TheLeadershipNotebook

Your "Cool Runnings"

 

“Derice, a gold medal is a wonderful thing.

But if you’re not enough without one, you’ll never be enough with one.”

 

~Irving Blitzer (played by John Candy) from the movie, COOL RUNNINGS

 

One of my all time favorite movies is Disney’s Cool Runnings. It’s based on a true story about the training and competition of the first Jamaican bobsled team to compete in the winter Olympics in 1988. The movie is hilarious at times, but its overriding themes of perseverance, dedication and overcoming obstacles are woven throughout this inspirational story.

The term “Cool Runnings” actually means “Peace Be The Journey.” The peace comes from knowing that you’ve given your best; finishing strong, even when obstacles get in your way.

This week, and for the last several months leading up, there is much anticipation about the start of the 2012 London Olympic Games. Who will win gold in swimming, track, soccer and tennis? Will Michael Phelps succeed in his quest to be the most decorated Olympian?  

For all the hype about the medal victors in each of these sports, there are scores of other athletes who are determined to compete and give their very best effort. To have their own “cool runnings.” Their effort, determination and perseverance are part of their journey.

Applying this concept closer to home, my daughter Emily, a May graduate of Case Western Reserve Law School, took the Pennsylvania Bar Exam. Since graduation, she has spent all day, every day, in pursuit of her goal. Attacking the prep like an Olympian, she was focused, committed and worked hard hoping to achieve her own gold medal (passing!) in October. When she left home to take the exam, I asked her how she was feeling. “I did everything I could, Mom. I have no regrets. If for some reason, I don’t pass, I know I left it all on the table.”

It was Emily who reminded me about the movie, Cool Runnings.  She watched it again the night before the first day of her exam. She watched it partly for some comic relief and partly to remind herself of her effort, determination and perseverance. In the end, while incredibly difficult, the Bar Exam was part of her own “Cool Runnings.”

As Sanka from the movie said, “I’m feeling very Olympic today, how about you?” How are you making the most of your journey?

To your success,

Mary

Your First and Simplest Emotion

 

“The first and simplest emotion that we discover in the human mind is curiosity.”

~Edmund Burke

 

Remember when you were 6 and you drove your Mom crazy asking questions that began with words like: Why? Who? When? Where? How? and my personal favorite, What? Endless curiosity ruled your world. Until, as one of my coaching clients lamented, your parents or teacher or babysitter cried out in exasperation: No More Questions!

 

Curiosity inadvertently squashed.

 

Another lesson some are taught as kids is that it’s rude to ask questions or worse, that asking questions somehow conveys your ignorance. Curious George always got into trouble for being curious. And we might even have been warned that “Curiosity killed the cat!”

 

For many, curiosity got a bad rap.

 

The truth is that curiosity is one of the most vital and life-affirming qualities you can bring to your work life AND your personal life.

 

Curiosity at Work

It is so easy to blame others (or ourselves) when things go wrong. Consider being curious about your experiences rather than critical. For example, instead of beating yourself up, or blaming someone else, for not reaching your performance goals—again—try asking yourself what is going on for you that keeps your performance below your expectations?

 

You can ask questions like:

• What could have done differently?
• What can I learn from this performance?
• What will be my next step?

 

With an attitude of genuine curiosity in coming to understand the current reality, you are more likely to help yourself find new and more creative solutions to achieving your goals or helping others achieve their goals.

Cultivating a curious mind also improves your ability to think more strategically. Asking questions like:

• What’s possible for my department to achieve in the coming year?
• Where is the next wave of opportunity in my client base?
• What if I looked at our challenges from a different perspective?

 

Questions like these coming from a curious mind, shift your perspective from the here and now to points in the future and help you begin the process of building your strategic roadmap.

 

Curiosity in Life

Helen Keller said, “Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all!” When you foster an attitude of curiosity, doors open and adventures begin; questions lead to new possibilities. For example, asking yourself “What do I want to learn now and where might that lead me?” can set you on a journey of exciting exploration that moves you forward.

If, instead, you come from the place of “I already know what I need to know,” you shut off the possibility of discovering something new that could rock your world.

