celebrated what we’ve accomplished together, but also our friendship. It was a special time and I really enjoyed it. Seventy is not a huge number. I have always thought that I wanted to be like Norman Vincent Peale. He died quietly in his sleep at 95. So that means I have another 25 years to go! I just feel great. I was glad I was able to put a bookmark there and take a look at what we’ve done over the years. We also got a chance to get our first copies of Helping People Win at Work: A Business Philosophy called “Don’t Mark My Paper, Help Me Get an A” that Garry Ridge, president of WD-40 Company, and I wrote. And then the first copies of Who Killed Change? which is the book that John Britt wrote with Judd Hoekstra and Pat Zigarmi and me. Everybody was excited to see those.
Somebody once said, “Many things will catch your eye but only a few will catch your heart. Pursue those.” I really always tried to pursue things in my heart. Maybe I didn’t always make the best decisions. I could have probably done better writing fewer books and focusing more; we could have done things a little differently, but what’s happened has happened. So my 70th birthday, I think, has just been a celebration of life. We had a wonderful time; it was way beyond my expectations, and fun. I think life, as I’ve said for a long time, is a special occasion. And I don’t intend to miss any of it and I hope you don’t either.
Laura Berman Fortgang, a friend of my son Scott and his wife Madeleine, wrote a book recently called The Little Book of Meaning that really made me think. I think it’s really an interesting topic, because I think one of the gnawing questions people have is: What’s the meaning of life? What’s our reason for being here? I think it’s so important that we not just go through the motions in life. You know—you come to work, you do your job, you go home, you do this and you do that. Where do you make the difference? What is meaning for you? In my opinion, it’s all tied into relationships—relationships with yourself, with others, and with something greater than yourself. And I think we can create meaning for ourselves. We can create it by the attitudes we bring and the desire to have meaning in our life. If you feel like you’re getting hum-drummy about life, step back and quiet yourself and say, “Why am I doing this? What is the meaning of this? Why am I here?” Just raising these questions will enlighten you and lift you up to a different level. So keep asking the questions around meaning—because we all have a real purpose. Don’t forget it.
In my weekly men’s group we recently were studying anger. Anger is a really interesting thing, you know. I think we can all get angry for a cause—you know, something that upsets us. But the really interesting question is: How do you express your anger? Do you attack other people? Are you completely out of control?
One of my beliefs that I know you all have heard is that one way to get out of a company quickly is to be someone who is angry all the time, and yelling at people and putting people down. I think if there’s a problem you’re upset about, you need to confront the person in a very civil and calm way and problem solve. What often happens when you lose your temper and get upset with somebody is that, when you walk away, their energy is focused on you and how you treated them rather than what might have been the problem that ignited you. I have also said a number of times that we seem to be nicer to strangers very often than we are to people we love and care about. We sometimes take license with people around us, and those are the people we should really reach out and appreciate. So it was interesting—we had forty men today talking about anger, how they deal with anger and where anger comes from. There’s a wonderful story from George Sweeney: A student said, “I lose my temper, but it’s all over in a minute,” And the professor replied, “So was the hydrogen bomb, but think of the damage it produced.”
So take a look at yourself and how you deal with anger. Do you strike out or do you deal with it in a way that can express your feelings so the problem can be resolved?
Filed under: Health, Leadership, Making Mistakes, One Minute Manager, Servant Leadership
I have been working with two top guys from a radio program to prepare some “One Minute Advice” radio spots. I tell you, it’s really interesting in life—you have certain things you learn how to do and you get confidence, and all of a sudden you’re asked to do something that you’re not used to. In this case for me, it’s to say something in just a minute. Even though I’m called the One Minute Manager, you know, I usually have more to say than what takes a minute!
But it’s been a good learning process. I’ve thought a number of times about John Maxwell’s saying: “A winner is big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.” So as I’ve been going through this process, I would do one of the spots and then laugh and say, “Of course, we need to do that one over again!” and try to profit from what didn’t go well and see if I could correct it the next time. So I’ve been dealing with my own image of myself—what I’m good at and what I’m not good at. But I’m learning! I’m getting better all the time. It’s been an interesting process.
I think that’s good advice for all of us, to be big enough to admit when you’ve made a mistake, smart enough to profit from a mistake, and strong enough to correct it. Otherwise you would do the same thing wrong over and over again. That would get a little boring and it could be career damaging.
Take care of yourself—have a great day. Life is a very special occasion even though some days are more learning days than others.
