As Stanford University Quarterback Andrew Luck awaits Saturday's Heisman Trophy ceremony, his father, Oliver, a former NFL quarterback and current athletic director at West Virginia University, shares his thoughts on life lessons through sports:
Thursday, December 08, 2011
Positive Leadership: Life Lessons Through Sport
As Stanford University Quarterback Andrew Luck awaits Saturday's Heisman Trophy ceremony, his father, Oliver, a former NFL quarterback and current athletic director at West Virginia University, shares his thoughts on life lessons through sports:
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Positive Leadership: Is an Organisation Values Driven?
What do US companies, Zappos, Ben and Jerry’s, and Southwest Airlines have
in common? They are all financially successful, values-driven companies.
A lot of companies claim to be values-driven. They publish
their values and use them in marketing messages. However, this does not
necessarily mean their values guide decision-making and behaviours company-wide
on a day-by-day basis.
To know for certain, you can investigate whether leadership
practices and company policies are aligned with their published vision and
values. But there’s a simpler and quicker way to tell: pay attention to your
own experience as a customer.
Here are five quick ways you can tell if an organisation is
really values-driven.
1. Employees remember
what the company’s values are.
Ask three employees what the values of the company are.
Can they quickly recall them?
Do they repeat the same values?
2. Employees can
describe specific activities and behaviours that demonstrate what the values
look like in action.
Ask the employees to give you examples of how the values
they listed are lived in the company –what behaviours or actions do they see
that exemplify each of the values?
It’s not enough to just have a list of values. The same
words can mean different things to different people.
Values like “teamwork”
“innovation” or “ownership” need to be clearly defined so they are understood
by all and can be implemented consistently.
3. The company’s
values are visibly integrated into how they do business and are not just
something extra they do on the side.
It is common knowledge that since its inception, Ben and
Jerry’s has built a reputation for caring more about people than profit,
providing leadership in social and environmental responsibility. And although
the company was sold to Unilever in 2000, CEO Jostein Solheim recently provided
reassurance that the essence has not changed, stating:
“The world needs
dramatic change to address the social and environmental challenges we are
facing. Values led businesses can play a
critical role in driving that positive change. We need to lead by example,
and prove to the world that this is the best way to run a business.
Historically, this company has been and must continue to be a pioneer to
continually challenge how business can be a force for good and address
inequities inherent in global business.”
4. The company’s
public message matches your own experience as a customer.
Our advice to companies is Don’t make a claim and then miss
the mark, consistently. We consumers resent it and you actually lose
credibility.
5. Use your own
personal experience to identify the real company values.
Anyone who has flown on Southwest Airlines can tell you
without reading their ads that having fun is one of their core values. And
indeed, on the careers page of their Website, Southwest Airlines recruits
specifically for people who “want the freedom to be creative, dress casually,
and have fun on the job.”
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
Positive Leadership: Passion and Attitude
Positive Leadership: Everyone Can Learn
Do you know people who talk about children who can learn and
ones who can’t? Or, children who can be helped and ones who can’t? Well, they
are wrong, and we will tell you why.
Some 30-odd years ago, the great Japanese teacher, Dr.
Suzuki, who taught over 20,000 children to understand and play the violin like
virtuosi, had some words of wisdom to share with us. He said, “People today are
like gardeners who look sadly at ruined saplings and shake their heads, saying
the seeds must have been bad to start with – not realising that the seed was
all right, and that it was their method of cultivation that was wrong. They go
on their mistaken way, ruining plant after plant. It is imperative that the
human race escape from this vicious circle.” These words have value even today.
You see, Dr. Suzuki did not believe that some children were
gifted while others were not. He believed that every child could be superior,
and that every child could be educated. Talent, he believed, was no accident of
birth, but a purposeful effort, a powerful creation.
Let’s teach our children to understand that when they see
someone of ability, they see a person who has been carefully taught, and who
has worked hard to realize their unlimited potential. Let’s teach them that
they have the same unlimited potential. And let’s teach them to believe in
sustained effort, self-discipline and self-determination.
We have the opportunity and the ability to raise an entire
generation of superstars every day. Why would we settle for less?
