Character, Values and the Price of Success

Knowledge will give you power, but character, respect. - Bruce Lee

Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character. - Albert Einstein

No amount of technical administrative skill in laboring for the masses can make up for lack of nobility of personal character in developing relationships. - Stephen Covey

In the middle of a large deal, my team and I had the opportunity today to meet with one of the top lawyers in the mergers and acquisition space.  With only a few minor minefields left to navigate, we were told that this person would be one of the best people to represent us in bringing our “little baby” in for a soft landing.

As is always the case, I always perform significant due diligence before such meetings and I was cautioned by more than one person to be careful of a peculiarity that this person had and so I went to the meeting as prepared as I possibly could be.

Sure enough, part way through the meeting and in the middle of his song and dance about why he was the best person to represent us, he suddenly started speaking with a fake Australian accent, telling us about how his clients had lived in fear and terror in such deals until he came along and “saved the day”.

The accent threw me off and I thought perhaps he was having a stroke but then the moment I had been warned about materialized.  He reached into his bag and said “And when the other side brings a knife to the negotiating table, I say ‘That’s not a knife, this is a knife’” and he laid a large, Crocodile Dundee-like knife on the boardroom table.

No one said anything for a moment before I leaned over the table and said, “This is a friendly acquisition.  Why do I need you to bring a knife, even if only symbolically, to the table?”

“You missed my point”, he said, somewhat aloofly, “I help people to get over their fear by showing that I have their back.”

“Really?”, I asked, “Why do you think I should accept the insult that you believe we would be shaking in fear without you or that intimidation is the best way to complete a friendly business deal?”

He said nothing and then I picked up his knife and asked him, “Would you put this knife up to your throat and shave yourself with it?”

“Of course not”, he replied, “That would be crazy.”

I nodded and laid his knife on the table.  I had been warned of his presentation style and props and so I reached down into my bag and retrieved something specifically for the moment.

I laid my straight razor on the table beside his knife, its viciously sharp, unforgiving blade gleaming in the boardroom light. 

“I shaved with this blade this morning”, I said, “Now tell me why I should be afraid of whatever it is I’m supposed to be afraid of and how you are going to guide me past this fear.  And when you are done explaining that, I want you to tell us how intimidation trumps respectful dialog.”

I paused before continuing.  “My point’, I said, “Is that suggestions of fear or intimidation becoming part of our team and how we interact with others are not welcome here.  If you have anything else to offer, let’s continue otherwise the meeting is over.”

The meeting continued for an hour or so before we decided to take a break.

Everyone left the room except for one of his team who stayed behind.

As I caught up on my emails, she started some idle chatter about the need for the team to be at the airport before evening but as luck would have it, she was staying overnight.

I made a perfunctory response but she pressed the point, indicating that perhaps we could get together for dinner and drinks to smooth over any misunderstandings between myself and her boss.

I focused on my emails and she went for broke.

The offer, which I won’t get into here was direct and specific.  The only thing I didn’t know was whether I would be allowed to stay in her hotel room for the rest of the night or if I would be dismissed after “the smoothing of misunderstandings” process had been completed.  I also wasn't sure what complexity the wedding band on her finger would offer, if any.  It didn't seem to get in her way.

Plan B was in progress, given that the meeting itself was not going well.

I took out my phone, Googled some of the sex shops in the area and showed her the search results.

“Here’s what you need”, I said, directly, “The stuff they have in these stores is more in alignment with what you need.  They don’t have any character or values either – they just exist.”

She was very angry and said that she would take this up with her boss.

“Go ahead”, I replied, pointing to the device in the center of the conference room table, “You forgot that we are recording this session today.  I will play your offer to the team and invite you to explain it.”

She left the room without a sound but returned a few minutes later with “Crocodile Dundee”.

In the confrontation that ensued, it turned out that he wasn’t unhappy with what I said to her.  However, he was VERY unhappy with the fact that I had turned her down.

“I get it”, I said, feeling my blood pressure rising, “You’re both deal closers.  She closes the deal with me and then you close the larger deal for me.”

“Whatever it takes”, he replied.

I leaned in towards him, close enough to smell his cheap cologne.

“I don’t do whatever it takes”, I said, staring him in the eye, “I do whatever my values, ethics and character call me to do to deliver the best result possible for everyone around me.”

At the moment, the team began returning to the conference room.

I turned to the team and announced that we had decided that it was in our best interests to not work together and that he and his entourage would be returning to the airport ahead of schedule.

There were a few cries of surprise and as he left, he held out his hand.

“Sorry”, I replied, “I only shake the hand of people I respect.”

He left and I explained to the team what had happened, replaying the recording of both her offer and the lawyer’s subsequent challenge to me.

I wonder how many more out there are like him …

… or who don’t have the courage or the willpower to turn people like him away.

Meanwhile …. related and not ….

I had two interesting conversations with colleagues in the last week regarding similar subjects.

In one, a Government Minister whom I have the HIGHEST regard for in regards to character, values, ethics, Life purpose, service to others and other noble attributes, lamented that their results were being compromised because of the fine line they walk, where the balancing act of accomplishing great things for their constituents while towing the party line was difficult to manage, with the latter being complicated by the skullduggery, backstabbing and yes, adultery going on all around the Minister.