Today I came across a wonderful quote from Winston Churchill, who I always felt was quite a guy. He said, “An optimist sees an opportunity in every calamity. A pessimist sees a calamity in every opportunity.” I guess I’m an optimist. I’m always looking for the lemonade from the lemons. That’s the way my mom always was. She said I laughed before I cried, I danced before I walked and I smiled before I frowned. So what are you? Are you an optimist or a pessimist? I think optimists live life a little bit differently and, I hope, more joyously. So be an optimist today, no matter what’s bothering you. See if you can see the opportunity in the problem rather than seeing everything as a problem. Have a great day.
I recently had an interesting experience—I spoke to the Better Business Bureau of the whole Phoenix valley. Normally, you know, the BBB is a group that deals with whether businesses are doing the best practices. They started this night a number of years ago where they recognize companies in the area who are leading in an ethical, values-driven way. It’s become quite a prestigious thing. I got a chance to talk to them about The Power of Ethical Management, the book I did with Norman Vincent Peale. What I particularly like is catching people doing things right.
My own sense is that there are many good things happening in business that just don’t get publicized. You may think everybody is self-serving and doing everything for themselves—but that’s not really true. I think the number of people who are unethical and running businesses just for themselves is just a small percentage in comparison to the people who are doing it right. It was a real joy to be there and also to share with them our ethics check: Is it legal? Is it fair to all involved? How does it make you feel about yourself? Concepts like that. Being successful in business isn’t about perspective; it’s about both results and people, and that is so important to us. So it was an interesting night.
So you take care of yourself. Life is a very special occasion. Make sure you don’t miss it. You’re missing it if you think life’s all about you.
I love Mac Anderson’s and BJ Gallagher’s new book, Learning to Dance in the Rain: The Power of Gratitude. They say, “Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass…..it’s about learning to dance in the rain.” In these tough economic times there is certainly a lot of rain, so I think we are going to have plenty of chances to dance before the storm passes. There is also a wonderful quote by Nancy J. Carmody: “I am thankful for lawns that need mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home……….I’m thankful for the piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby.” My feeling is it is hard to get through tough times if you don’t appreciate the good times.
Another great book to read during these time is Spencer Johnson’s Peaks and Valleys. He makes a clear point that peaks are not forever and neither are valleys. When we are experiencing a peak we need to prepare for when that might end. When we are in a valley it is a great time to build up strength so we can prepare for the next peak. Life is a very special occasion with its peaks and valleys.
Norman Vincent Peale said, “We have a choice every morning when we get up. We can feel good about ourselves, or we can feel bad.” The choice seems obvious to me. Good on you all.
Filed under: Education, Leadership, Optimism, Relationships, Servant Leadership, Teamwork, Trust
I did a recent interview with Dan Schawbel for his blog, Personal Branding. Read the interview at http://personalbrandingblog.com/personal-branding-interview-ken-blanchard/ and let me know what you think.
Filed under: Education, Ethics, Leadership, One Minute Manager, Optimism, Servant Leadership, Teamwork, Trust, Workplace Culture
Filed under: Communication, Leadership, Life, Optimism, Relationships, Teamwork
There are always some wonderful lessons, I think, from sports. I remember back watching the L. A. Lakers playoff run. It was interesting because the Lakers were really down and out several times—they were losing by 12 at halftime, then they came back, then they got behind again. Right at the buzzer with four seconds to go, Derek Fisher throws in this long three-pointer to tie the score and send it into overtime. Then in the overtime he hit another really crucial three-pointer, and he had missed five in a row and hadn’t been playing very well in the other games. One of the things he said at the end was that Coach Jackson just kept on having confidence in him—because he’s a veteran. He and Kobe were playing together for years. And he said, “I believe in you, you get in there.” It just makes such a difference in people’s lives when you believe in them, even when they’re down. And then Derek came through when he needed to and he was so thrilled to help. But he said he wouldn’t have done it if the coach hadn’t continued to have confidence in him even when he was down. It’s an interesting thing—you just need to keep on pumping people up. So remember—keep on encouraging each other, even when things might not be going well.
Filed under: Change, Communication, Corporate Governance, Economy, Life, Optimism, Technology
I got up really early a few times in the last month to do TV shows with Garry Ridge about our book Helping People Win at Work: A Business Philosophy called “Don’t Mark My Paper, Help Me Get an A. I was also up early doing radio shows all over the country for Who Killed Change?
