Leaders Love to Learn

​It is true that leaders are readers.  As Taleb says, only the autodidacts are free.  But it is deeper than that.  A real leader learns from experience.  They notice that less than 20% of performance ratings have anything to do with actual performance.  They might notice that close to 95% of performance rating systems are dismal failures.  They notice, they learn and they take action.  The leader refuses to keep doing the same thing and expecting to get a different result.

Leaders Love Transparency

​If you don't know what you are getting into, there may be a "gotcha" somewhere down the line.  Great leaders eliminate the fine print, literally and metaphorically.  They treat others with respect.  They love transparency.  You know what they stand for and their word is truly their bond.  This is how the most successful businesses operate and this is where the future of leadership is headed.

Leaders Love to Rejuvenate

​The category of rejuvenation is huge.  Without it, we simply are not very effective.  Leaders take their rejuvenation needs seriously.  They get enough sleep, they get silent time and they may read something inspirational first thing in the morning.  They may also schedule a "do nothing day" periodically as our friend Ralph White advises.

Leaders Love to Laugh

Too serious? Laughter is one of the highest things on the planet. There is power in an environment filled with laughter and it is a close cousin of love.

Numerous studies have confirmed that lots of laughter each day is what really keeps the doctor away. The book Anatomy of an Illness: As Perceived by the Patient (Twentieth Anniversary Edition) by Dr. Norman Cousins tells the story of how he recovered from a life threatening illness by applying laughter therapy. He literally watched his favorite funny movies every day for months until his illness disappeared.

Dr. Madan Kataria from India pioneered a practice known as laughter yoga. Every morning, people gather to laugh for 20 minutes (without movies). His book the Inner Spirit of Laughter- 5 Secrets from The Laughing Guru tells the story of this amazing technique.

How can you lighten up your team? How can you have more fun while delivering over the top service?

Leaders Love Collisions

​Collisions are chance meetings where two or more people come together and something meaningful happens.  Leaders love collisions.  They are out and about creating them daily.  Leaders love serendipity too!

Leaders Love Reality

Real leaders run a series of small experiments.  They look at the results.  They adjust or even scrap the idea based upon evidence and feedback from others.  Leaders love reality.  Many non-leaders roll-out huge sweeping changes without any regard as to how it will impact their stakeholders. 

Leaders Love to Close Gaps

​Generally, there is a gap between where you are and where you want to be.  It might be the additional 20lbs.  It might be an additional sale.  It might be that extra step needed to get a project completed.  Whatever it is, the job of the leader (you) is to recognize the gap and then work to close it.  Leaders love to close gaps.  This is actually where the fun shows up.

Leaders Love Pranks

One of my personal favorite leaders of all time (this includes statesmen, business, military and spiritual) is Herb Kelleher, co-founder of Southwest Airlines. He once said that the “business of business is people.” This was not a mere platitude written by a speech writer. This was a direct reflection of his core values. It informed everything he did, including the way he treated every employee of the company.

So, how do pranks come into this? 

It turns out that Herb Kelleher (and many other top leaders) loved to play pranks. They are the kind of pranks that make everyone laugh and causes people years later to write about it. Herb Kelleher was famous for:

• Occasionally hiding in the overhead luggage bins on planes and then jumping out mid-flight to the surprise and delight of all the passengers (and crew). 
• When challenged on a trademark issue, he challenged his "opponent" to an arm wrestling match. 
• During the annual BBQ bash, he would show up on a Harley wearing a costume. 
• He would appear in airports dressed in a costume to greet passengers as they boarded.

These are things that can only be pulled off by a leader. Someone who loves the employees, loves the customers, loves what he is doing in the world. More often than not, this results in a lot of love coming back towards the leader and the business itself.

Are you free to make customers smile and even laugh? Does your organization exercise the freedom of delighting the stakeholders?

Being v. Doing

Leadership Fuel (Part 1)

It is hard to lead when you are tired, sick or overweight. The Standard American Diet (SAD), that is now spreading across the globe is the perfect diet if you wish to create less than optimal health. It is the diet of the non-leader (The couch potato). This series of posts is designed to eliminate all the misinformation about the SAD and provide the best of the best insights that we have discovered at CMC to make you more antifragile.

Although there has been a lot of press about nutrition and its effects on overall health and longevity, very little has been said about the connection between what you eat and the quality of your leadership and decision making. Of your ability to lead your life and lead your team.

With that said, we will explore a few easy things that anyone can research to see if it makes sense for them to begin doing. In the spirit of Kaizen, one small step is all we are after at this point.

One of the biggest areas and maybe the least obvious when it comes to nutrition is fat. This has become a three letter word that people try to avoid at all costs. Yet, we do so at our own peril. What we need to do is make the distinction between healthy fats and toxic fats.

Toxic fats
A toxic fat is something we definitely want to avoid putting in our bodies at all costs. Hydrogenated oils (could be considered a plastic) are not helpful. Soybean oil, canola oil, vegetable oil are all on the list. Just about any oil used in any fast food restaurant is in this category of oils to avoid. Avoid rancid oils (if the bottle is in clear glass or plastic, there is a high probability that it is rancid).