I challenged the Minister to live by their character and values (which far outshine the Minister’s colleagues).  I will be curious to see what happens next - courage requires small steps at first.  However, I was encouraged today when I received an SMS from the Minister, quoting Ruth Gordon:

Courage is very important  Like a muscle, it is strengthened by use.

In the other conversation, a friend of mine, a subject matter expert on guiding organizations through change and transition, suddenly found herself being talked around in a meeting otherwise attended by only men.  Even though SHE was the subject matter expert in the room, they talked around her as if she didn’t exist.

She reached out to me for advice on how to deal with such ignorance in the 21st century and this is what I told her.

“Go to a local adult store and buy the largest phallus you can find.  Bring it to the meeting but leave it put away.  If the same level of disrespect occurs and you can’t get yourself inserted into the conversation, take it out, place it on the table and express gratitude that you brought yours to the meeting also and thus deserve to be heard.”

“Or”, I continued, “buy the smallest one you can find, take it out during the meeting and make an observation that having presented the largest one in the room, you now have a right to speak and to be heard.”

After she expressed gratitude that I used comedy to give her the best laugh she had had all day, I replied that I wasn’t joking.

We must always take a stand against the ignorant and those who choose to limit the result of others who champion character, values, ethics, respect and higher standards.

We must do it directly and respectfully.

But we must do it.

The price we pay for not doing it is too high and grows every time we choose not to take a stand.

The Bottom Line

In thinking through my event today, I wonder how many people would have taken the lawyer’s assistant up on her less than generous offer, especially if they thought they could do it without anyone knowing about it.

I could have accomplished that easily and no one would have been the wiser.

But I would have known - how could I demand that others live to a higher standard if I chose to live to the contrary?.

And an Authority that judges me would have known.

I wonder how many people may have turned down the original offer but then succumbed to the pressure that her boss attempted to exert under the confident “whatever it takes” banner.

Success is a tempting mistress and human frailty has undermined many a good human being.

The point is that when people collaborate with us or represent us, their character becomes a projection of ours.  So when they sit before others at the boardroom table, no matter how much I try to live by a higher standard, the only thing the other people in the boardroom would remember me for would be this person’s character and values …. or lack thereof.

We are the company that we keep or whom we allow to speak on our behalf.

This lawyer’s projection on my behalf wouldn’t be acceptable to me.

Would it be acceptable to you that someone else would do “whatever it takes” in order to get something done?

Are you willing to literally do “whatever it takes”?

Are you willing to reap the harvest or pay the price for how you live your character and values (or how someone else represents them)?

Are you sure?

In service and servanthood,

Harry

Addendum

I looked up her husband and discovered that he has a successful practice in Toronto.  I wonder what would happen if I sent him a copy of the recording of his wife "in action".  Would he be offended, hurt or would he respond with a "So?  What's your point?"?

The young lady was also potentially setting herself up.  What if I had agreed to the rendezvous just to use her and then turn down their offer to represent us?  What if I was a nut who caught her by surprise and hurt her?

Then there's the possibility that if I had succumbed to such an offer, a recording of the event could have placed me (or them) in a professionally compromising position.

And finally, what if we had agreed to team up with this bunch of miscreants and the same tactics were used with the people we were negotiating with, potentially costing me a sale, a friendship or both?

The sad reality is that they likely had enough previous experience with some sense of success to believe that this was going to be a successful option today.   What does this say about the people they collaborated with in the past?

So many possibilities, all of them wrong, but the possibilities having been created with the first terrible choice.

Coal miners often had a canary in the mines with them and if the canary died, it would be a warning that the air was unsafe and so they had to evacuate immediately.  As a colleague said to me today, events such as this one are a "canary in the coal mine" in regards to how society is evolving (or devolving).

What do you think?

Due Diligence: The 7 Deadly Sins and 7 Bountiful Gifts

The first step in a person's salvation is knowledge of their sin. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Over the years, I have done a lot of due diligence of “stuff”, whether it be of individuals, teams, merger and acquisition targets, start-ups seeking investment, “fact or fiction” assessments and the like and in the process of conducting so many (and having some conducted on me), I have come up with a process that many have found intriguing and infuriating.

Due diligence in itself is pretty straight forward and pretty much any type is well documented ad nauseum.  For this reason, whenever I conduct due diligence, I am often disappointed when the basic “stuff” is not presented for review, since in absence of a business degree or vast Life experience, a simple Google search can prepare just about anybody for a positive due diligence experience.

So while I look for all the classic stuff such as cash flow, competitive analysis, business plans, sales and marketing plans, investment to-date, principal backgrounds / bios, partnerships, channels, market opportunity, blah blah blah, I ask two questions that either fascinate or infuriate.

The two questions are Why? and How do you know?

The questions matter to me.  How people respond to them provides deep insight into the deadly sins that threaten to derail them or the gifts that they have that provide the potential to create unlimited success.

