OPEN YOUR EYES
Just saw something that stunned me. I walked up to my favorite Starbucks. Saw a car, engine running, baby in the back seat—and no driver. The father had pulled up to the front of the store and dashed in to get his morning java. Coffee over kid?
It’s easy to get so caught up in the rush of busyness and the call of our routines that we forget the imperative of being aware of the very things we are doing. “Most men would rather die than think,” wrote philosopher Bertrand Russell (“Many do,” he added). Human beings are the only creatures in the world that can step out of themselves and reflect on their thoughts and actions. Monkeys can’t do this. Dogs can’t. Cats can’t. Only we can.
If you can breathe oxygen today, then in my mind you have the gift of being able to show leadership behavior over the coming hours (and days/months/years). Leadership is about showing up at your best. You know that. It’s about being excellent amid changing times and celebrating the people around you. And leadership is about being aware. Aware of your thoughts. Aware of your actions. Aware of your mission. Aware of your priorities. Aware of your talents. Aware of your fears. Aware of your passions. Aware that time is short. Aware of the brilliance presented to you by the life you get to lead (and yes, mine gets messy too).
So live with your eyes wide open. Clarity preceeds mastery. Think about things. Shine brighter than ever before. Act impeccably. And stand guard over babies in cars.
It’s easy to get so caught up in the rush of busyness and the call of our routines that we forget the imperative of being aware of the very things we are doing.
Walking to school with the kids today. Breathtaking autumn morning here in my hometown. Fall colors, fresh air, crisp temperatures. My favorite time of the year.
Colby tells me that one of his buddies has a rubber turtle in his car. Said it reminds his parents to drive slowly and respect the lives of others on the road. Nice. Made me think about the importance of symbolic reminders—tokens we can strategically place at important places to help us remember what’s most important. What matters. What we want to stand for.
One of the simplest tactics I suggest to clients at my leadership workshops is to put your three most important professional and personal commitments on a 3-inch × 5-inch card and post it on your bathroom mirror, so that you see them first thing in the morning. (I know it sounds cheesy, but it works.) This little practice affects your awareness. Radically. Your awareness then shapes your choices. And your choices shape your results. Extraordinary people are dramatically focused on their best To Do’s. It’s all they think, talk and dream about. (I recall reading about John Risley, founder of Clearwater Fine Foods—one of the world’s largest seafood companies—who said, “When I want a deal, I think about nothing else but how to get it done. I wake up at night to use the bathroom, I’m thinking about the deal. I’m very focused.”) And with that rare focus, they get to where they need to be. With fewer detours than the rest of us.
So what Symbols of Glory might you use to keep you in your finest form? What tokens of excellence can you find that will quickly help you get back to your priorities when the crush of daily events clamors for your attention? You deserve to live an extraordinary life. Start by finding your symbols—ones that represent the person you are ready to become.
What tokens of excellence can you find that will quickly help you get back to your priorities when the crush of daily events clamors for your attention?
One of my favorite quotes comes from George Bernard Shaw, who noted, “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” Please think about that idea for a moment. I suggest it’s a big one.
Sure, be practical and operate intelligently as you move through your world. I agree, it’s important to use common sense. True, foolish risks can lead to difficult consequences. But having said that, don’t be so scared of failure and disappointment that you fail to dream. Don’t always be so reasonable and practical and sensible that you refuse to seize glorious opportunities when they show up. Push the envelope as to what’s possible for you. Remember, critics have always laughed at the visions of bold thinkers and remarkable visionaries. Ignore them. And know that every outstanding piece of human progress was achieved through the heroic efforts of someone who was told their idea was impossible to realize. The world needs more dreamers. Unreasonable souls who fight the urge to be ordinary. Who resist the seduction of complacency and doing things the way they have always been done. You can be one of them. Beginning today.
Kahlil Gibran, in The Prophet, made the point far more beautifully than I ever could, when he wrote, “The lust for comfort murders the passion of the soul.”
Remember, critics have always laughed at the visions of bold thinkers and remarkable visionaries. Ignore them.
Many executives come up to me after presentations and ask me about my statement “Everyone’s a leader.” I’ve observed that the best companies on the planet have one trait in common: They grow leaders throughout the organization faster than their competition. Making that happen is their number-one focus. And they do it fast.
But I’m not saying everyone should run the company. That makes no sense. Everyone can show leadership behavior but that doesn’t mean everyone will lead the organization. Here’s a metaphor that I hope will make this distinction clearer.
I love U2. Bono is the lead singer. Larry Mullen, Jr., is the drummer. Chaos would ensue if Larry tried to be the lead singer and Bono got confused and played the drums. Or imagine the tour manager thinking he could be Bono for a night and walking out on stage to do so while Bono was in his dressing room. Not good.
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