Healthy Fats
Healthy fats are those fats that fuel the body and fuel the brain. They are what we not only crave but need to function at optimal levels of performance. Here are my personal favorite healthy fats. They can be used every day to maximize your nutritional profile.

Ghee
From the oldest known texts in the world, the Rig Veda: “Ghee is the first and most essential of all foods.” It took me years to learn to like the taste of Ghee. Now I love it and use it every day. You can cook with it (it has a high smoke point), add it to anything where you would use butter or use it to make Bulletproof® Whole Bean Coffee 12 oz. in the morning (highly recommended). The best ghee comes from grass fed, pastured cow milk. The best ghee on the market is: 100% Organic Ghee from Grass-fed Cows, 32oz

Coconut Oil
Coconut oil can be used for everything including skin care and hair treatment. It can be used as toothpaste and used for oil pulling to detox the mouth. Like ghee, it has a high smoke point and is perfect for cooking. You can had it straight to smoothies and use it for bulletproof coffee.  Here is a good one: Carrington Farms Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, 54 Ounce

Olive Oil
This is an Italian staple. There is nothing like a tomato salad with fresh basil and high quality olive oil and a little salt and pepper. The key word is high quality. Olive oil has a low smoke point and it should not to be used for cooking (drizzle it on after the dish is already cooked). There are a lot of olive oils on the market that are less than stellar (many are cut with other oils). Here is one from California that you will love: Acropolis Organic Olive Oil (500ml) Brand: Acropolis

Krill and/or fish oil
Lots of research points to the need we have for Omega 3 fatty acids. It is curiously missing from the Western diet. That means supplements are required. One of the best sources is:  New Chapter Wholemega, Whole Fish Oil with Omegas and Vitamin D3 - 120 ct

Wild Caught Alaskan Salmon
This is the best fish ever. Get is fresh at Whole Foods or get it canned from Wild Planet. This is one fish that is low on pollutants and high on nutrition. Avoid all farm raised fish and especially avoid genetically modified salmon which was recently approved (ill advisedly) by the FDA.  Here is a good canned version: Wild Planet Wild Alaska Pink Salmon, Boneless & Skinless, 6 Ounce Can (Pack of 12)

Sardines
Just like there is a lot of fake olive oil on the market, there is a lot of fake sardines being sold under the label of sardines. The real thing is a little known nutritional gem that fuels brain power. One brand we know that checks out is: Bela Olhao Sardines Lightly Smoked Sardine in Tomato Sauce, 4.25 Ounce -- 12 per case.

Nuts
Nuts pack a powerful punch when it comes to nutrition. Get nuts sourced from reputable organic growers. Pistachios, Macadamia, Almonds, and Walnuts are all excellent sources. Yes, they have a lot of healthy fat and that’s a good thing. 


Avacado
One of the best foods ever!  Loaded with healthy fats and other goodies.

Is this the end of the story? No. But you have to begin somewhere. From our experience, toxic oils can have the most devastating impact on health while healthy oils can have the most positive impact. We will look at another area of leadership fuel in the next post.

Time Management for Highly Creative People™ - Session 3 (Video)

 

Within each successful person is an ordinary person who found the courage to act – to face the big challenges and make their dreams come true. 
~ Jinny S. Ditzler

In Session 1 we talked about creating your Weekly Success Map. In session 2, we talked about using 3x5 cards to plan and track your day. In this session, we explore the topic of creating your Yearly Plan.

The Yearly Plan is your big picture. It feeds your Weekly Success Map. It provides a roadmap for where you are headed over the next 12 months. If you have never created a yearly plan, it may well be one of the most exciting (and productive) things you have ever done.

In the video we reference the book Your Best Year Yet!: Ten Questions for Making the Next Twelve Months Your Most Successful Ever by Jinny S. Ditzler.
 

Add More Life in Your Years with Mindfulness

Mindfulness is about love and loving life. When you cultivate this love, it gives you clarity and compassion for life, and your actions happen in accordance with that.
~ Jon Kabat-Zinn

Longevity is great but we don't have too much control over that (healthy eating and exercise aside). What we do control is how much we live each moment we are alive. Mindfulness is probably the most direct route to living more fully each and every day. If you have not seen our course on mindful walking, we encourage you to check it out here. Try it and see what results you see.

How often do you consciously practice mindfulness? Do you notice that your ability to love increases with your level of awareness?

Time Management for Highly Creative People™ - Session 1 (Video)

 

If you don’t know where you are going, you’ll end up someplace else.
~ Yogi Berra

In Session 1 we focus on your Weekly Success Map. This is the key to the whole process. If you do this one thing, your success could well multiply beyond your wildest dreams. The reason for this is, you are combining your creativity with focused attention on what you intend to do in the coming week.  It is not magic but it can seem like it once you get into the habit.

Within the video, we mention a few resources that you may want to consider ordering. You can order directly from our Amazon links. See below…

Antifragility Panel/Webinar: Practice Beyond the Rhetoric (Audio Excerpts)

We joined Si Alhir and Barry Bettman to discuss Antifragility with Judith E. Glaser and James Key Lim. This was an amazing discussion. Listen for some Zappo's stories from James and insights around neuroscience and art from Judith.