Here are the 7 deadly sins I am exploring when asking my two questions:

Pride – does the entity being evaluated feel that they are just so awesome that they believe that the laws of business, ethics and morals simply don’t apply to them or applies to them in a fashion that suits them?  Do they feel that their understanding of risk and reward is so perfect that they can ignore the classic warning signs that have doomed many before them?  Do they invite people in to help them and then promptly ignore the help offered because “they know better” or tell the person whom they asked for help how the help will be provided (setting the terms when they are in no position to do so)?

Covetousness – does the entity focus more on the end result (particularly wealth or market dominance) and in doing so forget that there is much discipline, rigor, focus, intelligence and hard work necessary before “the harvest” appears?  Nothing drives me crazier than when questions for data are responded to with things like “I don’t have data but can’t you see how big this opportunity is?”.

Lust – does the entity talk incessantly about power or money as they try to sway customers, investors or team members, forgetting that there are other equally important things being created?  If power and money are the lone sources of inspiration and motivation, success will often become more elusive, especially during times of struggle.

Anger – is the entity quick to anger, especially when things don’t go as planned or when someone points out that they are doing something incorrectly?  Do they insist on “my way or the highway” even when they have gone to someone for help and then walk away in disgust when the other side doesn’t comply, only to realize later that their anger was a major reason for their demise?  Do they often blame others for their own mistakes?

Gluttony – is the entity able to share credit, success, equity, etc. in a fair and appropriate fashion when approaching customers, team members, investors and the like or do they insist on harvesting the majority of the harvest while allowing others to obtain a reward far too small for the risk they assumed or for the contribution they made?

Envy – is the entity so caught up in establishing envy in competitors that they become all form and no function, forgetting that results speak far more loudly than glitzy commercials, dazzling convention booths, slick taglines, sexy mission statements and cool swag?  Does it matter that they believe they have the coolest place to work if they go out of business prematurely because they didn’t focus on what mattered while bragging about stuff that is “neat and cool” but is not the sole reason they existed?

Sloth – is the entity so caught up in the previous sins that they feel that effort is not required where it matters in the areas of strong strategic planning, tactical execution, obstacle anticipation / resolution, communication, team building / execution, knowledge acquisition / application or any other appropriate business rigor?

Oh the pain that comes when I am conducting due diligence and see a phenomenal opportunity that will never see the light of day because of these sins in the form of ego as it empowers the sins that destroy instead of the gifts that enable.

Meanwhile … the gifts ….

While I am researching whether an entity is guilty of these sins, I also seek examples of brilliance in the following areas:

Wisdom – does the entity have the Life / business experience to accomplish what they need to accomplish?  If so, how do they leverage / share it to create breadth and depth in their team?  If not, are they able to put pride and ego aside to acquire wisdom from others and to allow others to be compensated appropriately for sharing their wisdom?

Understanding – is the entity able to process new information in a way that can be applied to make their result better?  Can they work with others (listening more than talking) in order to obtain and apply this information?  Do they show understanding when someone else makes a mistake, not forgetting that they make mistakes also?

Counsel – does the entity proactively seek / accept counsel from those who have more experience or the right data / connections, can they apply it when it is appropriate to do so and can they reject it when it is inappropriate / incorrect?  Saying yes or no to counsel for the right reasons requires courage and humility.  Does the entity have both?

Fortitude – does the entity demonstrate that they can persevere through the difficult times in a positive way that builds relationships / opportunities instead of destroying them?  Do they panic at the first sign of challenge or can they methodically, measurably, strategically, tactically, ethically and morally navigate through difficult times?  Do they keep their eye focused on what matters when weaker people would have collapsed or are they easily distracted / retasked based on the emergency / opportunity du jour?  Most people who tell you that success came quickly and easily with little or no struggle (read: terrifying moments) is either a liar or psychotic.

Knowledge – does the entity believe that knowledge is power and that one must always be attaining and applying knowledge, whether it be in the technology they use, the market they exist in, the customers they target, the competitors that exist, the regulatory changes that occur, the sales and marketing tools / channels that exist, the nature of building strong teams, the state of the investment market, the nature of how information is captured and expressed or any other aspect that can empower or destroy an opportunity?  Do they accept knowledge offered by others and more importantly, do they apply it effectively?

Piety – does the entity demonstrate appropriate levels of humility and servant leadership?  Victory cannot be achieved by being a doormat but is short-lived when one’s hubris is so strong that they run over everyone with the belief that they know / have everything they need and can succeed without the collaboration of others.

Fear – does the entity demonstrate a healthy amount of fear and respect for what they are attempting to accomplish?  I’m not referring to fear that paralyzes and makes one paranoid but rather, the right amount of fear and respect that keeps them grounded in the importance of doing the right things ethically, morally and with proper business rigor.

While none of us are sin-free, it is important that our gifts more than compensate for our sins otherwise the greatest sin is yet to be experienced – the experience of failure in the face of unlimited potential and success and when defeat was snatched from the jaws of victory because our pride or ego made it so.

