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What’s On Your Billboard?

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If you were going to rent a billboard to tell everyone about your company, what would it say? In just 5-10 words, what’s the message you want everyone to know about what you do?
What if this billboard wasn’t for your company, but instead… what if it was a billboard for your life and who you are? What few words would you want people to know about you?
The reality is that the way we live is a billboard for who we are. We might say what we believe and talk about what we do, but it’s our everyday actions that truly demonstrate who we are. No, that doesn’t mean anyone is always perfectly good or entirely bad. Far from it.

Fortunately, we can choose and change the message people see on our billboards on a daily basis. Day-by-day, our thoughts become our actions, and our actions become our habits.  Eventually our message takes shape and we create an identity for our business and our lives.

Your life is a billboard for who you are. What does it say about you?

This 9/11, I Kinda Forgot

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Last Friday marked the fourteenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001… and I almost forgot.

Of course, like many people my age and older, I can recall that morning, day, and night as if it were yesterday.  But I’ll admit… for some reason this year, my hectic work schedule almost distracted me entirely.  If it hadn’t been for the reminders on social media, I may not have slowed down enough to remember the sights and emotions that gripped our nation that day.

Even though it’s been over 14 years, whenever I think about the senseless terrorist attacks on 9/11, I can’t help but think of the victims and the heroes who perished and survived that day.

The people who rushed toward the Twin Towers and the Pentagon, when most were rushing away from them, had a true sense of purpose.  They knew why they needed to do their job.  They lived their ‘why’… right to the very end.

Sure, you and I might not have the same life or death ‘why’ that the heroes of 9/11 had.  But every day, it’s important we remember our ‘why’ and work toward answering it.

What drives you?  What’s your ‘why’?  Never forget.

The Lessons That Actually Matter

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As another school year begins, kids around the world are going back to the classroom to be filled with knowledge.  Forgive me for asking such a ridiculous question, but why do kids go to school?

I’m sure there are  a lot of reasons, but here’s are three common answers to that questions:

1.  To acquire general and specific knowledge
2.  To gain and improve important skills
3.  To prepare for the next step of life

At the risk of sounding cynical, when I think back to all of the tests I needed to study for, it turns out the only thing I really learned was how to prepare for tests.  I processed the material.  I passed the tests.  Then I forgot most of it in order to make more room in my head for more tests.

Of course, that’s not entirely true.  I’ll be the first to say that I’ve been blessed with great teachers and a great education.  But the lessons that truly stood out and the ones that had the most impact on my life were the ones that tested my character.  Unfortunately, I failed many of those tests.  I still do.  But I’m committed to continuous learning and know I can do better.

In his latest book, Road to Character, David Brooks discusses his own life’s struggles with virtue and vice, and service and selfishness.  Most notably, he coins the terms “résumé virtues” and “eulogy virtues.”  Yes, both of these types of virtues are good.  But he points out that as we prepare for the “real world”, we’re constantly being convinced (and convincing ourselves) that it primarily values our grades, trophies, skills, titles, and the zeros in our net worth.  But then, as we reach the final chapters of our lives, we realize that society doesn’t actually value those things at all.  When reminiscing a life-well-lived, our fondest memories are about who people were, not what they achieved.

As a manager, it’s easy to get fixated on an applicant’s résumé virtues.  But how critical are they if someone lacks character?  As a parent or mentor, what kind of virtues are you imparting on your kids?  Although a spot on the Honor Roll or in the starting line-up surely make for an impressive scrapbook, eventually they all end up in the attic.

This week marks another “official start” to learning.  What lessons will you be planting in the hearts and minds around you?

Do You Carry On or Move On?

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Every time a new football season starts, I’m reminded how much I need to improve the way I handle and respond to life’s misfortunes and everyday setbacks. In the NFL, whether it’s a season-ending injury or a game-changing play, coaches and players are quick to accept one of life’s harsh realities… shit happens.

Coaches realize that the decisions and opportunities that lie ahead of them are way more important than anything that’s already happened. They literally don’t have time to dwell on the “what if’s” or the “why me’s”.

These professionals deal with the bad cards they’re dealt and move on quickly. They understand that it’s just “part of the game” and quickly look to their team for the “next man up”. Sure, they get upset. They get stressed out. But they don’t carry on and get stuck. They get back up and move on.
How do you respond?

Is it a Win or a Loss?

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Most business owners are well aware of the ups and downs of being self-employed. One day you’re enjoying the view from the top, the next you’re just hoping to see the light of day. With each new endeavor you pursue, the more familiar this emotional roller coaster becomes.
Of course, you don’t have to be a business owner to experience these highs and lows. They’re just a part of life. And so often when we’re going through the tough times, we think our real challenge lies in overcoming them.
Sure, many times the real challenge is to dig deep and find the strength to fight on. But what if beating the odds isn’t always the solution? What if the real challenge you’re facing today requires you to see it differently, and not just accept what it appears to be on the surface?
Rudyard Kipling, British Poet Laureate and Nobel Prize winner, said it best in his famous poem If-
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
You see, what seems like a setback or failure today, may prove to be exactly what you needed in order be prepared for a better tomorrow. And what appears to be a victory right now, might be lulling you into a comfort zone that makes you overconfident and vulnerable for the road ahead.
Nobody knows what today or tomorrow will bring. Win or lose – keep the faith, keep doing the work, and trust it always works out.

