“What we become depends on what we read after all of the professors have finished with us. The greatest university of all is a collection of books.”   - Thomas Carlyle

A few years ago my wife Rebecca brought home a book titled “Men of Valor” - The Powerful Impact of a Righteous Man.  With no apologies I profess that this is an
overtly Christian based text, and also with no apologies I declare it is my intent, hope and desire to be such a man as this book describes and have as much impact for good in this world as I can.  With that said, all true principles of leadership can easily transfer from one context of life to another.  Indeed they are intended too, because my work life, my religious life, my social life, my private life is only compartmentalized by where it takes place and by who I do it with…each piece is still a piece of one great whole - my life.

From the book  “You cannot lift another soul until you are standing on higher ground than he is.” Millet then adds this commentary - You must be sure, if you would rescue the man, that you yourself are setting the example of what you would have him be.  “You cannot light a fire in another soul unless it is burning in your own soul.”

Corporate context is obvious - As leaders we must not only be on higher ground, but we must also be in the attitude of striving for higher ground.   The higher ground we seek is not for our own aggrandizement or to set ourselves above others- rather it simply the pursuit of a higher standard, like that of excellence, which is never achieved but constantly grows as we do.  Our genuine journey invites others to follow both by example and by invitation…our passion and enthusiasm is the contagious light that can and will transfer into those around us.

I tried to illustrate this principle to my children once in a family “teaching moment” by telling my kids that I wanted to give each of them $100 dollars.  The three oldest of the children then ages 12, 10, and 8 thought this was a great idea and were anxious to receive all that I said I wanted to give.  I then placed in front of them my wallet, previously and purposefully emptied of cash.  They scooped it up quickly opened it excitedly… and then fairly quickly pointed out that it was empty.

Understandably they even went on to share some feelings about being tricked and disappointed.  I assured them it was not my intention to trick or disappoint, and that I really wanted them to each have $100 in cash.  They could tell I was serious about my stated “intention” and went back to wallet….looking inside each little pocket and fold…but still found nothing.  Then I asked, if it was possible for me to give them something I did not have? “No”, they replied.  I then asked, “Is it possible for us to give others something we do not have?” Again the answer was No, and so we began to have a discussion of this principle in the context of their lives.  As they caught hold of the principle the wheels began turning and they had many examples from their own lives of how this worked, and or didn’t work.

 How many times do we see well “intentioned” leaders trying to lead and motivate their people with an empty wallet.  They complain that their people lack vision, or even the capacity for vision, but what is really lacking is their capacity to inspire.  They just want it to happen, but they don’t have it to give.  It takes work to fill a wallet with cash or a cache of knowledge that can then be invested in others, and you must be on higher ground to lift in that direction.

 A good question might be… “What is it that I really hope to give to my people, my family, and my world?”  Then check your wallet to make sure you have in it what you hope to give.  If it empty, or looking a little thin… the answer is easy.  Go to work, on yourself.

 My daughter actually did take one thing out of my wallet.  My credit card.  A truly dangerous weapon because credit can falsely communicates that we have something in our wallet that we may not have at all.

 USA today weekend report stated that “Personal savings in US is at a 73 year low.” Hmmn, parents in a previous generation seemingly gave their children no financial training or discipline, and now I wonder how a nation of empty wallets and bank accounts will give what they don’t have to their own children

Kirk out

Long time T4D subscriber and even longer time friend Tom Cantrell shared this with me yesterday … and I’m still not sure what I think about it…but I can say I have kept thinking about it.   I’m curious …what do you think?  Please leave your comments on the Blog post (rather than e=mail) www.kirkweisler.com/t4d

The Pantheon, pictured above, is a mausoleum in Paris. Built starting in 1758 and completed in 1790, it is the final resting place of Voltaire, Louis Braille, Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, Marie Curie, and others.  The building, modled after the building of the same name in Rome, contains large columns, a dome, and –
of unique relevance to the discussion below — a clock. The clock, a relic from the 1800s, stopped chiming in the 1960s when rust overtook its gears, bringing it to a halt.