Bottom Line

As a measurable outcomes guy, data is everything to me and if it can’t be created, provided and rationalized, the due diligence process is pretty much over.  If the entity being evaluated can’t explain to me what they are doing, why they are doing it, how they are getting there, who they are partnering with / targeting and when they plan to get there, they are done and the conversation ends.

But when the data aligns perfectly and the “next big thing” is clearly in front of me, I or the people I represent are still ultimately investing in people and their ability to get stuff done and that’s where understanding the sins and the gifts matter.  On a side note, I measure the sins and gifts mathematically – that’s a long story for another post.

Success doesn’t happen by accident.

The art and science of due diligence, both conducting it and surviving it, is in finding the balance between reality versus fiction and passion versus madness.

Due diligence regarding the financials and other measurables is critical.  Due diligence of the human element is equally important.

Do you live more by your sins or your gifts?

The answer is often revealed if failure comes and if it does, whether you have mastered the art illustrated below instead of the ones you should have mastered?

Blame - The secret to success is knowing who to blame for your failures.

Are you sure you live by your gifts rather than your sins?

How do you know?

To your success, in service and servanthood.

Harry

PS The sins and gifts are adapted from the 1962 edition of the Roman Catholic Daily Missal for those who wish to explore further.

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Addendum – The Double Standard – February 24, 2015

In an interesting conversation with a colleague, we both laughed when we remembered cases of people undergoing due diligence who expected (or insisted upon) little process to be applied against them and yet expected to perform maximum process and oversight against entities that they were reviewing.

We also shared some funny stories about playing cliché bingo with some due diligence targets who were lacking in the areas of facts, knowledge and a basis in reality but they compensated with a superb repertoire of clichés intent on convincing someone to take action in lieu of data.

Ego has the interesting ability to fuel someone to success or to cause them to ignore the essential elements required for success.

Which way does your ego carry you?

How do you know?

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Addendum 2 – Leadership – February 25, 2015

I have always found it important, whether on the execution or receiving end of due diligence, to make sure that the leading partners / principals reach out to the person conducting the due diligence.  Even if the partners / principals are not participating directly (which is unlikely), meeting the person conducting the due diligence, committing any resources necessary, etc., are important elements of relationship building and a successful due diligence experience.

When I or others conduct due diligence and the significant stakeholders don’t care enough to reach out to establish a relationship, when they negotiate only through their minions or when they protest results through their minions knowing that the deal may be “going south”, it tells me that those stakeholders are either aloof, lazy, incompetent, insufficient leadership material, too busy to understand appropriate prioritization or are hiding something.

I wouldn’t want to be accused of any of these things.

Would you?

Why Your Business Really Failed

That's been one of my mantras - focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains. - Steve Jobs

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. - Leonardo da Vinci

After watching another business go down the drain with some really smart MBAs at the helm, I have to admit that I’m starting to become slightly discouraged (ok … really discouraged) about the number of unnecessary business failures that are occurring.

I’m not talking about business failures where market conditions, bad luck, aggressive competition, faulty legislation, poor data or some other factors contributed to the failure.

I’m referring to a lot of well-educated MBAs, PhDs and the like setting out for success while breaking every rule of intelligent business execution, including failing to establish measurable goals and outcomes, not having realistic tactical roadmaps, ignoring the competition, refusing to take corrective action when required, not seizing opportunities laid before them, not learning from the mistakes of others, etc.

What is the reason for such sloppy business execution?

Such failures are certainly not for lack of education, access to information or because of a shortage of best practices, methodologies, frameworks and brilliant minds.  One could make a lifetime out of study and never scratch the surface of the knowledge available.

In fact, maybe we suffer from the reverse.  Maybe we have too many techniques in the business world such as SWOT, Porter 5 Forces Analysis, PEST, GE / McKinsey Matrix, backcasting and the like and people’s brains are melting under the pressure of trying to memorize all of them.

Or maybe there’s another reason.

And so with that in mind, I offer my “predicting business success model for 10-year-olds” model.  Study it carefully – there will be a test afterward.  Click on the image for a readable version.

Bottom Line

Yeah, I know … a little sarcasm can certainly be discerned from my over-simplified diagram. :-)

But the bottom line is this.

The knowledge generated by our education institutions (including MOOCs – massive open online courses), public and private entities and in Life itself is staggering in width, breadth, depth and quality.

We all have fairly unlimited access to all of this knowledge (with the exception of the awesome database that the NSA has put together).

And most importantly …….. there are many people who create success despite staggering odds. 

So there must be another reason why too many businesses fail when success should have been almost assured and why some businesses succeed when failure was confidently predicted by everyone around them.

Do you know what that reason is?

I have a suggestion but I’m not sure your ego can handle it.

Oooops … did I just answer the question by accident?

Unfortunately, skill in this area cannot be taught although it can and must be learned to be successful in a sustainable way.

In the meantime, please strive harder to not be an inspiration for posters like this:

Or this:

The world needs more people who know what they are doing …. and it needs them in a hurry.

Are you one of those people?

Are you sure?

How do you know?

In service and servanthood,

Harry

PS This applies to politicians as well.  Those studying former Premier Dunderdale’s recent flameout in Newfoundland and Labrador would do well to understand the lessons contained within or run the risk of repeating them.

