leadership dot #2177: lonely

Except for in a political context, you don’t hear much about only two percent of the population doing anything. So, when the graduation speaker shared that only two percent of the adult population in the United States has earned a doctorate degree, it struck me as a very small number. I earned my Ed.D. over twenty years ago and did not realize to what a small fraternity I belonged.

Then at a recent meeting with a cohort of innovation leaders, the Rogers Adaptation Curve was shared as a framework for the charge ahead of them. Only 2.5% of the population is considered as an innovator, giving context to the minority in which these leaders found themselves. The cohort was formed to provide support and counsel to similar change-oriented people since they were in such short supply in the general population.

Think about where not only you fall, but where others in your organization land. Whether it is in pursuit of a doctorate or on a mission to reimagine the child welfare system, anyone seeking to be part of a two percent finds themselves in a lonely position. What can you do to provide a safe environment, access to like-minded people and the inspiration to persevere until they reach the end they are seeking?

One may be the loneliest number, but two percent isn’t far behind.

leadership dot #2145: undaunted

The story of Lewis and Clark has always fascinated me – I wonder what it must have taken for these men and their crew to explore unknown territories with so little to guide them. People today set out on what they feel are “adventures” when they turn off the GPS, but Lewis and Clark knew nothing about the territory that they would face.

Can you even imagine setting out on a journey that you believed would be all on water, only to learn that most of your travels would be on land? And not just flat land; the explorers did not know that the Rocky Mountains existed. It would be daunting to cross the Rockies today, let alone 200 years ago on horseback, especially when you did not expect them to be there!

Lewis and Clark had every excuse to quit along their journey. The conditions were so much rougher, the mode of transport totally different and the time frame (two years and four months) significantly longer than they originally expected. And after surviving grueling conditions to reach the ocean, they then had to return – over the same rough terrain.

When you want to tell your boss that you are going to quit because you have hit a barrier, think of Lewis and Clark looking over that first peak and realizing that there were miles more mountains instead of the northwest water route that they were seeking. The obstacles you face at work are nothing.

leadership dot #2091: energy transfer

There is a woman who I would guess to be in her 80s that walks by my house every day. Every. Day. She is more durable than the Post Office who delivers in snow, rain and heat because she walks on Sundays, too. No matter the weather or conditions, this woman trudges up the hill and makes her trek.

I think about her persistence – as I watch from my heated or air-conditioned office – and doubt that she questions her activity. I would guess that her walking is a habit – just as much a part of the day as eating meals or brushing teeth.

Gretchen Rubin advocates the cultivation of habits because they reduce (remove) the mental capacity necessary to make a decision. You don’t have to think about it -- and thus lose emotional energy in the process – you just do.

I admire those who engrain habits into their lives for the tough stuff. I have written 2090 dots and the process of sitting down to do them still doesn’t come easily. Often I spend as much time thinking about what to write as I do on the actual writing. I also think about whether I should take the dogs for a walk – is the weather ok, are the sidewalks free of salt or puddles, etc. I wish it would come naturally to just do it every day like this woman and not think about it.

I have quoted Susan Power before who writes that “motivation is in the doing.” Energy is generated in the doing too and depleted in the thinking-about-doing. Strive to minimize your energy loss by creating habits instead of daily decision points.

leadership dot #2010: resourceful

If you lived on a remote island in the North Atlantic, chances are that you would need to be resourceful and to develop some hearty problem-solving skills. Such was the case with the people in the Faroe Islands, a rugged country located between Norway and Island. This small country involved their sheep (which outnumber the people!) in order to get their beautiful landscapes on Google Maps in order to draw the attention of tourists.

Frustrated by their attempts to be included in Google’s Street View option, Faroe tourist board members strapped 360-degree cameras to the backs of sheep to record the views. And it worked – Google now includes them and the number of visitors has increased since the project’s successful end.