All that changed in 2006. That year, after an eight-month restoration project, the clock was fixed. But it was not due to some public works project nor funded by some sort of fabulously wealthy patron of the arts — at least not outwardly. It was done, surreptitiously, by a group of underground art restorers, cultural conservation advocates, and, perhaps, criminals. The group, which is still around, is called Urban eXperiment, or UX for short.

The history behind the UX is murky, but according to Wired, their beginnings stem from a theft from three decades ago. In September of 1981, a middle schooler claimed that he and a friend were able to sneak into the Pantheon and, when other children called their bluff, they felt compelled to prove their bold assertion true — even though it mostly certainly was not. The braggards entered the Pantheon like any other visitor would, but, when it closed, decided to hide instead of leave. The made it through the night without detection — again, per Wired, “they encountered no guards or alarms.”

Fast forward to 2005. Using the same “hide until after closing” their forebears used decades earlier, a group of restorers — a subset of UX called Untergunther –
created a secret workshop in the Pantheon, in a room just below the dome, and set forth to fix the clock. For eight months and at the expense of $10,000 in
member-donated monies (their time, of course, was uncompensated), the group secretly toiled to fix the long-broken clock. They avoided guards without much
effort; the floor they set up shop in was rarely frequented, even by security. They were even able to grow a small vegetable garden on the terrace outside their makeshift workshop.

When they completed the restoration, a new challenge arose. The clock was in working order but needed the Pantheon’s staff to maintain it — which, unfortunately, would require telling the staff that the clock had been fixed. This proved incredibly difficult, and came at a price, as recounted by Wired: They notified the director, Bernard Jeannot, by phone, then offered to elaborate in person.  Four of them came-two men and two women, including Kunstmann and the restoration group’s leader, a woman in her forties who works as a photographer-and were startled when Jeannot refused to believe their story. They were even more shocked when, after they showed him their workshop (”I think I need to sit down,” he murmured), the administration later decided to sue UX, at one point seeking up to a year of jail time and 48,300 euros in damages. Jeannot’s then-deputy, Pascal Monnet, is now the Pantheon’s director, and he has gone so far as to hire a clockmaker to restore the clock to its previous condition by resabotaging it. But the clockmaker refused to do more than disengage a part-the escape wheel, the very part that had been sabotaged the first time. UX slipped in shortly thereafter to take the wheel into its own possession, for safekeeping, in the hope that someday a more enlightened administration will welcome its return.

In the end, some UX members were brought up on criminal charges but, as noted by the Guardian, were acquitted. As for the clock? It is, again, stopped. In the Pantheon, the time is, eternally, 10:51.

Have you ever felt punished for doing a needful thing…and making something work… because you didn’t do it in the right way?  Does the end justify the means?  Were some laws/rules truly mean to be broken?   Should the UX members have really been prosecuted?   Did the UX member really need to confess?  What time is it?  With regard to corporate culture …are there unwritten rules that stop us from fixing needful things…and that keep us stuck and standing still?  Are there times when we attempt to do needful things but do so in ways that don’t break laws or violate policies…but that do seem to violate accepted norms…?

Kirk out

Sitting in a team exercise with a wonderful group in Montreal… and thinking about the “Thought 4 the Day”… and asked myself …well what did I send out last year. One year ago today..

“[They were] so preoccupied with whether or not they could, that they didn’t stop to think if they should.” ~Jurassic Park (the movie)

2 years ago today..

There are plenty of people that will tell you what you are doing is ‘dumb” or ‘impossible’. I wonder how many times we do not attempt greatness because others say it is ‘impossible’ or ‘dumb’? How many times do we allow the weaknesses and limitations of others to hinder our dreams and true potential? The other day this quote hit me hard.

I know this is an add for adidas. However, this message goes so far beyond athletic apparel. When I read it the first time I could not help but think of many of my personal heroes (i.e., Gandhi, Roger Banister, Rosa Parks, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Walt Disney, Abraham Lincoln, Meriwether Lewis, Wilbur and Orville Wright, etc.).

“IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASIER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY’VE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT. IMPOSSIBLE IS NOT A FACT. IT’S AN OPINION. IMPOSSIBLE IS NOT A DECLARATION. IT’S A DARE. IMPOSSIBLE IS POTENTIAL IMPOSSIBLE IS TEMPORARY. IMPOSSIBLE IS NOTHING!”

What a powerful concept. It helped me recommit myself to doing things others dare not to attempt. It helped me to recommit myself to excellence.

This week let us do the impossible…or at the very least let us be more patient with the “impossible people” in our lives.

from 3 Years ago… PRISONER OR LEADER

The bottom line is this: If there is nothing that would cause you to walk away, then you’re a prisoner not a leader. Prisoners blame their captors for their misery. Leaders look to themselves.  -Joseph Grenny 2009

Sometimes you have to lay down your pen(keyboard) and walk away.

4 years ago… DRY OFF and DO SOMETHING… Be A DOING DONKEY…not a lazy Jack _ _ _

Everyone who has ever taken a shower has had an idea. It’s the person who gets out of the shower, dries off, and does something about it that makes a difference. - Nolan Bushnell

I have sent the following Donkey story before. But since it has been a while and since there are certain people in our lives that seem to be constantly willing to throw dirt and hurt on us… here it is again.

One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well.  The animal cried pitifully for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.  Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn’t worth it to retrieve the donkey.

The farmer invited all his neighbors to come over and help him.  They all grabbed a shovel and began to toss the dirt into the well.  At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly.  Then, to everyone’s amazement, he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well.

He was astonished at what he saw.  With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing.  He would shake it off and then take a step up.  As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.  Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and happily trotted off!

Life is going to shoveled dirt on you, all kinds of dirt.  The trick to getting out of the “well” is to shake it off and take a “step up.”  Each of our troubles is a stepping stone.  We can get out of the deepest of “wells” just by not stopping, never giving up!  Shake it off and take a step up.

I’ve actually been sending out the T4D for nearly 18 years now… it began with an idea to create something to help our staff check their e-mail more regularly so they wouldn’t miss occasion urgent e-mails when they came. (this was back in the day when people didn’t live out of thier inboxes like many do today.)  If someone would have suggested then that I would continue writing T4D’s for the next 18 years… I would have laughed and said …that’s impossible or at least highly improbable.  I would have never guessed then that it would grow from a e-mail distribution list to 30 people, evolve, become something called a blog read by thousands (there were no blogs then)….and become a tool that leaders would use as resource for personal and organizational motivation.  Like so many aspects of our lives as leaders… we never really imagine nor can we fully consider the potential impact of some of the decicions we make, the traditions we establish and cultures we seek to create as work to improve the world of work.

If you have given up on any worthwhile thing that feel really can and should be done… even if it seems impossible….perhaps you need to shake off any discouragement, set aside the disbelief… and step up and bring your idea from the dark depths of the well….and into the light of day… the world needs what you have to offer….especially if what offer can help, can increase hope, or can improve individual or organizational health.

Kirk out

The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress. – Joseph Joubert (1754-1824) French Philosopher

Unlike the graphic above … I don’t think we should wait until there is an emergency to start exploring the truth.  This brings to mind all that Jim Collins learned about how companies that made the leap from “Good to Great” have developed the ability to confront the “Brutally Honest Facts”.   He said of these companies that essentially they weren’t afraid to discuss or even argue about the hard things…but the aim wasn’t blame… the aim was progress… the aim was to discover the truth.  The truth about the problem, the truth about the solution and the truth about what was needed to achieve it.