You might say, well, what is this all doing besides selling books? I think the two big areas where we can really start to help our companies in tough times is, first, how they can get the best kind of performance out of their people. The whole concept of Don’t Mark My Paper, Help Me Get an A is so helpful in these times so people know what an “A” looks like and what they need to do to help their company. We’re going to be putting in a whole version of that system in our company so we can all get a clearer sense of what an “A” is for us. I think we can make some real interventions in that and help change the way performance evaluations are done. In terms of Who Killed Change? I think one of the biggest issues for companies is how to implement change in a way that sticks and makes a difference—because we are in a constant flux of change. I don’t think these two things are just about books; I think they are really about opportunities for companies to survive and thrive in tough times.
I got a wonderful quote in the mail the other day from Paul Kreider, who has been with Hershey’s Chocolate for thirty years: “Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anybody can start today and make a new ending.” That’s really interesting, you know. You can’t redo the past, but starting today, you can say, “What am I going to do differently today to get a different ending at the end of this week, the end of the year, the end of my life?” I just love that quote. So today’s the beginning of the rest of your life. How are you going to get a new ending for what you’re doing now?
Filed under: Change, Corporate Governance, Life, Passion, Relationships, Workplace Culture
I was fortunate enough to see Betsy Myers deliver a keynote recently. Betsy said a really interesting thing that I think is worth sharing with you all. She said that some people start from a place of “yes” and the result they get is adventure. Some people start from a place of “no” and the result they attain is safety. She said that there seem to be more naysayers in the world than “yes”-sayers. She has this wonderful concept about leaning into life—you know, really going after your life. She was telling this audience of government workers how, if you’re bored, if you’re not having any fun, if you’re not passionate about what you are doing, then change your job. Find something that brings out the best in you. Find something that makes you passionate about things. I thought that was really good. I love that idea about leaning into life. What are you doing today? Are you passionate? Are you excited about what you’re doing? If you’re not, let’s see if you can find another spot where you can get excited and passionate. Life is a very special occasion and you don’t get a lot out of it if you back off of life. You get a lot if you lean into it. So take care of yourself. Have a great day. And remember, we need all support and encouragement.
Filed under: Health, Leadership, Life, Love, Optimism, Passion, Relationships
A couple of weeks ago I ran into a guy by the name of Stan Parker. An interesting guy. He has a new little tiny book called Smile and Move: A Reminder to Happily Serve. Here’s what he says:
How to smile: Wake up. Show others you care by giving attention to their needs. Be thankful. The opportunity to serve is a gift, not an entitlement. Be approachable. We’re at each other’s service and contact is where it starts. Complain less. We have work to do. Smile. Really. It’s where pleasantness begins.
How to move: Start early and go long. Get lost in your service to others. Exceed expectations. Dismiss mediocrity. Expect more from yourself. Have a sense of urgency. Predict and pre-sweat the details for others. Be resourceful and resilient. Service is about giving someone what they need, no matter what.
So I kind of like that: A Reminder to Happily Serve. And I love the quote he has in the back from Ralph Waldo Emerson: “Write it in your heart that every day is the best day of the year.” I hope you’re having a really fabulous day. Thanks for being happy. It’s a special occasion.
Filed under: Change, Communication, Corporate Governance, Health, Leadership, Life, Making Mistakes, Optimism, Relationships, Sustainable Leadership
I had a real treat when I recently got to spend some time with Henry Blackaby and his son, Richard. Henry’s been a really important mentor to me. He’s a wonderful theologian and philosopher of life.
One of the things I think is relevant to all of us is when they talked a little bit about revival. A lot of people complain about, you know, “My organization has this problem,” or “My church has this problem,” or “My child has this problem.” They say that revival, or change, really starts with you—that whole thing that Gandhi said, you know, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” So if something isn’t going well in your department, the real question is: How can you be different? How can you be a catalyst for change rather than a complainer about what’s not going well? What can you do to change yourself?
A man came to Henry and asked if he would pray that his son would be in better shape and things would be better. He said to the man, “That’s really nice that you’re praying for your son, but I think what your son needs is a better father.” So what you need to do is focus on what you can do to change yourself so that you can help revise or help change somebody else or another organization. I think that’s a wonderful thing, rather than complaining. What are you going to do to change yourself? How can you be a better person, and in the process maybe influence other people that are limiting your department or your family from being their best? Focus on yourself.
I’m constantly looking at how I can be a better person who helps people be the best they can possibly be, and organizations be the best they can be. So as I always say in sessions, don’t wish somebody else was here at this training. Don’t miss it yourself, because there are people who are glad you’re here. I’m glad I’m learning and I hope you are too. I still need a lot of improvement and I’ll bet you do too.