The full audio will be posted on Si's blog in the near future here.

Dream Job Coaching Session 9 - 2015-09-10 Excerpt (Audio)

Mindfulness lets us see things in a new light and believe in the possibility of change. When we feel locked into strict work procedures and rules, we can recognize that these were once decisions made by certain individuals. These people lived at a particular point in history, with particular biases and needs. If we realized this, more of us would consider redesigning our work to fit our skills and lives.
~ Ellen J. Langer

During this live group coaching call we discussed consciousness and examples of unconsciousness. We discussed some mindfulness practices that can be used to increase your own level of consciousness. We take a page from the wisdom of Lao Tzu who said, "the key to growth is the introduction of higher dimensions of consciousness into our awareness."

How to Create Your Dream Job Now™ - Notes

Everyone has been made for some particular work, and the desire for that work has been put in every heart.
~ Rumi

The regular readers of this blog have seen the How to Create Your Dream Job Now™ course. We have received very positive feedback from many of you. However, one theme that we hear a lot is that people are having a hard time actually doing all the work. Some were not able to find a study partner, much less a triad to work with. Those who signed up for the group coaching calls received more benefits, but even there, they felt they needed more support.

Our team here at CMC is discussing ways we can meet the demand that people have while, at the same time, making it affordable for almost everyone. That is a challenge. At one end of the spectrum, we have the version available here on the blog (free). At the other end of the spectrum, we have one-on-one coaching (expensive). We are looking at designing a third option that would provide the best of both worlds at a fair price that more people can afford.

If this program resonates with you and you feel you need more support please let us know how we could make this the best program ever to meet your needs. We will be posting a survey next week to get your direct feedback. We thank you in advance for helping us to help others create their dream jobs!

The Wisdom of Embracing Failure

Most of us, most of the time, fear failure. We hold back. We don’t try. We keep a low profile. All because we fear the dreaded “f” word.

The problem with this particular fear, maybe more than any other kind of fear, is it keeps us playing small. Really small. The new book, the new painting, the new website, the new blog, the new job, all get put to the “back burner.” Usually, they never get done.

But why? Why fear failure? There is no good answer for this. In many cases, the cost issue is no longer an excuse. With everything online, "I don't know how" is no longer an excuse. We just need to learn to push through the fear and keep pushing through it step by step.

Pema Chodran’s new book Fail, Fail Again, Fail Better: Wise Advice for Leaning into the Unknownis on the reading list. This book comes at a good time when so many people are holding back from unleashing their greatness. The time to get started is now.

A takeaway for this topic might be this quote from Jeff Bridges. He says, “Live like you're already dead, man. Have a good time. Do your best. Let it all come ripping right through you.”

An Easy Way to Increase Your Level of Consciousness

We just released Part 10 of the free version of our wildly popular course How to Create Your Dream Job Now™ (you can see it here). In this final session, the focus is on increasing your level of consciousness. The idea is that to really thrive within a conscious business, we need to become more conscious ourselves.

There are a number of things we can do to become more conscious. It requires a practice. Something that we do every day so that eventually we become more awake and aware. More tuned-in to what is happening right now.

One of my personal favorite practices is the mindfulness walk. To do this, you simply take a walk with the intention of actively noticing new things. Then, while on the walk, you actively notice new things. You notice clouds, trees, bark, insects, birds, people, and whatever else appears within your field of vision.

If you keep this up for several days, you may notice a distinct shift in how you feel. Over a period of a few weeks, you may find yourself being transformed in a very positive way!

It is Not Joy That Makes Us Grateful

As long as you are breathing, there is more right with you than there is wrong…”
~ Jon Kabat-Zinn

Everyone speaks of gratitude these days but very few have turned it into a practice. Those who have turned it into a practice, like the monk Brother David Steindl-Rast seem to be transformed by this one thing alone. He says, “the root of joy is gratefulness... It is not joy that makes us grateful; it is gratitude that makes us joyful.” That is powerful (when we give it a try).

Here is an inspirational video from Brother David to enjoy…

How to Create Your Dream Job Now™ - Part 9 (Video)

You cannot succeed by yourself. It's hard to find a rich hermit.
~ Jim Rohn

The focus this week is to begin having conversations with people in our target companies so that we can ‘verify and validate’ the research we have done thus far.  It is at this stage in the process that you will begin to really find out if the companies you think you would love to work for are really companies you would love to work for.

Assignment
Your assignment for this week is to begin having conversations with people inside the conscious businesses you would love to work for.

• Schedule phone calls and meetings
• Watch Amy Cuddy’s TED Talk (and do the exercises before your meetings)
• Verify and validate that the company is who they say they are on websites, ads, social media, etc.
• If the company seems to be a match, start thinking about how you could add value to the company
• Meet with your study partner/triad and discuss what you have discovered thus far about your top 3 target companies
• Keep Thinking Big! You are creating the future!