Monday, December 05, 2011
Positive Leadership: Identifying Future Leaders
One of the best ways to identify a potential leader is to
ask people: “Who do you enjoy working with?
Who do you respect in the workforce?”
The names you hear in answer to those questions are the kind of people
you want to identify as potential leaders and promote.
Great leaders are great because their people trust and
respect them, not because they have power. So think about it: Who do people
trust and respect in your workplace? Who do people go to for advice who might
not be a leader now? Those are the ones
you want to identify. Those are the ones who have the potential to be leaders,
because people are already attracted to them.
Sunday, December 04, 2011
Positive Leadership: Congratulations to Macfarlane Gray!
The judging panel quite rightly said “Macfarlane Gray has achieved success driven by constant innovation and won with the development of client focused programmes, which allows it to provide bespoke and targeted service. It is clear that its success over many years has been based on its motto “growth through quality”
Congratulations to everyone in the Macfarlane Gray team!
Saturday, December 03, 2011
Positive Leadership: Winning On and Off the Field
The most outstanding player in college football this generation, Stanford senior quarterback Andrew Luck has redefined his position by being the coach on the field and consistently putting the Cardinal offense into the perfect play. Andrew's individual QB success, the offense's success and the team's success at Stanford are incomparable. He is a true winner on and off the field!
Friday, December 02, 2011
Positive Leadership: What Makes Silicon Valley Different?
Thursday, December 01, 2011
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Positive Leadership: Playing to Win
There was a time in most of our lives when we had no
fear-that feeling when we jumped from the jungle gym and slammed our little
bodies to the ground. Perhaps it was when we went on our first fairground ride,
or when we were in school or university and felt that there was nothing we
couldn't do. No goal was unattainable. We were an unstoppable force that would
think of something and then make it happen.
Then, as time goes by, the world
tells us more frequently that we can't do what we want. The doubters laugh at
our goals and try to persuade us from going after our dreams. They say, "You're crazy. It's too hard. Why don't you
do this instead? You should play it safe." They act as if dreams were
meant for others but not people like us. They surround us with negative energy
and try to instill their own fears and insecurities in us. We not only begin to
know the word "fear," we start to understand what it's like to be
fearful. With so many people telling us we can't do something and so few
telling us we can, it's hard not to let fear into our lives. Unfortunately this
is how many of us go through life.
Whether you are 20 or 50, many of us become so scared of
losing what we have that we don't go after what we truly want. We play it safe
and hold on so tight to the status quo that we never experience what could be.
We believe the doubters and don't take chances that will move us one step
towards our dreams. We call this "playing to lose." We see this in
sports all the time when a team has the lead. They start to think about how not
to lose instead of how to win. They hold on so tight to their lead that they
start playing safe and scared. You can see it in their energy and body
language. As a result the other team takes chances, plays with no fear and
eventually gains the momentum and wins.
To live a life filled with positive energy we must learn to
repel the energy of fear. Whether it comes from within or from another person,
we must overcome fear and adopt a "Play to Win" mindset. Playing to
win requires a commitment to yourself that even if you fail, you will never
give up and never let your goals and dreams die. Those who play to win know
that success is not given to us. It is pursued with all the energy and sweat we
can muster. Obstacles and struggles are part of life and only serve to make us
appreciate our success. If everything came easy we wouldn't know what it felt
like to truly succeed. Obstacles are meant to be overcome. Fear is meant to be
conquered. Success is meant to be achieved.
They are all part of the game of
life and the people who succeed play to win and never give up until the game is
over.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Positive Leadership: Leaders with Values
Featuring:
Arturo Condo, professor, INCAE Business School
David Rock, founder, NeuroLeadership Institute
Buie Seawell, professor, Daniels College of Business, University of Denver
Erin Lehman, senior researcher, Center for Public Leadership, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
Christopher Adkins, director, undergraduate program, Mason School of Business, The College of William & Mary
Maj. Gen. Frederick B. Hodges, US Army
Susan Clancy, associate professor, INCAE Business School
Jonathan Gosling, professor, University of Exeter Business School
Monday, November 28, 2011
Positive Leadership: Global Entrepreneurship and Successful Growth Strategies of Early-Stage Companies
Global Entrepreneurship and Successful Growth Strategies of Early-Stage Companies
Friday, November 25, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Positive Leadership: The Power of Thank You
In the spirit of Thanksgiving we would like to share with
you the benefits and power of two simple words. THANK YOU.