Mastering the Art of Coincidence

Coincidence is the word we use when we can't see the levers and pulleys. - Emma Bull

Choice, not chance, determines your destiny. – Aristotle (attributed)

A long time ago at the tender, naïve age of 17 and with my first post secondary education behind me (long story), I found myself working as an IT architect for a medium-sized, family-owned insurance company in Newfoundland.  The President and owner of the company was a man that this impressionable graduate looked up to (I almost wrote worshipped) for his discipline, focus, knowledge and wisdom and many of his personal practices, including Quiet Hour (the first hour of every day being reserved for planning and reflection), are things I still practice to this day. 

Fast forward many years to the early 2000’s ….

I had driven up to Providence, Rhode Island from the NYC area for a stamp collector expo and while there, I had the opportunity to buy a number of Newfoundland covers.  A cover is a common item created by stamp collectors whereby they mail an envelope to themselves with a stamp on it that is mailed on the day (and preferably from the location) that the stamp is issued.  The postal cancellation serves as  official identification of the date the stamp was issued.

When I got home, I held the covers up to the light and noted that each one had an index card inside it, a common practice to prevent the envelope from being bent as it journeys back to its sender.

However, one cover had no return address and seemed to have a letter in it.  I thought, “Hmmm … I only paid a dollar for this – why not?” and I carefully slit the envelope open to remove the letter.

It was a letter with investment advice that had been written in the early 1940’s to a woman in St. John’s, Newfoundland from a man who signed himself as “Art – The Insurance Man” (he signed his full name, I have changed it for privacy reasons).

This envelope wasn’t a cover. It was in fact a letter that had never been delivered.  Curious about the coincidence that the last name of the person who sent the letter and the man who had mentored me early in my career were the same, I contacted my mentor’s son and asked him, “Do you know of a guy by the name of Art in your family?”

“Yes”, he replied, “Art, the insurance man.  He was my grandfather.”

After the goose bumps had settled, he and I explored the letter. It turned out that it had been written by his grandfather, my mentor’s father, and I had stumbled upon it in another country “by coincidence” more than 60 years after it had been mailed.  Subsequent efforts to return it to my mentor resulted in him telling me that he was glad that I had found the letter and that he would appreciate it if I kept it.

Ohhhhh the odds

As a strategy guy who works with data, facts and predictable outcomes, I knew it would be impossible to calculate the odds of this letter making the journey that it did only to end up in the hands of the person who bought it.

And yet I can’t deny the reality as I see it in my collection today.

We are surrounded by coincidences … but ….

When I think of this letter, I am reminded that coincidences are a funny thing, often being dismissed as fate, God’s hand, serendipity, luck or a manifestation of quantum physics.

Even when our Life is filled with coincidences, we often shrug them off in a self-referential way, saying that all those coincidences are merely a coincidence.

The difficulty with this is that as we get older and we are honest with ourselves, we see that the best, the worst and the strangest things in our Life all arrived “by coincidence” even though they fit perfectly in our Life.

Of course they would fit perfectly – without them you would have taken another Path and be analyzing a different set of perfect coincidences. :-)

What I find fascinating about coincidences and unforeseen opportunity is that in my line of work as an objective observer, I often see people surrounded by them – a harvest of abundance waiting for someone to seize them.

However, they are so often so busy focused on creating their future as they define it that these coincidences flow by in a never-ending stream of unharnessed opportunity.

My theory

Based on many years of such observations, I have a theory.

I posit that coincidences are not magical or rare at all.

What is rare and magical are the people who see them, embrace them and run with them.

Coincidences are always perfectly timed.

But their potential is lost forever unless we bring them into reality with good timing and an openness (audacity, maybe?) to dare to embrace them.

And that, I believe, separates many (not all) of those who seem to live Lives of luck and success (however it is measured) and people who do not.

That’s not to say that we must over analyze everything.  Some things may happen for no apparent reason or for a reason that is not meant for us to know (at least for the moment) and so to over analyze everything is to move into a Life of execution paralysis.  However, too many people with the intention of not over analyzing things move to the other extreme and decide to examine nothing for more reasons than I care to get into here, leaving nuggets of gold to remain buried in the dust of Life or for someone else to discover.

I also posit something else.

I think that it is not a coincidence that you are reading this right now.

What do you think?

In service and servanthood,

Harry

Setting Your Expectations Low Enough

I was delighted to hear that my home province of Newfoundland and Labrador has a chance to win a gold medal at the 2013 U21 Men's Canadian Fast Pitch Championship.  If they win their semi-final game, they go on to play for the gold medal.

So given the opportunity to claim gold and be considered best of the best, why do local news agencies show headlines like this (look at the lower left – “NL Assured of at Least Bronze”)?

Instead of proclaiming the opportunity for a gold medal, the local news agencies are playing the more negative, more scarcity-driven “at least if we lose, we can still win a bronze”.  What’s wrong with a headline that proclaims “NL Goes For Gold At Fast Pitch Championship”?

I think that too many people focus on what they can settle for instead of what they have the potential to create.

