A Thanksgiving Blessing

A Thanksgiving Blessing

May you have a roof above your head

May your house be home to you,

your table filled with bread

May you have a soft and silent sleep,

all through the night

May your lover in your arms be your delight.

May you have enough to go around

May you have the wealth to know

what you can live without

May you have a full day's work to do,

and time to spend

With all your children’s kin

‘till your life’s end

A wall for the wind

And a fire for the cold

A coat for the rain

And a friend for the road

May you be at peace with who you are

And may you laugh and cry

with those around you near and far

May your heart be found by love that will survive

In all the changing seasons of your life

I’ll protect you from the wind

and I will find a shelter

In the night I’ll light a fire

so you won’t get cold

In the dark I’ll be around you

like a guardian angel

I’ll be there, cause together

we will walk the road.

Be good to yourself….

Follow The Yellow Brick Road

While preparing our house for our family Thanksgiving feast, I found myself tidying up our DVD collection when I came across one of my all-time favorites; The Wizard of Oz. I can’t begin to count the times I have watched this classic on TV in black and white, or going to Grampa's to watch it on his “color” TV. As an adult, I bought my first VHS player/recorder along with only one movie, and now I find myself rather reflective as I stare at the Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy 75th Anniversary Special Edition.

As fond memories raced through my head I found myself beginning to draw parallelisms between the main characters and fundamental leadership characteristics. Consider:

Needing a Vision - Dorothy was certainly given a path to follow and a vision for where she needed to go. In spite of various twists and turns along the way, she never lost her vision and helped others find their path along the way.

Needing a Brain - Although most leaders are intellectual, it’s their wisdom that usually sets them apart. Intelligence is knowing a tomato is a fruit...wisdom is knowing not to put tomatoes in a fruit salad…

Needing a Heart - William W. George an American businessman and academic, professor of Management Practice, and a Henry B. Arthur Fellow of Ethics at Harvard Business School, weighed in on having heart in a recent interview. “You might have a high IQ, but if you do not have an emotional intelligence, then you are not going to be successful. Qualities like passion, compassion, empathy and courage — those are all matters of the heart, and we can’t teach those in business school classrooms.” Which leads us to…

Needing Courage - Let’s be honest..it takes courage to put your dreams into ACTION. Without courage you can’t make a difference. Without courage you can’t have the right conversations that lead to change. Without courage you won’t even get off the starting block as a leader. But it’s how you show courage that’s the important point here. Winston Churchill said “Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.”

Wherever your “yellow brick road” takes you remember to have a clear vision, the wisdom to know when to regroup, the heart to help others along the way, and the courage to do and say what needs to be said and done…

Be good to yourself...

Generally Speaking...

As we celebrate Veteran’s Day, I’m reminded of two Generals who I tend to believe are among the greatest military leaders our country has seen during my lifetime.

The first President of the United States that I recall as a child was General Dwight D. Eisenhower. Although not noted for being a “politician” he was a leader who had the ability to identify problems, and areas of weakness, then find solutions and resources to “get the job done.”

He is associated with a number quotes regarding leadership. Among the most noteable for me is, “The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office."

 

Leaders who display integrity do what’s right, without wavering, without excuses, without placing blame. I find it curious that the word “grit” is embedded in integrity; reminding me that integrity doesn’t come easy for those seeking to live it.

The second great general who comes to mind never made it to the Oval Office, although I dare say I would campaign for him not matter the political party he’d align. Born in Harlem of Jamaican immigrants, raised in the South Bronx, educated in New York City public schools, graduating from the City College of New York(CCNY), where he earned a bachelor's degree in geology, participated in ROTC and received a commission as an Army second lieutenant upon graduation.Colin Powell was a professional soldier for 35 years, during which time he held myriad command and staff positions and rose to the rank of 4-star General. His last assignment, was as the 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest military position in the Department of Defense.In January, 2001 General Powell was sworn in as the 65th Secretary of State.

Considered a no-nonsense, common sense leader,  Powell is credited with saying, "The most important thing I learned is that soldiers watch what their leaders do. You can give them classes and lecture them forever, but it is your personal example they will follow."

Short, sweet and to the point. People simply believe what we DO. When we blend these two beliefs together we have a solid foundation from which to lead as a leader with integrity who is able to “walk the talk.”

My sincerest thanks to veterans, past, present, and future, who have served our country so that we might enjoy the freedoms which you so valiantly defended. God Bless America…

Be good to yourself...and to those you serve...

86,400 Is All Each of Us Has...

How many times will we be reminded that old Mother Nature is stealing an hour from us this weekend as we “Fall Back” to Daylight Savings Time?

Time…such a powerful word.  It seems as though we never have enough of it.  In some cases we want to shave a hundredth of a second off a particular event, only to wish that we could add hours to another.

In his book, First Thing Every Morning, Lewis Timberlake gives us his observations on the subject for our consideration – my thoughts are highlighted in parentheses:

First: Nobody can manage time. But you can manage those things that take up your time.  (It’s OK to tell a team member that you’re in the middle of something – to come back later – like AFTER work or during their lunch. You’ll be surprised how much faster that meeting goes)

Second: Time is expensive. As a matter of fact, 80 percent of our day is spent on those things or those people that only bring us two percent of our results. (Not sure what research supports this, but the point IS well taken. Take an honest look of how much “bang for the buck” you’re getting with a project or relationship and make a conscious decision to proceed or simply “cut bait.”)

Third: Time is perishable. It cannot be saved for later use. (As my dad would say, “There’s no time like the present.”)

Fourth: Time is measurable. Everybody has the same amount of time…pauper or king. (It is not how much time you have; it is how you use it.)

Fifth: Time is irreplaceable. We never make back time once it is gone. (True, but hopefully with each passing day we LEARN from time spent on how to be better in the future.)

Sixth: Time is a priority. You have enough time for anything in the world, so long as it ranks high enough among your priorities. (Revisit your goals, professional as well as personal, prioritize…some things ARE more important than others…your actions ARE stronger than your words…)

So my friends…how will YOU use the 86,400 seconds you have tomorrow?  Each second is a precious commodity to be used wisely.

Be good to yourself…