They are two words that have the power to transform our
health, happiness, athletic performance and success. Research shows that grateful
people are happier and more likely to maintain good friendships.
A state of
gratitude, according to research by the Institute of HeartMath, also improves
the heart's rhythmic functioning, which helps us to reduce stress, think more
clearly under pressure and heal physically. It's actually physiologically
impossible to be stressed and thankful at the same time. When you are grateful
you flood your body and brain with emotions and endorphins that uplift and
energise you rather than the stress hormones that drain you.
Gratitude and appreciation are also essential for a healthy
work environment. In fact, the number one reason why people leave their jobs is
because they don't feel appreciated. A simple thank you and a show of
appreciation can make all the difference.
Gratitude is like muscle. The more we do with it the
stronger it gets. In this spirit here are 4 ways to practice Thanksgiving every
day of the year.
1. Take a Daily Thank
You Walk - Take a simple 10-minute walk each day and say out loud what you
are thankful for. This will set you up for a positive day.
2. Meal Time Thank
You's - On Thanksgiving, or just at dinner with your friends and family, go
around the table and have each person, including the children at the little
table, say what they are thankful for.
3. Gratitude Visit -
Martin Seligman, Ph.D., the father of positive psychology, suggests that we
write a letter expressing our gratitude to someone. Then we visit this person
and read them the letter. His research shows that people who do this are
measurably happier and less depressed a month later.
4. Say Thank You at
Work – When Doug Conant was the CEO of Campbell Soup he wrote approximately
30,000 thank you notes to his employees and energised the company in the
process. Energise and engage your colleagues and team by letting them know you
are grateful for them and their work. And don’t forget to say thank you to your
clients and customers too.
We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Positive Leadership: Winning Gracefully
If you’re fortunate as a leader, there will be times when you can see a big win coming up before it happens. In Coach K’s case, it was certain that he was going to break the record this season, it was just a question of when. By thinking in advance how he wanted to handle himself if he won at MSG in front of his old coach, he created an opportunity to show leaders how to win gracefully.
Here are three lessons from the coach that stood out:
Show grace - When the buzzer sounded, Coach K hugged his staff, walked down the sideline and hugged his long-time friend and rival, Spartans coach Tom Izzo. He then proceeded to shake the hand of every MSU player just like he does at the end of every game. He then walked over to the broadcast table for a long embrace with Bob Knight. Coach K recognized that all the eyes and cameras were on him and conducted himself with grace and dignity.
Show gratitude – When the time came for the post-game interview at centre court, the first question was about what he said to Knight during their hug. Coach K said, “I told him I love him and that I wouldn’t be in this position without him.” He then expressed his appreciation for his circumstance and shared the credit by saying, “When you have really good players and a great school, you’re going to win a lot of games.” On a night when it could have been all about him, he didn’t make it all about him.
Show perspective – One of the last questions for the Coach was after setting this record, winning championships and Olympic gold medals, what are you going to do next? His simple, quiet and immediate response was, “Developing this team. We have some great kids and we want to have a really good season.”
Coach K is clearly a winner and a leader. He’s not perfect. None of us are. That said, he set a good example on Tuesday for leaders who experience a big win.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Positive Leadership: The Environment and Happiness
To some extent, each of us is affected by the environment
around us. But when your happiness depends on what goes on around you, you are
in trouble.
Have you ever thought about what happens when we let what
goes on in our environment determine how we feel on the inside? When things are going well, we feel good,
cheerful, positive, and full of enthusiasm.
But when the least little thing goes wrong, we start to come un-glued.
If this happens, we can start feeling like a victim, and
when we feel this way we give up control of our lives.
If you are not having problems, you are missing an
opportunity for growth; an opportunity to take charge of how you respond and
what you do, regardless of what is happening in your environment.