Filed under: Communication, Happiness, Health, Leadership, Life, Making Mistakes, Optimism, Passion, Profit, Servant Leadership
You know, I was recently listening to a tape by a wonderful young guy named Matthew Barnett, who heads up the Dream Center in Los Angeles. I’m on the board there. They have taken over an old hospital that was condemned, and they have refurbished the whole thing through money raised. They have 1400 people living there; people who are really learning how to turn their lives around. They also have a church, a temple, that was given to them and they run services there. Matthew is just an amazing guy. The essence of his talk was that, when he took over and started to plant the church and they had nothing, he was mainly focused on his own success and thinking about how many people he could get to come to church. And all of a sudden one day, when things were really going downhill for this church, he realized his problem—it had been all about him. And when he got that he was there to serve, and he went out into the streets and met with the people and talked and walked with them and helped and served them and all, slowly they began to trust him. And they started to come to him. And then he was able to, unbelievably, get control of this old hospital. He said when he turned the corner and really realized that life is about serving, not being served, that just made all the difference.
There is an old Chinese proverb: “Tell me and I forget; Show me and I remember; Involve me and I understand.” The whole thing, I think, in dealing with change is how we can involve people. I think your intention should be to involve your people as much as you possibly can in how you are dealing with tough times. Just telling people something, and even trying to show them, doesn’t make as much difference as involving them. It doesn’t do good to do something to people; you have to do it with them. So involve people around you as you are dealing with different challenges. Life is a very special occasion if you realize you’re not alone. And as my friends Don Carew and Eunice Parisi-Carew have said for a long time, “None of us is as smart as all of us.”
Have you seen the moon recently? It was absolutely incredible. And last night when the sun was about to set, we went out on the deck and watched the sun set. It was just unbelievable. I was just struck by all the fabulous things that are free—Looking at the moon at night, a sunset, going over to the beach and sitting and watching the waves, or sitting down and enjoying the view of the mountains and hills, or walking through the woods and enjoying the flowers. Hearing the cry of a newborn baby—just wonderful, wonderful things that really are free.
Rabbi Kushner, who wrote When Bad Things Happen to Good People, wrote a wonderful book called Why God? In that book he tells about, when the first astronaut went up, everybody in the country had their TV on and was watching. And when the second astronaut went up, you watched if you were home but you didn’t if you weren’t. And with the third, they had him play golf on the moon for anybody to pay attention. He said that we get tired of things made by man, but we never get tired of a babbling brook, a sunset, or those kinds of things. So next weekend, no matter what’s happening around you, you can always take a walk and look at the beauty of nature, and know that things are all right in that realm and they are free for all of us.
Filed under: Education, Feedback, Happiness, Leadership, Life, Optimism, Passion, Relationships, Servant Leadership
You know you’ve heard me talk a number of times about “Feedback is the breakfast of champions.” This is a saying that Rick Tate, who used to be a consulting partner with our company, often said. People in sales constantly get feedback. They know how well they are doing by whether it’s a “yes” or a “no.” Other people with different jobs don’t get feedback as much as they want. That’s why it’s so important for us to reach out and thank people—particularly people who are in jobs where they can’t always count what they do in terms of numbers or anything like that. Because it really does feel good. I remember as a young man, cutting the grass—that was always a great pleasure—and then sitting up on the porch, sipping a beer and looking out to see what I had done. That’s immediate feedback.
So life is a special occasion, but it’s also nice to have something to do once in a while where you get feedback on results. So continue today to reach out and thank other people for the work they do—give them some feedback so they can feel good. Remember, people who feel good about themselves produce good results, as well as people who produce good results feel good about themselves. It’s all based on feedback.
Filed under: Communication, Happiness, Health, Leadership, Making Mistakes, Optimism, Passion
I really like my friend B. J. Gallagher’s little book called Staying the Course. B. J. says, “Our journey in life is about progress, not perfection.” (Boy, isn’t that true.) “It’s not about doing one thing 100 percent better, it’s about doing a number of things one percent better each day. Progress is evolutionary, not revolutionary. Most days we measure our progress in inches, not miles.” (That’s feedback, that’s the breakfast of champions!) “What matters most is showing up for your life, whether you feel like it or not. Ask yourself, ‘What two or three things can I do today that would move me forward?’” (That’s a very good question—what could you do?) “You’d be amazed at how much distance you could cover by taking it in increments. The little things add up. The inches turn to miles and we string together our efforts like so many pearls. Before long, look what you have—a whole strand. Ahhh—beautiful!” So, what can you do today to keep going? To keep making a difference for your customers and for each other? Remember, things are about progress. One thing at a time. One small step can change your life. So take that step today.
