Be your genuine and proud self...

I like coming back to the Adirondacks each summer: we grew up here and still know many of the people and much of the history of the area.  One of the things I like most are the many family businesses – some of them now run by the kids and grandkids of those who ran them ‘back in the day’. The thing about successful family businesses is their pride: for their heritage, how they’ve endured and grown over the years, and the values they hold and live by. Last night we went to a restaurant that was originally started by the current proprietor’s grandfather: back then the place was staffed mostly by their family and last night was no different. The current matriarch was at the door, her daughter and niece waited on tables, younger siblings bussed those tables, a son tended bar and her husband was cooking. Many businesses talk about how they treat their staff like family: this was the real thing. Whether you are family or just a regular employee, proudly and genuinely treat everyone like family (just like you wish to be treated). There’s no substitute for pride in the workplace today.

Bai Ling 白灵(b. 1966): Chinese-American actress

Lessons matter...

Think how many decisions you make every hour of every day of every year: too many to count, and nearly too many to remember.  Not surprisingly, the ones you get wrong are usually the ones you remember the most: nobody seems to remember or comment on the ones you get right. And each of those wrong ones leave a scar on you heart, the kind that teach a lifetime’s worth of lessons. It’s not like you can stop to make some of those decisions – life is often moving too fast for that; so, it’s doubly important that you take the appropriate amount of time to make your decisions. Ask lots of questions, don’t take anything for granted, make sure you get all the facts, talk to as many people as it takes to get a proper perspective, and then take an extra minute to think if there’s anything else that might be relevant. Do what’s needed to make decisions you can be proud of today.

Wallace Stegner (1909 – 1993): American novelist, short story writer, environmentalist, and historian, and winner of  the Pulitzer Prize and the U.S. National Book Award 

Make something you're proud of...

Everyone makes things: some design and build buildings, others create policies and practices that build organizational structure, and there are those who simply work continuously to develop the best version of themselves. Whatever you’re making, if you’re proud of it, that’s enough: some may like and or appreciate it, others may not… but in each case, getting things finished is a good thing. I do a lot of executive coaching with individual leaders and senior management teams: the worthwhile goals of those efforts include building their competencies and improving their work habits: they open up their collaborative efforts and improve their overall effectiveness.  Coaching uncovers ideas, and some biases, and the goal of those efforts is to shape a consensus that everyone can support: it’s an achievement worth working on -  it builds trust and respect and is something everyone can be proud of. Find an appropriate goal to work on and make something you’ll be proud of today.

Richard William Wheaton III (b. 1972): American actor, blogger, and writer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wil_Wheaton

Sing out...

  

This past weekend I attended a concert celebrating what would have been Pete Seeger’s 100^thbirthday: noted singers, song writers and story tellers from throughout the US gathered in an old restored barn on the grounds of the Great Camp Sagamore in the Adirondack mountains and performed for more than 3 hours.  Seeger was a legend in the world of folk music and social activism and was involved in those endeavors throughout his life . Like his songs, these were sign-along moments that engaged the audience (there were 100 in attendance): and sing we did. The artists on stage inspired us with their humility and dedication to the music and it opened the doors to our engagement and enjoyment. Life is like that: at work we want people to participate in all that goes on, getting and giving the full measure of themselves, being involved with colleagues and customers, and showing the pride the have for what they do. Be yourself, tell stories, and inspire those you work with to proudly get engaged and sing along today.

Ann Tran: American social media consultant, travel social marketing strategist, influencer, and sought-after speaker at social media and technology events 

Always try to do what's right...

My consulting partner likes to ask if you’d rather be happy or right. There are lots of people who always want to be right, insist that they are right, and brag about it: being right is simply a fact and should not be about making others feel like they’re wrong. It may be a matter of pride that you are right about something, but it shouldn’t be something to boast about. Knowing what’s right, or wrong, is also a matter of the facts, but it’s good to be humble and just let those facts be as they are and not use them in a harmful or hurtful manner. We should all be proud of who we are, how we act, and how we treat and react to others: that comes with knowing how to act appropriately. And acting appropriately is less about who is right and always about what is right. People will always remember you for how you act AND make them feel today.

Ezra Taft Benson (1899-1994): American farmer, government official, and religious leader https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ezra_Taft_Benson

Tell me more...

Being a leader is hard work: there’s a lot riding on the way you make decisions and act.  You must go beyond the obvious, look beyond what you see, listen beyond what you hear, get beyond what you feel, and continually learn beyond what you know now. You’re expected to dig and think and get it right: whatever it takes. You have to get beyond your own bias and preconceptions and often get outside your comfort zone: every time you think you have it figured out is when you have to say “tell me more”.  Things have changed so much in the last two years: we’re held to the higher standards now that probably should have been there all along: but things like culture and norms change, and the bar’s been raised. Now, more than ever, research, reading, training, and coaching are needed to keep up with the latest best practices. Whatever talents you have, be passionately curious about all the other things you need to know to be really effective today.

Albert Einstein (1879 –1955): German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of relativity

Watch things grow...

My friend Nate Tanenbaum is a network meteorologist in Las Vegas - he jokes the only forecast there is “hot and sunny”:  adding water to all that sunshine there produces some great lawns and gardens. Compare that to summer here in the Northeast where sunshine mixes daily with showers: that naturally produces very verdant lawns, gardens and forests too.  Everywhere I’ve lived people have planted gardens and trees, and proudly tended their lawns and shrubs: it’s a passion for all of us. I grew up here in the Northeast, where there were four distinct seasons, all different from each other; when we first moved to Las Vegas I had the impression that there were no seasons – only hot and hotter.  But I was wrong: there are regular seasons there like everywhere else, and they constantly remind us of the passing of time and the wonder of renewal. They inspire us to remember and anticipate the joy of life: if you’ve never experienced that, look at all that’s growing and then go plant a garden. It will reawaken your passion for living and accomplishing today.

Robert Breault (b. 1963): American operatic tenor