 

So shake off those old, outdated beliefs you have about being curious. Walt Disney, friend of 6 year olds everywhere, said: “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”

 

If you truly want to expand your excitement, joy and fulfillment in your work and your personal life, keep those Why? Who? When? Where? How? and What? questions coming.

 

What do you think? How has being curious benefitted you in your career or in your personal life?  What have you learned about being curious?

 

To your success,

 

Mary

 

The End of the Command and Control Leader?

 

“In these troubled and uncertain times, we don’t need more command and control;

we need better means to engage everyone’s intelligence

in solving challenges and crises as they arise.”

~Margaret Wheatley

 

Command and control leaders. You love to hate them. These leaders are the “my way or the highway” type where the phrase “Just Do It” takes on quite a different meaning than Nike ever intended. But the reality is that this form of leadership has been the long standing default style for many leaders in our Firms and Corporations.  

I don’t know about you, but I’ve had the “pleasure” to work with more than a couple command and control type leaders in my years as a practicing CPA.  And my experience is consistent with the research on the negative impact of this leadership style:

No Flexibility   -- “My way or else.”

No Clarity   – “I only know what not to do.”

No Responsibility   – “Just doing my job.”

No Commitment   – “I’m just looking out for myself.”

But there is great news coming from a research study of 1,700 CEOs recently completed by IBM. The study reported that these leaders clearly see that the command and control leadership style is outdated and ineffective.

The implications are clear for the CPA profession as well. It’s time for Partners and Managers to move off this outdated and non-productive leadership style and embrace the leadership style that engages, inspires and aligns their professionals to outstanding performance and results. New behaviors can be learned and when CPA leaders see the positive impact on the bottom line, they’ll be more motivated than ever to shift their approach.

A New Era of Openness and Collaboration

The study also revealed what CEOs are looking for in employees, another clue that we’re moving in a direction that’s more open and collaborative. These CEO respondents want to recruit and hire people who excel at working in open, complex, and team-based environments. Highly valued skills are collaboration (75 percent), communication (67 percent), creativity (61 percent) and flexibility (61 percent).

It’s a new day and Firm and Corporate leadership must change with it.

How about you? What is your experience with “Command and Control” leaders? How do you see your leadership style shifting in today’s complex business environment?

To your success,

Mary

Gratitude x10

 

"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts

are conscious of our treasures."  

~Thornton Wilder

 

As an American, I’m celebrating the Fourth of July this week. For many, the day is filled with summer barbeques, get-togethers with family and friends, fireworks and (hopefully) a day away from the pressures of work.

 

But in the same spirit as Thanksgiving, the Fourth of July is also a day to be grateful—grateful for the freedom and independence that we so regularly take for granted and grateful for the thousands of men and women who work every day to protect our freedom.

 

Which makes me think….What else do we take for granted? What in the world would give us joy or contentment or energy if we would just notice it? 

 

Yes, we’re thankful for our health and our loved ones. But here are 9 more to reflect on….

 

2. Our senses. Sight, sound, touch, smell and taste—daily miracles each of them. 

 

3. Opportunity. Our steady companion, opportunity is always ready to take us down a path yet unknown. (Hint: We have to say “Yes!”) 

 

4. Beauty. What do your eyes feast on? It is all around us every day. How often do you stop to drink it in?  

 

5. The ability to learn. There is no age limit on learning—period. When we stop learning, we really stop living.   

 

6. Young children. They model for us innocence, faith, resilience, playfulness and unconditional love.

 

7. Music. What inspires you? What lifts your mood? Rock & roll, folk guitar, country, African drumming, violin concertos, gospel? A nightingale? 

 

8. The ability to give. Every act of love benefits the giver as much as the receiver. 

 

9. Color. Sunsets, Gauguin paintings, green peppers, blue eyes. Imagine a world without color…. 

 

10. Change. It’s unavoidable; the only constant. Change can be unsettling or challenging. But the mystery of it and what lies beyond it can keep us young at heart.

 

So the next time you complain about the challenges and busyness of everyday life, stop for a moment and reflect in gratitude on your freedom and the simple gifts we’ve been given.

 

What are you grateful for on this Independence Day?

 

To your success,

 

Mary