Now the tourist bureau has moved on to addressing language barriers of these visitors – pushing to be included in Google Translate, but creating their own “Faroe Islands Translate” until that happens.

Many people would throw up their hands and claim that it was impossible for a tiny entity to influence a giant like Google, but these islanders proved otherwise. They sought alternative solutions and did much of the work themselves. If you really want something badly enough, there Is probably a way to make some version of it happen.

Read the full story here.

Thanks, Meg!

leadership dot #2009: premature

You may have heard the saying: “It isn’t over until the fat lady sings” as an implicit warning not to consider something finished until the final steps are truly complete. Many times we get over a big hurdle in the implementation process and consider ourselves “done” when there are still loose ends and follow up projects to be completed.

In a stunning example of why you shouldn’t declare victory too soon, this 15-second video clip shows the end of a soccer match in Asia where just that happened. After a miracle missed shot at the end of the game, the goalie goes wild and celebrates by running toward the middle of the field and leaving his goal. Consequently, he is not there when the ball bounces back in and is scored as a goal.

Don’t stop working prematurely. Stay on your game until the curtain closes on the fat lady’s encore.


Fox News Asia


Shared on LinkedIn by Sudhanshu C Agarwal

leadership dot #1894: structure

I recently updated an article that provides pragmatic tips for completing a dissertation. I had written the article when I received my degree, but wanted to post it on LinkedIn to help the next generation of doctoral students get the monkey off their back and finish that degree.

I was surprised at how much had changed in those 20 years. When I wrote my dissertation, there was no Excel at the time and my academic advisor did not accept documents via email! I initially encouraged students to put their latest draft on a disc (not a flash drive) and put it in their car each evening so all would not be lost in case of a house fire (as happened to a classmate!). You no longer need dimes to access microfiche, money orders for the copyright fee, or boxes to mail the binders with the latest draft.

Regardless of the mechanics to achieve it, the ultimate aim of a dissertation is still the same: to demonstrate to the committee that a student can synthesize existing research and advance it with original research that moves knowledge forward.

Whether you ever write a dissertation or not, following that framework will be of great help in structuring an argument or proposal for almost any topic. Summarize "what is", then share what you learned that supports or refutes that thinking, and what you recommend as a result.

The skill is in the discipline to actually do it, not in the doing itself.

Climbing the Dissertation Mountain: Pragmatic Tips on How to Finish, click here for a copy.

leadership dot #1841: second place

I think that coming in second should be more of a badge of honor than it is. 

If you are in second place, it means that you were right there in the hunt all the way to the bitter end, but without the glory that comes with winning. You trained, practiced, committed the time and likely did all the things the first place winner did, but without the accolades that come from victory. As Teddy Roosevelt said, you were "in the arena." 

All of the tournaments and competitions are structured so that the second best team in the field that year inherently ends their season with a loss. The Cleveland Indians went further than all but one team in baseball, but were seen as losers rather than ahead of 28 other franchises. Gonzaga made it to the Final Two in basketball -- ahead of 66 other teams in the tournament (not even counting all those that did not make the Big Dance), but North Carolina took home the trophy and the Bulldogs focused on becoming 37-2. The Atlanta Falcons made it to overtime of the Super Bowl, but they, too, walked off the field with a loss instead of being celebrated for being ahead of 30 other teams.

This phenomenon happens outside of sports as well. The number one salesperson is just slightly ahead of the person who sold the next highest level. The valedictorian has a grade point average that is infinitesimally ahead of the saluatorian. The pie that wins the Red Ribbon is just as tasty as the one that takes home the Blue.

Yes, it is nice to wear the Gold and to savor the sweet taste of victory. But let's also applaud those who exert that extra ounce of effort that gets them into the finals in the first place. Sometimes it's not on whether the season ended with a win or a loss, rather at what point and in which arena the team finally had to bow out.

leadership dot #1776: is anybody there

Today's dot number (1776) reminded me of the Broadway musical of the same name and one of my favorite soundtracks. The show is a musical depiction of the American Revolution, centered around the feisty John Adams and his push to persuade the Continental Congress to sign the Declaration of Independence. In this musical, Adams is often the lone voice pushing the colonies forward and he deflects considerable backlash from others who want to adjourn rather than listen to his oratory.

