The NBA (National Basketball Association) Playoffs are just around the corner. The Los Angeles Lakers are again favored to represent the Western Conference led by controversial coach Phil Jackson.
Phil Jackson has won several NBA Championships (11) in his career. No coach has ever won more championships than he has. Yet, whenever people discuss Phil Jackson there is always a debate over how good of a coach he really is. The doubters always claim that he could not have won the first 6 championships without Michael Jordan, arguably the best basketball player ever; or the next three without Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal. I would have to admit; I think it is a discussion worth having.
However, not today.
You see there is a follow up argument that I think is more telling. Many supporters of Phil Jackson think he is a great coach. They argue that he could make any team better. Others say that without top players, he would not be as effective. They claim he needs top players in order to win.
Those of you that know me might be able to guess my opinion. Not only do I agree with the latter statement, I risk my reputation on it, and I have some evidence to back it up. I agree that Phil Jackson is a great coach. However, I do not believe that he could take a team with mediocre or poor talent to greater heights.
He is a great coach of great players. When he is coaching players with less talent, he is less of a good coach.
Why do you suppose that is?
Before I tell you why that is, I want you to consider how this relates to your own career success (or lack there of).
Phil Jackson is a great coach of great players because he is inspired and energized by coaching top players. For Phil Jackson, he is meant to serve top players. When he is coaching mediocre talent he gets frustrated, tired, and loses his energy and enthusiasm for coaching. That is why he "retired" from coaching coincidentally right after Michael Jordan retired. When he was presented the opportunity to coach Kobe and Shaq, suddenly the fire was back.
You've heard it before from me It's not skill. Phil Jackson's coaching skills do not diminish when he is faced with the task of coaching mediocre talent, but his potential for success shrinks in direct proportion to his shrinking patience and desire.
Now lets look at the other side of the equation, and another great coach. Bill Parcells is another Hall of Fame coach and his success is also dependent on the type of player/team he is dealt. Unlike Phil Jackson, Bill Parcells is energized and enthusiastic when he takes over a seemingly poor performing, yet talented team.
Every team Parcells has coached went from mediocrity to the playoffs within just a couple of years. Even the Cowboys, a team he left before they flourished, flourished with the talent he produced. One might argue that Bill loves to turn players into superstars, yet has little patience for them once they get there.
You see, it's not what we do that makes us happy it's what we do, coupled with who we serve, in alignment with our core values. Your potential, and the potential of your employees is more affected by the people they serve, than it will be by what they do. That is the key to engagement.
So how can you bring that into your organization? Decide right now who it is you serve that energizes you and inspires you. Now go serve them in a way that is in alignment with your core values from now on. As you build your teams be sure that you inspire them to serve the people you are meant to serve. The more your people are inspired and energized by the same clientele that you are targeting, the more effeciently you can grow your organization..
If your team is in it for any other reason, it is likely that their potential will diminish with every passing day.
It's just too bad that Bill Parcells and Phil Jackson don't coach the same sport. They would make a great team.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Teaching Kids to Be Entrepreneurs
I grew up as an intelligent kid and a bad student. In High School I had a C- average and a lot of fun. I was always good at math so I used to ignore my teachers and try to see how well I could do on the quizzes by myself.
I was so naive that I was convinced that my poor grades would have no affect on my ability to get into a good college or university.
This experience gave me a unique perspective 20 years later when I found myself in Bridgeport, Connecticut teaching Reading and Writing to inner city 7th graders.
It soon became clear to me what I had intuitively known for years: "The educational system is not designed to create successful people; it is designed to create good employees."
I want to share with you a video from a TED Conference by Cameron Herold. Cameron touches upon that very subject as he talks about Raising Kids to be Entrepreneurs. Watch this video and then leave me a comment letting me know what you think.
PS - This is a "Must Watch" video if you are a parent, employee or entrepreneur
Tell me what you think...
I will be talking a lot about this topic in future posts.
I was so naive that I was convinced that my poor grades would have no affect on my ability to get into a good college or university.
This experience gave me a unique perspective 20 years later when I found myself in Bridgeport, Connecticut teaching Reading and Writing to inner city 7th graders.
It soon became clear to me what I had intuitively known for years: "The educational system is not designed to create successful people; it is designed to create good employees."
I want to share with you a video from a TED Conference by Cameron Herold. Cameron touches upon that very subject as he talks about Raising Kids to be Entrepreneurs. Watch this video and then leave me a comment letting me know what you think.
