Archive for the ‘Creating Your World’ Category

The science of management and the art of leadership are distinct. These are companion skills. In the simplest sense, management is about “processes.” Leadership is about “people.” Management operates on the premise that something must get done. Leadership operates on the premise that people can do it. A manager organizes things and tracks progress. A leader lifts the sights and the lifts the spirits of those whose performance will make the difference. The manager informs. The leader communicates. The science of management can be taught and practiced. The art of leadership grows from a vision of what is possible and from a belief in the power of others to accomplish it. The manager controls outcomes to achieve goals. The leader influences the course of events to change the world. We need both: management and leadership. Acquire the discipline and trust the creativity.

The Fourth of July is a grand day for Americans. We are thankful for our majestic land with its abundant resources. We are thankful for our personal freedoms and abundant opportunities. 

As we declared our independence 234 years ago, a new nation was born. In the intervening years, our nation has matured. Part of the maturation process is to learn and to gain wisdom. This is a good time each year to reflect on what we, as Americans, have learned and continue to learn about our place in the world and what the pursuit of happiness truly means. 

As we struggle through our economic difficulties, we seek to become more prudent in the use of our financial resources. As war lingers, our yearning for peace grows. As we watch the crisis in the Gulf of Mexico, the words “from sea to shining sea” take on new meaning. Our seacoasts, beaches, harbors, and the oceans abundant with life become more precious. The troubles at our borders test the balance of our firmness and our compassion. The world is watching as our nation leads the way in solving problems with global implications and as we attempt to build the spirit of international cooperation that is needed to bring lasting improvements for all. God bless America.

Whether nations in contention, or political parties in conflict, or individuals at odds with each other, there is always common ground. It is interesting how we tend to polarize ourselves at the outer extremes of a disagreement to see mostly my opinion on one end and your opinion on the other. There is a tendency to take positions on the issues rather than to seek to understand the issues. It must be something about ego. It may seem idealistic, but “we-go” does work better. When we listen to each other and discover the underlying interests we have, the whole thing becomes less about which position is right or wrong and more about what we can accomplish together.

Some call what you see here at the New American Prosperity website a “blog” with various “postings.” Not long ago, such reflections were primarily available in newspaper columns as a few contributors along with their editors shared their views on topics of interest to the public. I write (blog) on topics that are in the news and on the minds of those with whom I associate. My motive is not commercial. I write to inform and to uplift, not to promote a particular political or social agenda. My message to fellow Americans is one of unity and optimism. My goal is to help you discover the keys to leadership in business and success in life. Thank you for finding a reason to read what is here. I welcome your comments.

One of the trainings I do, which has been most meaningful for both my clients and for me, is entitled “Balancing Your Priorities for a Lifetime of Achievement.” There are four principles that precede other helpful goal-achieving methods.

1. Only goal setters who are goal writers are predictably goal achievers.  There is a comedic play entitled “Something Funny Happened on the Way to the Forum.” Often we find that something funny happened on the way to our goals. The funny thing is “we didn’t write them down.”

2. First you set the goal and then you see.  It is human nature to think of obstacles to goal achievement. However, once you set the goal and commit it to paper, you begin see ways around the obstacles. You open your mind to possibilities that would otherwise be overlooked.

3. If you do not See-BIG (C-BIG), you will not see enough.  One of my mentors taught, “Set no small goals, for these have no ability to inspire the hearts of men and women.” I refer to C-BIG goals, which stands for Crazy/Courageous/Creative – Big Impact Goals. What do I mean by “crazy”?  Sam Walton, founder of Wal-Mart, would set a goal and then share it with a banker. If the banker laughed at him, Sam knew his goal was truly a ground-breaking business idea.

4. So let it be written, so let it be done.  In the movie, “The Ten Commandments,” Moses gets much deserved credit for freeing the Children of Israel and parting the Red Sea. The Pharoah, on the other hand, is always the bad guy, but he was quite a pyramid builder and deserves credit for his architectural and project management know-how. I love it in the movie when he says, “So let it be written, so let it be done.” The result would be another pyramid. Where would the Egyptian tourism industry be today without the pyramids? This is how I feel about my goals: “So let it be written, so let it be done.”