One of my favorite songs is a lament (Is Anybody There) sung by Adams when he wonders if all of his efforts are in vain. "Is anybody there? Does anybody care? Does anybody see what I see?" sings Adams. He goes on to share: "I see fireworks! I hear the bells ringing out. I hear the cannons roar. I see Americans -- all Americans free forever more," before again becoming melancholy and wondering if anyone else shares his vision.

Anyone who has attempted to create change has felt like John Adams does in this musical. The change maker has seen in her/his mind's eye a clear picture of what the new order looks like and uses it to sustain themselves when it seems they are alone in the effort. All change agents have wondered if anyone is there and whether anyone cares or if they are the only ones who believe the vision is worth the toll it takes to persist. 

Use John Adams and his theme as your role model the next time you are in the painful phase of a change effort. "Through all the gloom, through all the gloom, I see the rays of ravishing light and glory!" sings Adams. It can be your mantra of persistence as well.

leadership dot #1648: found a way

A friend recommended that I read Diana Nyad's Find a Way memoir about her historic swim from Cuba to Florida. I am so glad that I took her advice, and would suggest the book to anyone who needs a dose of inspiration.

Nyad made the attempt five times, first while she was in her thirties, and then ultimately succeeding when she was 64.  She swam 110.86 miles, for 52 hours, 54 minutes, 18 seconds straight -- never touching another object during that time. Her Handlers threw pasta off the boat into her mouth or tossed her bananas for food. I could not stay awake for 53 hours straight, let alone spend that time swimming in the ocean.

But the true story of Diana Nyad is not her swimming accomplishments, rather the grit it took to make them possible. One attempt was thwarted by venomous jellyfish stings so she found the world's expert who invented a waterproof goo as an antidote. She could not see in the dark and expended energy swimming off course, so her team created an underwater LED streamer to serve as her guide. She worked with a dentist and a prosthetics specialist to create a silicone mask -- with separate molds for nostrils, eyes and retainer molds for mouthpieces to keep jellyfish at bay. They modified the escort boat; Diana changed her stroke to lesson the friction and made countless other innovations to prepare for the journey.

Diana Nyad was the first and only swimmer to make this dangerous trek -- and accomplish a dream she had throughout her life. There were thousands of reasons why she could have given up (as did the other two who tried it), but she always went back to her mantra of "find a way." If you are feeling like throwing in the towel, pick up this book and see a model of persistence and resolve. Your problems are equivalent to the kiddy pool compared to what Diana overcame.

-- beth triplett
@leadershipdots
beth@leadershipdots.com

Find a Way by Diana Nyad, 2015.

Thanks Chris for the recommendation.

leadership dot #1581: unscheduled time

When you come across someone with a set of letters after their name, it shouldn't automatically lead you to believe that the person is smart. What the letters actually signify is that they are persistent, and even more, that they have found a way to conquer the demons of unscheduled time.

Children go to grade school and their day is programmed for them from the moment they arrive until they are picked up at the conclusion. No choice in scheduling, no free periods with which to wander. In high school, there is more choice and more freedom, but the assignments all have due dates and the classes are all offered in the same time periods. 

Students who go to college often struggle with the "free time" they suddenly find themselves having. There isn't a rigid "must-do-this-today" mentality or a severe penalty for skipping classes. Those who succeed are those who figure out a way to discipline themselves to do the small steps that accumulate to complete the big projects that are due in the end.

Graduate school is even more unstructured. Many students never complete that elusive dissertation, not because of a lack of ability or brains, rather simply because they did not create a way to accomplish that which did not have a deadline. Something more appealing or urgent always took precedence, and the paper remained unwritten.