I know from personal experience that when I focused on what I could settle for or what I felt I was worthy of while experiencing a diminished sense of personal value, I produced a result commensurate with that level of thinking. 

Zig Ziglar refers to this as “stinkin’ thinkin’”.

And when I focused on what I was capable of, with an acceptance of my true value, that I produced a result of much greater value and impact.

In your personal and professional Life, do you set out to win or do you set out to not lose? 

Do you have your eye set on what you are capable of producing or what you are willing to settle for?

Are you sure?

How do you know?

Can you prove it?

The difference in thinking has a surprisingly powerful impact on your motivation, your execution and your results.

In service and servanthood,

Harry

Addendum – August 12, 2013

The NL team indeed took the bronze, a well-earned finish that they should be proud of.  Maybe the next time, the local media will project a message that expresses more positive potential.

Rachel Jeantel–Reflections Upon America

A lot of people have taken to social media to poke fun at Rachel Jeantel, the star witness for the prosecution in the Travon Martin / George Zimmerman case.

People have poked fun at how she speaks, how she interacts with others and the fact that at the age of 19, she is unable to read cursive handwriting.

It is easy for some to poke fun at people who struggle or who seem to be beneath their own social status, communication abilities, education levels and the like.

Many of these same people watch the news not to be informed but rather to congratulate themselves as they subconsciously think “Man, I’m glad I’m not that person”.

But those same people need to realize that many times the success we manifest is as much accidental as it is purposeful.

In Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers: The Story of Success, he shatters the myth of the self-made man and describes the factors outside of one’s control, including where and when someone was born, that determine one’s success potential.

Unfortunately, those same factors can also determine one’s struggle potential.

And while it is easy to say that anyone can lift themselves from any situation if they only desire it, it is often easier to say this than to do it.  It is also easier to say it if we have no context for another person’s unique situation and their unique combination of life experiences, life baggage, environment influences, genetics, etc.

If success were that easy, do we honestly think most people would choose struggle over success?

I doubt it.

I know that if I were the prosecution in the Martin / Zimmerman trial, I’d be tearing my hair out as I listen to Ms. Jeantel’s testimony.

But as a human being, I’d also be filled with guilt and sadness that our society, not her society versus our society, created a human being who is now being bashed and humiliated merely because she had no control over where and when she was born.

It’s intriguing and disturbing to realize that despite our gifts, talents, opportunities and the like, our success potential still started out with a little luck.

And it brings to mind the oft quoted “there but for the grace of God go I”.

I think this is pretty humbling.

What do you think?

In service and servanthood,

Harry

The Latest Scourge - Striving For Mediocrity

I was in a meeting with Dr. Stephen Covey some years ago to discuss a project that I was seeking his help on when he interrupted me to make an observation.

A journey inside your mind is both exciting and terrifying at the same time.

I was taken aback by this and asked if I should take this as a compliment.

He laughed and said, “Of course you should.  You dare to see unlimited opportunity and you are audacious enough to demand an opportunity to manifest it.  Not only that but you dare other people to come along for the ride and to share in the rewards.”.

I never thought of myself this way and I was humbled to receive such an observation by a man whom I have held in the highest regard for years.

Just as I went to Dr. Covey for his help, many people come to me with their personal and professional dreams.

They often use phrases like “going for the gold”, “seizing the day”, “striving for greatness” or some other cliché that they express in an effort to demonstrate to me (and to themselves) that they will do whatever it takes.

On closer inspection however, it is common to see that something is holding them back and their mind is bound up in the structural intention of wanting to do whatever it takes while not actually doing it.

When confronted with a smorgasbord of things that they can choose from the buffet of success, they choose one or two and leave the rest on the table (often lamenting that they couldn’t take more).

I know all about it.  I’ve experienced this myself in my past and so when I point this out to them, I’m not making an observation from my ivory tower.  I’m using personal experience (and struggles) as context for my observation.

They seem to be saving themselves, holding themselves back as a great jockey holds back a thoroughbred until the moment that the finish line is in sight, after which they release their mount to run the race of its Life.

The reasons are many and from their perspective and context, completely valid.  If I had their genetics and Life experiences, I would probably be demonstrating the same behavior.

However, even when their finish line is in sight, many of these people continue to hold themselves back.

That’s not to say that we must run pell mell through Life, burning ourselves and others out in a frantic attempt to reap every reward within reach.  Living a Life well-lived means knowing when one should jog, walk or just sit down and rest (or even to be carried by someone else for a little while).

But there also comes a time, if we really believe that we want to manifest the best that Life has to offer, when we need to throw care to the wind and DARE to risk everything.

It may result in success.

It may result in failure.

Either way, there will be a helluva story to share with others later!  People who wonder why I have so many stories to share don’t realize that these stories represent the results of daring to live a Life well-lived.  Sometimes stuff worked as desired.  Sometimes it didn’t.

True success, personally and professionally, doesn’t come for those who play Life tentatively.

We can either dare to fail greatly or fail to dare greatly.

Living an audacious Life isn’t reflected in the words you speak.

It is reflected in the actions you take.