PS - This is a "Must Watch" video if you are a parent, employee or entrepreneur
Tell me what you think...
I will be talking a lot about this topic in future posts.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Calling All Leaders (Out)!
Are you really a leader? Before you answer consider this: The Webster’s Dictionary defines leader as: a person who has commanding authority or influence. OK, on the surface that looks good, but let’s take a closer look.
If that is the case, is leadership going to provide optimal growth and development? Are you creating leverage for yourself by following that definition? The answer is clearly NO!
If what you’re looking for is optimal growth; more money with less work, and ways to leverage yourself for more time and personal freedom (in other words true wealth) leadership will not get you there. Before we go any further I want to set something straight. Leadership is important to your success. You need to continually develop and improve your leadership skills throughout your life to reach true fulfillment. However, your vision needs to shift to the future, and that future has to include you doing less.
Let me explain. Leadership implies, and requires your authority. If you want more time, and personal freedom you will have to appoint a new leader to take your place. Consider the Presidency of the United States. Like many companies, there is one clearly defined leader. When his term is up we choose a new leader and change direction. Often times we change to a whole new leadership philosophy. Now let’s suppose we consider your business. If you continue to assume the role of leader, eventually you will be forced to do one of two things. The first is to choose your successor, who will undoubtedly put his/her own stamp on the business you built. It will lose some of your personal touch, and begin to evolve under the new leadership. The second option would be to sell your company. In either case you forfeit control of the business you have dedicated you life to.
Oh Wait! I almost forgot. There is one more problem with either of those options. You see, there is a direct relation to your leadership skills and the value of your company. However, the problem is; now listen to this very carefully: the stronger your leadership, the less valuable your company is in the marketplace without you? Ask yourself this question: If I were no longer here how much business would we lose immediately? Within the first quarter? Within the first year? Business Brokers know this and they devalue your company based on their perception of your leadership and involvement.
So what does all this mean? Simply put, you need a strategy that allows for leadership, growth and leverage at the same time. You do this by applying the 6 Simple Steps to Building a Better Workforce as you transition from leader to guide. Think about what this means. You maintain leadership control as you build leverage all while increasing the value of your company. Your ultimate goal is to separate your personal workload from the productivity and success of the company.
So it adds up to this… You create true wealth by leveraging your vision and dreams; building teams that believe in, and are committed to accomplishing your dreams with you. You have the option of staying as long as you want in as limited a role as you want while building a legacy for your family and community; or you build an organization that can sustain itself without you. This will contribute to company value in the marketplace, if in fact you decide to sell.
Start the New Year off right and start guiding your company in the direction of your dreams. Whether your ultimate goal is to increase the value of your company for future sale, or to build a legacy for future generations, begin today to make the changes.
If that is the case, is leadership going to provide optimal growth and development? Are you creating leverage for yourself by following that definition? The answer is clearly NO!
If what you’re looking for is optimal growth; more money with less work, and ways to leverage yourself for more time and personal freedom (in other words true wealth) leadership will not get you there. Before we go any further I want to set something straight. Leadership is important to your success. You need to continually develop and improve your leadership skills throughout your life to reach true fulfillment. However, your vision needs to shift to the future, and that future has to include you doing less.
Let me explain. Leadership implies, and requires your authority. If you want more time, and personal freedom you will have to appoint a new leader to take your place. Consider the Presidency of the United States. Like many companies, there is one clearly defined leader. When his term is up we choose a new leader and change direction. Often times we change to a whole new leadership philosophy. Now let’s suppose we consider your business. If you continue to assume the role of leader, eventually you will be forced to do one of two things. The first is to choose your successor, who will undoubtedly put his/her own stamp on the business you built. It will lose some of your personal touch, and begin to evolve under the new leadership. The second option would be to sell your company. In either case you forfeit control of the business you have dedicated you life to.
Oh Wait! I almost forgot. There is one more problem with either of those options. You see, there is a direct relation to your leadership skills and the value of your company. However, the problem is; now listen to this very carefully: the stronger your leadership, the less valuable your company is in the marketplace without you? Ask yourself this question: If I were no longer here how much business would we lose immediately? Within the first quarter? Within the first year? Business Brokers know this and they devalue your company based on their perception of your leadership and involvement.
So what does all this mean? Simply put, you need a strategy that allows for leadership, growth and leverage at the same time. You do this by applying the 6 Simple Steps to Building a Better Workforce as you transition from leader to guide. Think about what this means. You maintain leadership control as you build leverage all while increasing the value of your company. Your ultimate goal is to separate your personal workload from the productivity and success of the company.