I have found myself relying on those skills from my dissertation days as I transition to work as a consultant. In the office, my calendar was chock-full and I went from one meeting to the next. But now the important things I need to do don't make it to the calendar unless I put them there. I have whole days with nothing "scheduled," so need to create my own urgency that there is still plenty of work that needs to be done.

And so it is the case with everyone in some aspects of their life. The really important things don't come with a deadline or to-do list. No one says that you have to be in touch with friends by 2pm Tuesday or puts healthy eating on your to-do list. The community college doesn't send you a meeting request for that personal development class and no one tells you that the home inventory video must be submitted by 5pm. There isn't a deadline to write a proposal for your new idea or to create that piece of art. 

Only you can add structure to the important, unscheduled aspects of your life. It's a skill that schooling doesn't teach, yet success doesn't happen without.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#1531 trinity

I think that it is exponentially harder to attain three diverse elements simultaneously vs. striving to achieve just two, yet people try to do it all the time.

For example: 

> Finding clothes that 1) you like, 2) fit well and 3) are within the right price range. There are plenty of clothes that I like and that fit, but are way out of my price range. I also have seen many sale items that I like, but are in the wrong size. And I have also tried on more than one outfit where the price and fit were right, but it just "wasn't me." 

> Hunting for a house that 1) is in the right neighborhood, 2) has the right features and 3) is available for sale. Many houses you drive by would be good on two accounts, but not all three (or they meet 1 & 2, but not your budget.)

> Trying to recruit athletes who 1) play the position you need, 2) have the credentials to play and 3) are interested in your team/school. If they play very well, the interest in non-prestige schools will wane, leaving a coach to find someone of lesser ability who is excited for the opportunity to play for the team.

> Looking for a new job that 1) aligns with your skills, 2) is in an acceptable location and 3) provides a positive work culture. There may be great jobs for you out-of-state or you may find a local mission-driven company with no openings in your area of expertise, but aligning the job/company/location is a challenge.

> Selecting a puppy that 1) is a big dog, 2) is good with kids and 3) doesn't shed terribly. Thus the rise of hybrids as Mother Nature did not provide many options with this trio.

Achieving the illusive trinity makes its achievement all that much more sweet, but does require more effort and strategy. If you want to hold out for where all three elements align, develop your plans to find "the three," not the "two plus one." The pool will be smaller, but you'll hit the trifecta if you find it.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#1476 tomorrow

The road through my subdivision involves a fairly steep incline. There is one portion in particular that I can "feel the burn" when I walk the dogs around the neighborhood.

So I was surprised yesterday morning when I looked out my window and saw one of my neighbors doing sprints (yes, plural!) up and down this hill. She would run, check her time, catch her breath, and do it again. All in the morning heat.

I know that my neighbor is a varsity basketball player in college, so presumably is in good shape, but I still admired her discipline and dedication to stay in condition throughout summer "vacation." It would be easy to slack off or just run the flat route, but she was voluntarily doing some pretty strenuous work with no immediate payoff.

What can you do today that is the equivalent of running the hill for long term gain? Is there a task you can complete at work or activity you can do for yourself that has eventual benefits, even though no one can see them right now? 

Invest your time today in something that builds strength in your future. Even better if you do it again tomorrow.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#1462 grit

I am reading (and very much enjoying) Angela Duckworth's book Grit. She defines grit as a combination of passion and perseverance, a "ferocious determination" that keeps people working toward their goal despite the obstacles they face in getting there.

It caused me to assess my grittiness and ask myself if I had the magic combination of perseverance and passion to do what it takes to succeed. The example that came first to my mind is this blog. Today is Happy Anniversary for leadershipdots -- four full years of writing something for every single day. There are certainly days that I have no desire, let alone passion to write anything, but apparently I have enough perseverance to get it done anyway. 