Cynicism is a special brand of negativism. It speaks of distrust and a lack of confidence that our problems can be solved. It results in angry finger pointing that is often a substitute for constructive participation in the process of bringing about needed change. The “talk show” hosts love to prod cynics to give the impression that these individuals speak for a majority of Americans.

Leadership, on the other hand, is often about trail blazing. It requires the faith and the willingness to change direction to discover new possibilities, often in the face of criticism. The positive breakthroughs that have come in our society have often come about because someone led with vision where others feared to go.

Is it not a legendary fact that at some point nearly every grandmother tells her grandchildren to practice moderation in all things? If you watch the news, you might conclude that the preferred mode of thinking and acting for many Americans is “extremism.” The media too often pays attention to those with the loudest voices, the most alarming messages, and the most shocking behaviors. To be fair to the media, I am pleased to see more stories of community service and humanitarian outreach being included in their evening news programs. 

Here’s the problem with extremism. It polarizes. And, it is a loud voice from one side of an argument and thus a lopsided viewpoint. Extremists would probably say that moderation is boring and that it’s a cop out. To the contrary, the answers to most of life’s challenges do not lie in the extreme view of things. Take the huge controversy over global warming. The extreme environmentalists would tell us the world as we know it is about to end and that solar power and wind power are the answers. The other extreme promotes the virtues of coal. Most Americans are smart enough to know that the only answer is “all of the above.” We must diversify our energy resources to include solar, wind, ever cleaner methods for burning coal, and advanced nuclear technology. Why is it that the scientists and politicians are polarized? The answer is that they don’t get noticed when their thinking is conciliatory and eclectic. They must play to the noisy crowds to get noticed.    

Most of us resonate positively to the idea of finding the common ground in any debate. This requires that we make trade-offs and reach compromise on certain issues so that the debate doesn’t turn into gridlock and block all progress. We need some zealous voices for moderation. 

If you’re feeling disenfranchised and angry, then raising an extreme voice might be therapeutic venting, but it isn’t the answer to making things better. There was once an American Revolution. We’re past that. We need an American conversation. We need collaboration and problem solving. Save the loud voices for cheering on your favorite sports team. That’s healthy.

My parents were married on St. Patrick’s Day, not that we are Irish, though you might think so from the name, Darby. The people of Ireland believe in their luck. The four-leaf clover comes to mind. What I like about clover is the bright green color that symbolizes the spirit of the Irish. Green is growing. Green is new. Green is a cheerful color. Minty green is refreshing. Green is spring, which will soon occur for many of us. This is the first spring of this new decade. As we shovel the snow aside, we can shovel aside many other things to make way for new beginnings. It is amazing how resilient we humans are. We are thankfully capable of renewal. Let that be a motto for spring: to renew.

No we are not. It’s only an angry and vocal few plus Washington politicians conducting business as usual. We have a nation with an economy at risk and where our national security is a constant concern. We need our leaders and wanna-be leaders to put aside their campaigning for another year or so and just plain address themselves to the problems we all face. If some in Washington have “got it made” and feel exempt from the problems of everyday Americans, they ought to look at the issues facing our nation through the eyes of their grandchildren and get on with creating a legacy of positive action to rebuild our national confidence and pride. 

You know me, I usually write upbeat blog messages. Well, I’m a little ticked off at those who spend their time trying to figure out how to embarrass their political opponents and block any progress whatsoever. It’s time for the United States—not the Divided States of America.

Which is it?
“If I had more money, I would save more money and do more fun things, and then I’d be happier.”
Or, is it?
“If I am happy, my work will be more productive and I’ll save more money, then I’ll have the money to do what I love to do.”

Which is it?
“If I only had more friends, I could do more fun things, and I’d be happier.”
Or, is it?
“If I am happy, I’ll get out and do more things, and I will create more friendships.”

Have-Do-Be thinking is wishful thinking. Be-Do-Have thinking is to “own your happiness.” The doing is always important, but your state of being is more likely to motivate you to do it than is your wishing.