The Dead End Rule

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Have you heard of the Dead End Rule? If not, it’s a simple rule to understand.

If you’re like most people, you already know where you’re trying to go. You set out each day and keep working toward getting there. At some point though, you come to a road with a sign that says DEAD END. You’ve seen those signs before, so know what it means, right? In two words, it tells you that the path you just took eventually comes to an end, and it doesn’t have an outlet.

Nonetheless, you take the road.

Eventually, you realize what you already knew. It’s a Dead End, and the only way out is to turn around and go back from where you came, losing precious time, money, and energy toward reaching the destination you originally sought.

There you have it, the Dead End Rule.

It turns out that a Dead End is a Dead End. It doesn’t matter if you’re convinced the signs are wrong or if it’s a better road than you’re currently on. Ignoring the the signs will literally get you nowhere.

We all find ourselves turning on to Dead Ends from time to time. We ignore the signs, hoping that maybe this Dead End will be different. But it’s not. That’s the rule.

Take Care or Take Advantage?

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If you’ve ever handed out turkeys at Thanksgiving or a random bonus because things were going well, you’ve probably seen firsthand how ungrateful some people can be.

Actress Marlo Thomas is credited for the following, “My father said there are two types of people in the world: givers and takers.  The takers may eat better, but the givers sleep better.”

Although I agree with most of that quote, the cynic is me disagrees with the last part.  Sure, the givers sleep well, but I’m not sure they actually sleep “better” than the takers.  I’ve been around a lot of takers.  From what I’ve seen, almost all of them are perfectly fine with the type of person they are.  Somehow, takers can justify that ‘taking’ is their right.  Their entitlement mentality convinces them that other people owe them something.

To make matters worse, when generous ‘givers’ come into their lives, entitled people rarely show them much appreciation.  Instead of taking care of these people who are good to them, they take advantage of them and their kind generosity.  No, it doesn’t make sense.  You’d think that the logical response toward someone who treats you well is to do the same back to them, right?  Unfortunately, not everyone thinks like that.  Hence the quote from Marlo Thomas’ dad.

So what can you do to change it?  Unfortunately, not much.  But the first thing you can do is to not let the takers convince you that there’s only one type of person out there.  If you allow the takers to change the way you think and live, you’ll quit being the giving person you’ve grown to become throughout your life.

Once you reassure yourself that you’re living right and takers are simply doing what they do, remember the following…

1. Beware of takers and don’t get taken twice.

2. Be generous without expecting anything in return.

3. Surround yourself with more givers.

In the end, remember… it’s in giving that you receive.

Settling for Less

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Do you know anyone who would get on a plane being flown by the “least drunk” pilot, marry the only single person left in their town, or hire the cheapest heart surgeon they can find?  Probably not.

Nonetheless, every time we make a decision, we find ourselves settling for something. And if you’re like most people, you probably think settling is a bad thing. But that’s not always the case. Sometimes you’re not able to or willing to invest any more time, money, energy, passion, or talent to find what you really want or need. In those cases you opt for a “good enough” version of what you originally sought.

Against your own best judgment, you choose the cheapest, or the most convenient, or the friendliest, or the most available, or the fastest. You take the path of least resistance and make a decision that simply focuses on getting the job done. Then when it doesn’t work out, you’re tempted to complain that you got a bad deal.

But if you’re truly honest with yourself, you’ll admit that chose to settle for what you believed was the best option at the time.  Unfortunately, most people give up before reaching the actual “end-of-the-road”.  They believe they’ve exhausted all of their resources when they actually haven’t.  They quit before finishing the entire sentence.

Have you ever convinced yourself that the following sentence is true?  “This is the best we can find.” But then you realized that it’s not true until you finish the sentence with one or more of the following…

  • for the money we want to spend.
  • for the time we want to look.
  • for the energy we can devote to it.
  • for the number of candidates we care to consider.
  • for the distance we want to search.

Ultimately, hiring and promoting people tends to be a trade-off. And if you’re like most people, the pressure of urgency will probably convince you to trade your long-term needs for a short-term solution. Although some business owners will continue searching weeks or months to fill a key role, most will simply opt for the most available and expedient option without realizing they created and imposed limits on themselves by not reaching farther or trying harder.

It’s your business and the stakes are always high. Are you willing to invest in finding what you truly need, or will you settle for something less?

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Time to 4-Give

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If you were near Wisconsin this past weekend, you probably heard something about Brett Favre being inducted into the Packer Hall of Fame. In fact, if you were in Green Bay on Saturday, that’s probably ALL you heard about!

Earlier that afternoon I was texting back and forth with a friend about what #4 may or may not say when he greeted Lambeau Field for the first time since playing there in a Vikings uniform.

Specifically, I wondered if he’d address the elephant in the room and offer

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Who Challenges You?

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Of all the people you interact with personally or admire from a distance, who truly challenges you to think?

I’m fortunate to be surrounded by a lot of people who challenge me on a daily basis.  They cause me to stretch my perspective and my outlook on life and the world around me.  Whether it’s through their wisdom or ignorance, kindness or bitterness, or successes or failures; I learn something

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