Duckworth's Grit Scale assesses where you are on the two dimensions of grit. I'd recommend that you take the quick 10-question assessment and learn for yourself whether you are stronger in passion or perseverance. Do you need to work harder to identify your true interests or do you need to stick with something longer before moving on to something new? Her book provides many strategies to strengthen your grittiness, and I'll guess most of us could use a boost in that department. 

We've all experienced that sweet spot when the time just flew and we were immersed in the task at hand. Grit describes ways to cultivate that alignment over the long term. Lucky for us that it is what we put into things, not our pre-determined ration of talent, that determines what we will get out of it in the end. Apply her Hard Thing Rule to double the results from your efforts today.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#1453 color wheel

I was talking with my hair stylist who had just completed a class on how to become an even better hair stylist. The teacher taught hair coloring as a creative art and got everyone in the class pumped up about her methods. But she ended her class by cautioning students to anticipate the steps of the creative process when they returned to their salon and attempted to put the new techniques into practice. 

This process, as defined by Victoria is as follows:

1. You are really excited to try something new and creative. "This is awesome."

2. You learn that the new process isn't as easy as it looks. "This is tricky."

3. You discover that creating something is actually quite hard. "This is sh*t."

4. You begin to have doubts. "I am sh*t."

5. You stick with it. "This is getting better."

6. You stick with it some more. "This is awesome again."

I think the process is apt for most creative endeavors, and certainly beyond coloring hair. Keep the progression in mind as you encounter doubts and roadblocks while you are trying something new. If you hang in there past number four, you'll likely find style and magic in your work.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#1389 jump

I recently saw (and very much enjoyed) the movie Eddie the Eagle. It's one of those feel-good sports movies that make you believe reaching your dreams is possible.

Eddie Edwards wanted to be in the Olympics ever since he was a child. He tried hurdles and field events, but was never good enough to qualify. Then he got the idea to switch to the Winter Olympics and attempted to become a member of the ski team. He failed in that sport as well. Finally, he had the idea to become a ski jumper. Britain did not have a team, meaning he had no one to beat if he could qualify with the Olympic minimum. 

The movie, of course, shows the many trials and tribulations, including life-threatening injuries that Eddie sustained in his quest. It is as much about sacrifice as triumph, but what I loved about it was how Eddie kept finding ways to go around the obstacles that were before him. Almost anyone else, and some would argue any sane person, would have given up at several junctures, but this was Eddie's dream and he was going to pursue it, even if it (literally) killed him.

I think we can all take a lesson from Eddie the Eagle. We may not need to ski off the equivalent of a 30 story building to achieve our dream, but if we want it desperately enough, it is possible to achieve. We need to keep the big picture in mind (i.e.: be in the Olympics) and not let the details stop us (i.e.: Summer Olympics, a specific sport, a sport our nation competes in). If we stay focused on the ultimate goal, like Eddie, we literally can fly.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#1350 dishes

If you keep up with dishes and do them right away, it requires little effort to keep the dishes clean.  If you let them sit in the sink for days on end, the food dries and hardens, thus requiring strength to remove it.

I think this simple little analogy applies to weight loss as well. If you eat healthy foods on a regular basis and maintain your desired weight, it becomes a routine that demands less from you.  But if you ignore your weight for awhile, it will require a much more strenuous effort when you turn your attention towards it.

The same can be said for all sorts of projects. If you keep up with the data collection, it's a piece of cake. If you go back and try to recreate it, it is arduous. If you are attentive to lawn maintenance, it is easy to maintain. If you let erosion and weeds take over, you have a chore on your hands to reclaim your landscaping.

The next time you're tempted to procrastinate or put off a seemingly minor task, visualize the stack of dishes.  Do you want to wipe away the food with ease or spend the time deep scrubbing the pot?

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#1349 patience

I met a friend from St. Louis last week and she remarked on the lack of patience that she sees in organizations. "Everyone is looking for the silver bullet, and they don't have the patience to stick with a plan and see it out. It may sound old school, but it is true."