You know, there is only one thing in life over which we have
complete control, and that is what goes on inside our minds. When you choose to
take charge of your thoughts, of the things you tell yourself, you become very
powerful. Certainly, you may feel disappointment when things go wrong, but you
can choose to see all the setbacks as temporary. You can choose to use them as
opportunities to grow, and you'll develop the ability to quickly bounce back
when you hit an obstacle, as well as the incredible strength that comes from
standing up to adversity.
The choice really is yours to make - it has been, and will
continue to be.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Positive Leadership: Great by Choice
‘When the moment comes – when we’re afraid, exhausted, or
tempted – what choice do we make? Do we abandon our values? Do we give in? Do
we accept average performance because that’s what most everyone else accepts?
Do we capitulate to the pressure of the moment? Do we give up on our dreams
when we’ve been slammed by brutal facts?
What is clear about
great leaders is that they care as much about values as victory, as much about
purpose as profit, as much about being useful as being successful. Their drive
and standards are ultimately internal, rising from somewhere deep inside.
We are not imprisoned by our circumstances. We are not
imprisoned by the luck we get or the inherent unfairness of life. We are not
imprisoned by crushing setbacks, self-inflicted mistakes or our past success.
We are not imprisoned by the times in which we live, by the number of hours in
a day or even the number of hours we’ve granted in our very short lives. In the
end, we can only control a tiny sliver of what happens to us. But even so, we are free to choose, free to become great
by choice.’
Jim Collins & Morten
Hansen
Friday, November 18, 2011
Positive Leadership: Clutch!
These are the five
traits of people who are 'clutch':
- Focus
- Discipline
- Adaptability
- Being present
- Plus the push and pull of fear and desire.
In this video, Paul Sullivan
explains what it means to be Clutch, and how you too can thrive in high
pressure situations.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Positive Leadership: How Organisations can Demotivate their Employees
Jim Collins — the author of the legendary Good to Great and co-author of the new and equally compelling Great by Choice – has an insightful 3-minute video describing three ways organisations demotivate their employees.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Positive Leadership: Achieving True Greatness
But experts do it differently.
Looking at the research on everyone from incredible athletes to memory champions, Foer has extracted four principles that describe how to push through the OK Plateau to achieve true greatness.
Watch this fantastic talk to learn strategies for developing expertise in any field.
Positive Leadership: Happiness
Everyone wants to be happy, but
not everyone knows how. Today, we will share with you two ways to be happy.
How do you define
"happiness"? Some people think happiness is getting all or most of
the things they want. They always have lists of new things they want or are
about to get: cars, holidays, fancy clothes, new furniture, or the latest
electronic toy.
But often these people are deeply
discontented, for no matter how much they acquire, they never seem to have
enough. A new acquisition brings them pleasure, but only for a little while.
Happiness is always in the future, always appearing, and then disappearing.
Someone once said that there are
two ways to be happy: the first is to have all the things you want; the second
is to have the wisdom to enjoy the things you have. We even heard someone, recently, say that happiness was wanting what you have. So many ways to
define "happiness."
When you practice the
"wisdom" way, you are able to appreciate the beauty that exists in
the simplest elements of life. Even in hardship, you'll find many reasons to
feel joy on a daily basis. Of course, you'll feel good when you acquire something
new, but your real and lasting happiness will be found in relationships, in
simple pleasures, in nature, and in actions that show love.
If you remember that the time to
be happy is now, and the place to be happy is where you are, you'll find a joy
that no amount of money can buy.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Positive Leadership: What is Leadership?
Monday, November 14, 2011
Positive Leadership: The Source of Pressure
‘Pressure is a heavy feeling that weighs upon your shoulders
and it’s brought upon yourself. A lot of other people think it’s brought upon
you. Pressure is something you bring on yourself because of your insecurities,
your own lack of form, and your concern about the opposition. It can be very
different for different people. One person won’t feel it under in any given circumstance
and another will feel it greatly. It’s hard to define but when we are feeling
it we all know it’s there.’ Andrew Strauss, England Cricket Captain
Events do not create pressure it is only our internal
thoughts that do that. We are
responsible for our mind and how it behaves. Therefore the more we train our mind, the
better we are able to deal with pressure.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Positive Leadership: Beating the Odds
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