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Roger Federer and Executive Learning
In about an hour I will sit down to watch the US Open tennis final between Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic. More than watching the tennis, per se, the match takes my mind to thought about learning. For me, it’s a chance to witness two accomplished professionals challenge themselves and each other to perform at the tippy top of their skill range, manage their energy in the face of intense, prolonged requirements and a lot of external distraction, and continually rise and respond to every challenge thrown at them.
US Open tennis is a fantasy for me. I am a twice-a-year hacker who can’t seem to do more than scatter balls around the court in random patterns no matter where I intend them to go. So, I don’t watch tennis…
Leadership at the Tour de France
We may have witnessed a turning point in leadership at the Tour de France this week. It did not come from Tour officials. It was not instigated by the French media. It was not the result of a drug test. Rather, the leadership moment was siezed by a team captain who decided a team member’s refusal to play by the team’s ethics rules was enough to expel him from the team. The reason: he allegedly (protecting my backside with that word…) lied to his teammates about his whereabouts, saying he was in Mexico while he was observed in Italy just before the Tour.
The implication, of course, is that he was doping (taking performance enhancing drugs), and that is a major no-no at the Tour de France. (As it is in…
A Learning Vacation
I started planning a summer vacation recently. Like many Americans I know, vacations are sort of stressful events, mainly because slowing down and walking away from work is hard to do. Americans are addicted to work. We equate personal power–and, dare I say, our self-esteem is tied–to work productivity. I’m no exception. While my friends in Europe take several weekly breaks throughout the year without any guilt or concern about not working and truly enjoying their preferred recreational activities, I think I should keep working.
Like many of you, I have a backlog of work that needs to get done in order to achieve my annual goals. I have two big engagements coming up, both of which require that I learn new material. Plus, there are a couple subjects I…
Extending Influence and Goodwill
The longer I live the more I realize a big part of life is about relationships. If relationships are a big part of life, they are a big part of business. We all know that. But my point today is that relationships are not just something that we have or flop into by virtue of our jobs or group associations. They are to be made, built and cultivated. How? The first step is connecting the people we know, love (oh dear…did he actually use the word LOVE in the context of business? Is he nuts?!) and respect with others we know, love and respect.
Last week I finished grad school. At first I thought that getting a masters degree was not a big deal. But, the people who love and like…
Happy Graduation!
I’m pleased to announce that I have completed graduate school and received a Master of Science in Executive Leadership degree. MSEL for short.
I felt great walking across the stage after my name was called, shaking the hand of the university president and smiling ear to ear.
It is not that graduate school was all that difficult. Nor was I glad it was over. My smile and pride came from achieving an important milestone and from enjoying (most of) the process.
Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows I enjoy my work immensely. I enjoy learning and applying what I know. This degree had made me a better coach for the executives and companies I serve. I am proud of that and feel blessed to have had the means to take another…
Do Doctors Care Anymore?
Since the advent of the Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) decades ago, the connection between patient and doctor has become increasingly slight.
As a kid I went to a family doctor whose office was around the corner. His office was in a single-story building with cedar shingle siding. All the machines inside stood out like 10-penny nails on a plank of pristine pine because of their bright white color and modern shapes. My hometown was very rural and going to the doctor was like going to an important meeting in a science laboratory. What was most pleasant about going to the doctor was that he remembered me, seemed to take his time finding out what I was suffering from and asked about my family, school and all the other stuff. I felt…
Nothing is More Important than the Truth
Today I met with a client in a mid-size technology company in Illinois.She has had a terrific career. A dozen years there, numerous high profile successes. She’s a gifted marketing professional with expertise in product design and business-to-business promotion. She has a unique combination of skills that have made her sought after for several new product projects over the years.
Two weeks ago she was demoted.
How is that possible? Simple; her primary weakness caught up with her; she is bad at developing collaborative relationships.
Now, I know a lot of executives and coffee-shop-arm-chair-management-consultants who would all too easily say well shame on her. She should have known what skills she was weak in and should have worked to fix those problems. It’s her fault. I agree with the self-awareness part. Let us…
Why Was Don Imus Fired?
I’ve spent the past few days reading and listening to television news stories about why radio talking head Don Imus should be reprimanded for his racist and mysogenistic comments about the Rutgers University (the state university of New Jersey by the way) women’s basketball team.
If you don’t know what he said, I promise you, it’s worth reading. BUT, I feel it would be irresponsible to repeat his comments here. Put it this way — it was bad enough that his radio program was totally canceled…and he’s been on the air for around 30 years!
Very early on it was a sports story. The Rutgers University women’s basketball coach boldly objected to what Imus said. Then it went beyond just sports news to become a mainstream news story. Advertisers such as GE,…
Leaders Should Watch Planet Earth
For weeks I have anticipated the premier of a new program on Discover Channel: Planet Earth. Filmed in high definition (HD), the program explores all the usual facets of the natural world: deserts, mountains, the African plains animals, plants, rainforests, and life and death.
But, that is half the story and a smaller part of why this show pertains to business.
A BIG part of a leader’s responsibility is to help people see important issues in new ways and craft solutions that are novel and, therefore, valuable. Every truly innovative product is birthed out of a new way of looking at a problem, desire or need.
The iPod is a classic example. On the surface it is merely a disc- or memory-chip based Sony Walkman and so is only an advance over playback…
March Madness Lessons - #1
Oh man! What a great time of year to learn about teamwork and emotion and leadership the easy way!
Watch what the athletes say about teamwork, pulling their individual weight, trusting each other to bring their best skills and make smart decisions. Watch them hustle like mad for a loose ball as if the game depends on it.
Watch the level of engagement by the coach. Watch the intensity of encouragement given the players by their teammates on the bench.
Watch the amount of pride and emotional energy the players bring to their work, and show for their teams, teammates, school and each other.
I wish we had that kind of connectedness in our workplaces. Don’t you? After years of coaching highly skilled, successful executives, I still marvel at how impersonally many of them…