And these actions, when taken, reveal possibilities and opportunities that wouldn’t manifest had we chosen to hold ourselves back from our ultimate potential.

For all of us, the finish line is closer than we would like to admit.

It is time to run the race of your Life.

Well … unless you prefer to strive for mediocrity.  There’s a lot of that going around.

I don’t think you want a Life of mediocrity.

Do you?

Don’t just tell me.

Prove it.

In service and servanthood,

Harry

The Seven Sins of Business

Those who know me well know that I have an interest in theology in addition to my work in corporate strategy and large-scale enterprise architecture.

In reading the Book of Revelations last night, it occurred to me that the sins attributed to the seven churches apply to many businesses as well.

How many of these “sins” is your organization guilty of?

Ephesus

Has lost sight of its first love, or in business nomenclature, its vision, mission and purpose and drives along aimlessly before running out of resources and momentum.  They have also lost a “love” for those whom they serve, especially their customers and their own team members.  The leaders in such organizations are unable or unwilling to cast a vision that creates excitement and passion for others to embrace while envying others who can create such passion.

Smyrna

Has victory within reach but is at risk of failure because when the squeeze of reality hits, their belief in themselves wavers and their ability to persevere needs to be shored up – but do they have the courage to ask for help in strengthening their resolve?  They also don’t realize the gifts that are before them.  Excessive ego and the inability to obtain help or the reverse, insufficient self-confidence, have destroyed many companies in such predicaments.

Pergamum

Are willing to compromise their corporate and personal morals and ethics to win, not realizing that such a strategy is short-lived and fraught with peril.  Wishy-washy ethics and morals, which are especially important when one is faced with challenge, are a sure-fire way to send a loud message to the public that says “I don’t know what I represent or what I am willing to stand up for”.  Such a message is easily picked apart by those receiving it as well as those looking to take advantage of one’s weaknesses.

Thyatira

Is rotting from within as a result of internal power struggles.  It fails to recognize that such rot from within, with multiple agendas that are not in congruence with the organization and its team members, including in the areas of morals, ethics and execution style eventually destroys the entire organization.  Strong leadership stamps this out early.  Weak leaders tolerate it or in some cases, encourage it because they think, incorrectly, that such strategy strengthens their own potential.

Sardis

Has lost its energy and drive for what matters and is on auto-pilot, with its present course taking it straight into the side of a mountain.  Meanwhile, they are focused on expending energy on what doesn’t matter in order to impress others – they look alive but in fact they are dead and no one seems to have the energy, interest or authority to bring its course back on track to one of success.  In some cases, attempts by outsiders to help are thwarted for fear that “it may make us look bad if someone else saves what we couldn’t or wouldn’t”.  Sufficient ego and energy well-utilized propel us to success.  Excessive ego or misdirected energy kills that same success potential.

Philadelphia

Has a small amount of power with huge potential for leverage and opportunity but  faces risk if it doesn’t take advantage of the opportunities such leverage provides, leaving a large amount of untapped potential on the table.  While they don’t appear to be doing anything wrong, potential unrealized can be as wasteful as doing the wrong thing.  If someone else seizes the opportunity, the potential they once had is lost for good.  Never underestimate the success that manifests when one seizes the moment, otherwise the competition will seize the moment to your detriment.

Laodicea

Despite tremendous wealth and opportunity, their complacency and smugness fills them with over-confidence.  This creates a laziness in execution, causing them to display an exorbitant amount of compromise, with its vision, mission and values blowing in the wind and its corporate execution constantly changing direction based on the opportunity / pressure du jour.  Eventually, no one know what it stands for and its opportunity for success is lost.  This is common in organizations with weak leadership or organizations that lack a strong, clearly communicated business strategy.

Such “sins”, while potentially fatal, can be overcome with corrective action.

However, corrective action in any of these cases requires:

• the right amount of humility
• the right amount of ego to balance against humility
• sufficient amounts of passion (without burning out one’s organization) cast around intelligent vision, mission and purpose
• an effective strategic plan and tactical roadmap for the organization, plans that grow with the organization, that are referenced frequently and that are not merely relegated to a filing cabinet after they are created
• a plan that shows how each team member’s strengths, skills, talents and opportunity for personal and professional growth are recognized and embraced
• an appetite to seize the moment, knowing that if you don’t, someone else will
• a desire to not leave any opportunity on the table that the competition would gladly snap up
• strong ethics and morals, especially in the areas of honesty, transparency, respect and personal accountability
• leaders and team members who have the will to do what it takes to “repent” and to get the organization back on a path to success.

Failure to address one’s “corporate sins” will produce a painful, expensive success at best or apocalyptic failure in a worst-case scenario.

Choosing to be intelligent and proactive in execution allows one to prove another Bible adage to be correct:

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. – Hebrews 12:11 (NIV)

Actions and not words make it easy for an outside observer to predict an organization’s potential for success or failure.

What actions are you embracing?

How do you know?

In service and servanthood,

Harry

Success–Not Without Passion

When I am asked to partner with individuals and organizations, there are a few things that I need to see in order for me to collaborate with them.

