Open Your Eyes

Just saw something that stunned me. I walked up to my favorite Starbucks. Saw a car, engine running, baby in the back seat – and no driver. The father had pulled up to the front of the store and dashed into get this morning java. Coffee over kid?

It’s so easy to get so caught up in the rush of busyness and the call of our routines that we forget the imperative of being aware of the very things we are doing. “Most men would rather die than think”, wrote philosopher Bertrand Russell (“Many do”, he added). Human beings are the only creatures in the world that can step out of themselves and reflect on their thoughts and actions. Monkeys can’t do this. Dogs can’t. Cats can’t. Only we can.

If you can breathe oxygen today then in my mind you have the gift of being able to show leadership behavior over the coming hours (and days/months/years). Leadership is about showing up at your best. You know that. It’s about excellence amid change times and celebrating the people around you. And leadership is about being aware. Aware of your thoughts. Aware of your actions. Aware of your mission. Aware of your priorities. Aware of your talents. Aware of your fears. Aware of your passions. Aware that time is short. Aware of the brilliance presented to you by the life you get to lead.

So live with your eyes wide open. Clarity precedes mastery. Thank about things. Shine  brighter than ever before. Act impeccably. And stand guard over babies in cars.

“It’s easy to get so caught up in the rush of busyness and all the call of our routines that we forget the imperative of being aware of the very things we are doing”

(these are not my thoughts J and are copied from Robin’s book)

Set People Free

The best leaders turn their teammates loose. They clearly communicate the vision, coach and develop their people and, once done, set them free. Free to use their own creativity and ingenuity to get the results needed. Free to do excellent work and find splendid solutions. Free to feel what it’s like to succeed. And free to fail, because making mistakes is part of getting to success.

People want to be a part of an organization that lets them bring their fights to work and be fully alive. Peole want to be engaged and feel proud of their contribution. At the deepest level, each of us aches to know the work we do – and the lives we lead – make a difference. Will you let the people around you realize this longing by setting them free? Because if you don’t some else will.

“People want to be a part of an organization that lets them bring their gifts to work and be fully alive”

(these are not my thoughts J and are copied from Robin’s book)

Leadership Begins at Home

I was on my way to a meeting and saw a billboard that caught my eye. It worlds: What are you teaching your children? The big idea? Leadership really does begin at home.

What are we teaching our children by the lives we are leading and examples we are setting? I believe that the best way to influence your kids is to be true to yourself and to lead the best life that you can, so that they will adopt the same values, though their path may be different. What message are you sending to those little leaders who watch your every move and model your every act? Are you showing them what’s possible by being remarkable in each of your pursuits? Or are your teaching them to play small by resigning yourself to average?

The fruit never falls far from the tree, and your children will become a lot more like you than you may believe. You can help your kids get to their greatness. It starts with you leading the way.

“The fruit never falls far from the tree, and your children will become a lot more like you than you may believe”

(these are not my thoughts J and are copied from Robin’s book)

Burn the Extra 1 Percent

Reading British GQ on a flight, the biggest idea I ran across in the magazine comes from Chris Carmichael, the coach of seven-time Tour de France-winner Lance Armstrong who said, “the last 1 percent most people keep in reserve is the extra percent champions have the courage to burn”. Magnificent thought. I hope we never forget it.

Spend every bit of your energy playing at your best and creating world class results. Offer every bit of your potential to all you do. And awaken your talents. And your inner fire. So at the end, you can say, “ I gave it my all. I did my best”. That would be fantastic. Wouldn’t it? And please remember – the opportunity for outright greatness comes at the very moment that ordinary people give up.

“The last 1 percent most people keep in reserve is the extra percent champions have the courage to burn”

(these are not my thoughts J and are copied from Robin’s book)