As the world moves faster, more and more people in organizations are looking for quick results. And the options that promise to achieve them are plentiful, making it even harder to have the discipline to stay the course and see something through.  

It is true in our personal lives as well. Diet plans, home tidying-up manifestos, ground-floor investments, speed dating and political speeches all promise to make our world a better place in a jiffy.

Most of what is worthwhile takes time. The high road isn't the short road.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#1336 be challenged

Thirty years ago today (January 28, 1986) the Challenger Space Shuttle exploded 74 seconds after lift off. If you are old enough to have seen it, you undoubtedly remember exactly where you were when you heard the news. It was one of those moments that dumbfounded the nation and caused people to be glued to their television screens. (Thirty years ago there was no wide-spread Internet; I got a phone call to tell me about it and subsequently called others.)

As was discovered later, the cause of the explosion is likely the "O-rings" that were not meant to withstand the unusually cool temperatures of that day. Much has been written about the failed chain of communication and many fingers have been pointed in blame. The bottom line is that seven people died because the pressures to launch -- given the hype of having "the first ordinary citizen in space" -- outweighed the precautions to wait. 

We make decisions every day that are based on incomplete data and unknown risks. Usually a billion dollars and lives are not at stake, but the choices we make often have far-reaching implications for our organizations. Before you act too quickly to launch the rocket, be prudent about having enough information to make an informed decision. And if you are the one providing the information, share with confidence and not timidity, even if the pressures are high to fade into the background.   

The legacy of the Challenger is that it should challenge all of us to have the perseverance to influence a decision and the patience to wait when the uncertainty warrants.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#1327 entrepreneurial

Over the weekend, I went to see the movie Joy, a story about the down-on-her-luck housewife turned entrepreneur turned QVC sensation. Joy Mangano started her career with the self-wringing Miracle Mop and later added Huggable Hangers to her portfolio.

The movie depicts how Joy got inspiration for the mop as she cut her hand while cleaning up broken glass, and follows her trials through drawing a sketch with her daughter's crayons, creating a prototype by hand and talking her way onto the QVC stage to demonstrate the product herself. There were many, many stages in the story where the weak hearted would have given up, but Joy persisted and believed in herself. Ultimately, great success followed.

All of us have had product ideas -- something that we wished was available or we thought we could improve what existed -- but most of us do not act on these ideas. The same is true for ideas at work or simple changes that we could make in our personal life. It can be easier to leave the closet as it is or continue to utilize the same process at work.  As Joy makes clear, creating something new is not for the meek.

Millions of people bought a Powerball ticket last week hoping for an easy way to strike it rich. Except for the few lucky winners, the path to fame and fortune may look like Joy Mangano's and require a lot more work. Best to pick up the crayon and get started.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

#1211 overseeding

I just had my lawn aerated and overseeded in preparation for next year.  With two large dogs, my grass needed some help just to stay even!

The instructions that came with the overseeding were simple: keep it watered and let the grass grow!  I cancelled my lawn service for the rest of the season and hope that Mother Nature continues to cooperate with the hydration. 

I have only missed one regular mowing, but already I am antsy about it.  The existing grass is growing too, and I hate having a shaggy-looking lawn. I have to resist temptation to cut it now so as not to roll over and then cut down the fragile new seedlings.

I think my lawn is a metaphor for other activities that require patience.  We can't see the planning that goes on behind the scenes in our organization, so we change course and don't let the original plans take root.  Maybe we plant seeds, but don't water them and wonder what went wrong. Or we don't see instantaneous success from our efforts and declare the project to be a failure, or perhaps the grass doesn't grow because you skimped on the seeds.

Twenty percent of the earth's vegetation is grass, and there are some plants from 1000 years ago that are still living today.* Don't mow over your organization's plans or values too easily and they may grow to similar stature and longevity.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com

@leadershipdots
leadershipdots@gmail.com

Source:  Turf Talk from Lawn Doctor, Fall 2015