Talent is Artistry!

Talent is the source of creativity

Creativity produces Design

Design produces great Product

Product that needs to be shipped

Products that no one knew they wanted but when they see it they cannot live without it

Talent drives strategy

Strategy drives organizational positioning

Organizational positioning defines marketplace

Marketplace identifies customers

“Exquisite Customer imagination satisfaction” derives a platform for future creativity

Creativity demands that employees are artistes

The ONLY role of a LEADER is to develop and nurture the artist!

 

How long should I live before I forgive? A reflection on life’s journey.

A great question but the real question is how long will it take me to forgive before I can really live?

Seems to me that we find it hard to do what’s right for ourselves, yet we want to help others and give them our opinions and suggestions.

We know why, because, its simply too hard to change ourselves. Many don’t have the will or desire or inclination.

What is it that stops us doing for ourselves what is easy for us to give to others?

I guess it’s because we know who we are and maybe who we want to be.

Forgiving takes courage of letting go of the baggage. Courage and a journey that many would rather not face.

Letting go of the past and living in the future means we don’t have to face living in the moment.

That’s hard because we have to face daily reality and redefine our mental model.

For many of us our past defines who we are and our future who we want to be.

What we don’t seem to want to define is the character of who we are today.

Today is all that really matters, for today and what we do with it is our “real me”. Today is our character.

Today is whom people come across and remember.

Today is when the decision is made to forgive and move from victim to accountable.

From who we were to who we are.

Knowing that when we let go and forgive we have given ourselves permission to re-ignite our spirit.

In my blog the rubber band theory of leadership I exposed my theory that hardly anyone snaps the rubber band. Why is that? I believe it’s because people are comfortable and when they snap the rubber band they move into the unknown.

When you are in that place it calls on your courage and desire and none of your experience is of value because you have simply never been there.

So start forgiving and start living!

And remember when you are that very last runner in the race just before the sweeper..you did it and that’s a feeling you can remember and make you feel good for the rest of your life.
And like all races and life the first steps always begin the journey.

Thanks Ann you are an inspiration.

 

Curiosity killed the cat but made a GREAT leader

There is a fundamental logic to this being THE most fundamental of core leadership competences.

Without it there is:

1. No desire to learn
2. No desire to do anything new
3. No desire to do anything different
4. No desire to wanna be…
5. NO desire…..

The list goes on and you can add much more.

The problem also is that much of life depends on the need to have a mind that wants to know more not less. To create more to be more. I have never met anyone who in every way of their being wanted to stay where they are. There is always something.

A GREAT leader I have found needs more than anything to want to know the what, how and the when, and in doing so they know that they need more than themselves to achieve and deliver.

Curiosity without the “doing” simply gives learning.

Doing without “learning” makes for more of the same.

“More of the same” defines a life that does not teach.

“Lack of teaching” creates a long life of sameness.

“Sameness” is not what we want for our children.

We all want the very best for our loved ones.

There are those who simply want to be who they are no more, no less. That is ok for them.

Everyone has something to offer, GREAT Leaders continue to develop everything and everyone around them continually and always.

GREAT leaders know it is their mission to develop and create, nurture and flourish, develop and ignite passion.

GREAT leaders understand that developing the mind and soul and heart is what they need to do.

Is that not the gift we were all given? Is that not the gift we cannot waste?

People are too important…..  GREAT Leaders know this

 

Big Hat no Cattle – is this still HR?

In doing some research I came across an article back in 1981 in the Harvard Business Review.

The story struck me in that I continue to think there is still too much conversation in the HR coffee houses about the need to be an “executive” without having done the grunt work.

How many HR folks have run anything.  Like the guy with the big hat, probably never had run a cattle farm, but that hat looks Oh so cool!

Is this why most HR folk continue to “hide behind” the safe practices of working on being “employee” compliant and handling day-to-day administration?

Its solid work of that there is no question. It always was and always will be.

It is a sucky role and will never be of significant value.

It will not develop a business strategy or make your business or people grow exponentially.

It will not make you a leader and it will never make you the best in anything.

Too many conversations are about HR wannabe conversations and expectations without earning the right through having done the “grunt” work.

Or of actually having done the job themselves, too many HR folk continue to want to tell other people what they need to do and yet have never done it themselves!

It’s not about expectations to be in the executive role it is about earning the right!! When you do that you never have to apply for the job or even ask!

 

Developing the artist in Human Resources

Stop talking policies and procedures – Talk about spirit and energy

Stop talking about rules – Talk about creativity without boundaries

Stop talking about benefits  – Talk about heart and soul

Stop talking about leadership programs – Develop new thinking and doing

Stop talking about drama – Talk about a life without comfort zone

Stop talking about reality – Talk about new possibilities and new realities

Stop talking corporate speak – Talk Soul speak

Stop talking about stuff and stat talking about trust and developing memorable and lasting relationships

Paint new pictures

Design new things

Create new designs

Ship faster and further

Climb and keep climbing

Create new relationships

Fire up the spirit

Talk about stretch

Be memorable

Do all these things

Only then will you become an artist! Only then can you inspire!

There is no other purpose