Some short wonderful audio clips of Jim Collins discussing this principle are available for FREE… click here!  ( I recommend starting with the Stockdale Paradox, then Autopsies without Blame.)  http://www.jimcollins.com/media_topics/brutal-facts.html#audio=59

Kirk Out

“Failure should be our teacher, not our undertaker. Failure is delay, not defeat. It is a temporary detour, not a dead end. Failure is something we can avoid only by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.”  ~ Dennis Waitle

In organizations, real power and energy is generated through relationships. The patterns of relationships and the capacities to form them are more important than tasks, functions, roles, and positions. - Margaret Wheatly Leadership and the New Science

I read this quote and had to ask myself - did it really take “New Science” to determine that relationships are the key?  ~ KirK Out

Many people believe that support is something that you give to someone you feel sorry for or that it means propping up someone who would fail unless you were there to give him a boost. But that’s not the way I see it. Support is the boost you can give someone who can help himself but who needs a partner to open a window or push aside a roadblock.   – Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s

Kirk Out

The story is told of two monks walking through the countryside. As they pass through a village, they see a woman in a beautiful kimono crossing a muddy street. The first monk quickly picks her up and carries her across the mud. They continue walking, and five hours later the second monk can’t resist and asks, “Why did you pick up that woman when we are not supposed to do things like that?” The first monk responds, “I put her down five hours ago. Why are you still carrying her?”

How much are you limiting yourself with baggage from the past? Release your past mistakes, take responsibility, and create value in the now.

Suggested reading: A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart Tolle

Travel with less baggage and your not only travel lighter and arrive sooner…but you most likely will show up with more friends and a much better disposistion as well.  ~ Kirk Weisler

Mothers Day is just around the corner… many of you have ordered flowers… made dinner reservations, planned to deliver breakfast in bed… or perhaps planned a special visit to a nursing home or the place where your dear mother is buried.

“A mother should give her children a superabundance of enthusiasm, that after they have lost all they are sure to lose in mixing with the world, enough may still remain to prompt and support them through great actions.  - Julius C. Hare (1795-1855) English Cleric

I watched a short youtube video the other day that was about mothers… it asked daughters what they thought their Dad’s could do to raide a healthy, happy and well adjusted daughter. Their answer was simple, profound and inspiring… and perfect for Mother’s day. (WARNING! This clip was produced by religious group and if you already know that will bother you.. then stop here, don’t view it…and have a terrific day.

I personally didn’t view it as an overt proselyting attempt…only inspirational and instructive…with a message that is true irrespective of any particular faith or for those who of an atheistic view…”whew these disclaimers steal a little bit of the joy. Still I don’t want people to unsubsribe just because they misinterpret my intent)

Are you still here :)  Enjoy …

Happy Mothers Day…. to the Mothers we all had.
Kirk Out

To think bad thoughts is really the easiest thing in the world. If you leave your mind to itself it will spiral down into ever increasing unhappiness. To think good thoughts, however, requires effort. This is one of the things that discipline - training - is about.  ~James Clavell, in his novel “Shogun

Maturity is achieved when a person postpones immediate pleasures for long-term values. ~ Joshua L. Liebman

WHILE OTHERS Are…… by William Arthur Ward

Believe while others are doubting.

Plan while others are playing.

Study while others are sleeping.

Decide while others are delaying.

Prepare while others are daydreaming.

Begin while others are procrastinating.

Work while others are wishing.

Save while others are wasting.

Listen while others are talking.

Smile while others are frowning.

Commend while others are criticizing.

Persist while others are quitting.

Day by day, what you do is who you become. 

 ~ Kirk

Optimism is essential to achievement and it is also the foundation of courage and true progress.  — Nicholas Murray Butler

Optimism isn’t just having a positive, possibility based outlook and sitting back waiting for it to happen.  Optimism is about courageously taking action to bring about those positive possibilities…no matter what.  (at least that’s what I think)

 Here is a clip of a young adult trying to back out of the family garage.  I was pleased to see that the frustration didn’t lead to serious damage…. and delighted to see that she kept right on trying.  A determined optimist for sure.    Finally… in what could have ended in being defined easily as “EPIC FAIL”… she goes and asks for some assistance.  (A lesson we could all learn from).

A song by Justin Beiber comes to mind… “Never say Never”…

Optimism doesn’t guarantee you can do anything… but an optimistic outlook can inspire you to keep trying until you find a way to get it done.

Kirk out