They have to have a strong vision, mission and sense of purpose, a well-defined expression of their view of the world and their response to a need or opportunity in the world

They have to have a strategic plan with measurable outcomes.  If they don’t know where they’re going, then there is no point in setting out in the first place.

Lewis Carroll expressed it well.

In addition to a plan, they have to have tactical roadmaps that translate strategic plans into measurable goals and milestones.

They have to exhibit a propensity for intelligent execution.  The best laid plans without smart execution are just hopes and dreams.  As some say in business, there is nothing the world loves more than to snack on people’s unrealized dreams, as expressed humorously with this Despair.com poster.

It’s all classic, business 101 stuff.

There is nothing magic here.

But all things being equal, there are two things important to me that separate those who just have great ideas from those who convert their ideas into reality.

One is an appropriate balance of hubris and humility – the ability to learn from others and the acknowledgement that they don’t know it all while at the same time not being a doormat.

The other is a sense of passion – that they are willing to do whatever it takes to translate vision into success.

The latter is really important to me.

Many times when people come to me for help, I may say “no” or “maybe” even when the opportunity looks very appealing.

It’s not because I don’t believe in the opportunity.

It’s because I want to see how badly they want it.

I want to see how they respond to “no”.

Do they say “Ok” and walk away with their tail between their legs?

Or do they say “I don’t accept no.  Here’s why I believe that we need to do this.”

If their passion is not burning hot enough to make their dream a reality, how do I know that they will do what it takes, especially when times get tough?

It’s when times get tough that appropriate strategy, strong plans, intelligence, sharp execution, market opportunity and luck may not be enough.

It’s during those times that passion may save the day, providing the fuel that allows one to persevere through adversity.

It may save your business.

It may save your Life.

As Nelson Mandela once said:

There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.

But make sure one balances passion with intelligence, otherwise one ends up proving the wrong side of Francois de La Rochefoucauld’s belief when he said:

Passion makes idiots of the cleverest men, and makes the biggest idiots clever.

Be passionate about your business and your Life.

A Life well-lived demands nothing less.

Create a great day – because merely having one is too passive an experience.

In service and servanthood,

Harry

Giving Up When Success Is Within Reach

I was in a Starbucks today when a lady walked up to the door, pulled on the left door (which was locked), pushed the same door and then pushed on the right door (which only opened outwards towards her).

Realizing that her efforts had been thwarted at every turn, she turned to walk away, upon which I ran over and pushed open the door, indicating that the coffee shop was indeed open.

We made a joke about it and she went inside and ordered her drink.

Reflecting on this afterward, I wondered ….

How often do people give up in business or in Life when they believe they have tried everything, when in fact the most obvious thing they needed to do was staring them right in the face (or as in the case of this lady, was literally in her hand)?

I suspect that too many people give up when the reward for their efforts is closer than they realize.

I also suspect that all many people need is someone to open a door to help them see the reward … if they would only “stick around” and persevere a little longer.

Maybe someone you know is waiting for you to open such a door. 

And maybe, just maybe, someone may be opening a door for you.

In the case of the latter, it still means you need to stay in the game and be ready to claim your reward whether you are invited inside with the help of someone else, you finally figure out how to open the door and stagger inside or you kick the door down in triumph.

Oftentimes this is easier said than done, but it is necessary all the same.

“Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody.” ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

In service and servanthood,

Harry

Success and the Proper Order of Things

I often get asked to help bail out business units or organizations who for some reason believe that they can somehow manifest success by doing everything in any order they feel like.

Even while asking for my advice they are arguing about how the “wrong order” wasn’t that wrong and then I need to remind them that if things were running well, I wouldn’t be sitting in the room with them.

While there are many dry, pragmatic theories I can put in front of people regarding the correct order of doing things in business, I think this story best sums up why understanding the proper order of doing things is critical to success.

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Two-Part Questions

Bob had finally made it to the last round of the $50,000 Question.

The night before the big question, he told the program host that he desired a question on American History.

The big night arrived.  Bob made his way onstage in front of the studio and TV audience.  He had become the talk of the week.  He was the best guest this show had ever seen.  The host stepped up to the mike.

"Bob, you have chosen American History as your final question.  You know that if you correctly answer this question, you will walk away $50,000 dollars richer.  Are you ready?"

Bob nodded with a cocky confidence -- the crowd went nuts.  He hadn't missed a question all week.

"Bob, yours is a two-part question.  As you know, you may answer either part first.  As a rule, the second half of the question is always easier.  Which part would you like to take a stab at first?"

Bob was becoming more noticeably nervous.  He couldn't believe it but his confidence was failing him, but hey, American History was his easiest subject and so he played it safe.

"I'll try the easier part first."

The host nodded approvingly.  "Here we go Bob.  I will ask you the second half first, then the first half."

The audience grew silent with great anticipation.

"Bob, here is your question: And in what year did it happen?"

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The bottom line: No matter how smart you think you are, self-confidence can never compensate for doing things in the order they are meant to be done, personally and professionally.

Are you doing things in the correct order?

How do you know?

In service and servanthood,

Harry