So it adds up to this… You create true wealth by leveraging your vision and dreams; building teams that believe in, and are committed to accomplishing your dreams with you. You have the option of staying as long as you want in as limited a role as you want while building a legacy for your family and community; or you build an organization that can sustain itself without you. This will contribute to company value in the marketplace, if in fact you decide to sell.
Start the New Year off right and start guiding your company in the direction of your dreams. Whether your ultimate goal is to increase the value of your company for future sale, or to build a legacy for future generations, begin today to make the changes.
Quitters! How many are you still paying?
I just looked up the most popular New Year’s Resolutions over the last few years. The top ten lists I came across vary a bit, but for the most part they are very similar. Most lists included spending more time with family and friends; improving health (reduce stress, exercise more, quit smoking, etc.); improving ones financial situation (get out of debt, make more money, save more); and almost all lists included getting a new job.
Several years ago I read an article in a Human Resource newsletter that suggested that finding a new job was the one New Years Resolution that most responders (more than 50%) failed to accomplish. Of course, this survey caught my attention. You see, the article was written in April, reflecting on the first three months of the year. If you’re an employee I am sure that these numbers don’t seem surprising, or disturbing in any way.
If you’re an employer, there is an entirely different story here. In fact if you are a small business owner, these figures represent the biggest obstacle between where you are today and where you deserve to be. I am not just talking from a business standpoint.
What does all this mean to you? Consider this: Using these figures, if you have 25 employees making an average of $33,000/yr, when you include Benefit packages you are spending almost $1 Million on payroll. If 50% of your people decided in December of last year that they wanted to leave, but stayed through March, you will have paid $125,000 to 12 people who have already quit your company, but continue to show up for the paychecks and benefits.
That is just the tip of the iceberg. My most difficult challenge is also the most painful. It is painful for me, and it is painful for my clients. When people consider bad hires they envision the person who sends his/her evil twin to work on the first day. The person looks and talks like the person in the interview room, but he/she doesn’t act the same. All everyone can say is “who hired this idiot?” The fact is those people usually don’t stay very long. Here is the bombshell – for most companies your worst hire is still there. He or she has checked out a long time ago, yet continues to take home paychecks and benefits.
Want proof? Think of the last few “key people” that left your organization. Considering the overall scheme of your business strategy - are you better off with that person gone? Many Business leaders I speak with tell me “Bob moving on was the best thing that could have happened to us.”
If you want 2011 to bring you better health; more time with your family and friends; help the people that work for you to find a “better” job somewhere else. You will feel better, they will feel better and your company will have a new opportunity for growth.
Several years ago I read an article in a Human Resource newsletter that suggested that finding a new job was the one New Years Resolution that most responders (more than 50%) failed to accomplish. Of course, this survey caught my attention. You see, the article was written in April, reflecting on the first three months of the year. If you’re an employee I am sure that these numbers don’t seem surprising, or disturbing in any way.
If you’re an employer, there is an entirely different story here. In fact if you are a small business owner, these figures represent the biggest obstacle between where you are today and where you deserve to be. I am not just talking from a business standpoint.
What does all this mean to you? Consider this: Using these figures, if you have 25 employees making an average of $33,000/yr, when you include Benefit packages you are spending almost $1 Million on payroll. If 50% of your people decided in December of last year that they wanted to leave, but stayed through March, you will have paid $125,000 to 12 people who have already quit your company, but continue to show up for the paychecks and benefits.
That is just the tip of the iceberg. My most difficult challenge is also the most painful. It is painful for me, and it is painful for my clients. When people consider bad hires they envision the person who sends his/her evil twin to work on the first day. The person looks and talks like the person in the interview room, but he/she doesn’t act the same. All everyone can say is “who hired this idiot?” The fact is those people usually don’t stay very long. Here is the bombshell – for most companies your worst hire is still there. He or she has checked out a long time ago, yet continues to take home paychecks and benefits.
Want proof? Think of the last few “key people” that left your organization. Considering the overall scheme of your business strategy - are you better off with that person gone? Many Business leaders I speak with tell me “Bob moving on was the best thing that could have happened to us.”
If you want 2011 to bring you better health; more time with your family and friends; help the people that work for you to find a “better” job somewhere else. You will feel better, they will feel better and your company will have a new opportunity for growth.
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