Big Woo-age

New Belgium Brewing has a great little bar and grille at Denver International Airport. The food is good and the beer is better, but a bartender who goes by the name “Meatloaf” is best of all.

Meatloaf is an original. While he reminds me of other good bartenders and service professionals, he adds his own spin. He enthusiastically greets everyone who sits down at the bar, introduces himself, gets their name and then introduces them to every other patron at the bar. He goes down the line introducing everyone by first name. Then has asks for a big “woo!” at the end to welcome the latest addition. If everyone participates and does a good job on the “woo” Meatloaf will comment on the “big woo-age.”

Meatloaf appropriately flatters the women regardless of age or marital status. He makes good conversation and is very helpful in selecting the right brew. He explains how the glaze on the sweet potato fries makes them the best you’ve ever eaten. He is an artist and some of his work is hung in the bar and restaurant area. He’s perceptive about who wants to talk and who wants to drink and eat in silence. And when you leave, he says goodbye in a way that convinces you he is truly sad to see you go.

You can go back for the beer or the food but I’m guessing lots of travelers go back for Meatloaf. He is an encore performer, the kind of person you’d like working for you regardless the business that you are in.
So here’s big woo-age to everyone’s friend Meatloaf.

Leaders Are Readers

You’ve heard that phrase many times. I think I first ran across it in a book by Bennis and Nanus (how’s that for two great names for co-authors?).
Not only does familiarity breed contempt; it can also breed neglect. Sometimes we discount the value of an idea because it is familiar.

Andrew Carnegie said, “Reading should be carefully planned as a diet for optimum mental growth.”  How many leaders plan their reading carefully? My experience and observation is that most of what leaders read is thrust upon them. They read more out of obligation than by choice.

William Godwin said, “He that loves reading has everything within his reach.” A leader can get a handle on almost any problem or opportunity if he or she knows who to read in that area. The biggest challenge today is finding wisdom in a sea of often dubious information.

Would you like a strategy for your reading? Here’s a suggestion that is as true today as it was when written 100 years ago: “There are three keys to reading profitably: intention, attention and retention.” The classic self-help author Orison Swett Marden said that.

Read by intention, rather than just obligation. Give your attention to items of importance and not just interest. Then highlight, outline and synthesize so that you can retain the nuggets of wisdom.

Contagious

The Journal of PLoS Computational Biology finds that obesity is contagious among friends. In short, says the study, the more obese people you have contact with, the more obese you are likely to become.
Researchers admit they’re not sure why that is.

Wouldn’t it make sense that we are partly a function of our environment, and that what our friends do influences what we do?

If that is true, consider what else might be contagious:

Success. Napoleon Hill famously recommended being part of a mastermind alliance of like-minded people committed to success.

Character. As the old saw goes, when you lie down with dogs you get fleas. Maybe if you hang out with angels you’ll get a halo.

Energy. What is the energy in your workplace like? I’ve found I can catch energy from my colleagues and, when I speak, my audiences (and vice versa).

Are you contagious? What are others catching from you…and you from them?

Startling Statistics are Symptoms

Leaders and educators take note:
According to The Kipplinger Letter, 25% of mortgages in the U.S. are underwater; that is people owe more than their homes are worth.

USA Today reports that among Medicare patients, 44% of the harm done by medical treatment clearly or likely was preventable.

Two startling statistics, one about education and responsibility and the other about excellence and quality control.

Neither statistic is a cause. Both are symptoms.

Not every underwater loan is the fault of the borrower (few predicted the abrupt decline in home values). The lack of understanding (or just bad advice) about debt and leverage are the cause of misery for many. Uninformed borrowers and lenders are both causes for some of these problems.

Clearly preventable harm is a critical quality control issue. When mistakes are made in healthcare, people are hurt or die. The concept of “routine work” in healthcare is dangerous. Clerical mistakes in accounting rarely have the same impact as a mistake in medication.

Education, responsibility, quality control, excellence–these topics often illicit yawns from readers and listeners…that  is until they become startling statistics with personal impact.

Good leaders and communicators talk about how to avoid startling statistics, not just how to deal with them.
What are you doing to prevent regrettable numbers and startling statistics in your work and life? Research, identify and address causes before they become startling statistics.

Quick Feedback is Better than No Feedback

My Audi was in for service. I like my car, I like my dealer and I like the Audi brand but all those fond feelings were diminished when I started taking the online survey.
I’m an advocate of asking for customer service feedback. I’m also an advocate for making it quick, easy and painless.

After clicking through what seemed like endless pages of questions and numerical scoring, I finally and thankfully arrived at the end. “Is there anything else you’d like us to know?” was the final question, to which I responded, “Yes. I won’t complete another ridiculously long survey like this again.”

I often don’t respond to surveys because I have neither the time nor inclination. I did in this case because I was quite pleased by the job my service advisor did and wanted Audi and the dealer to know. I came to rue the decision.

Deciding how much to ask and how long the survey will take are important considerations. I realize that more information and detail is more helpful. But beware: asking for too much of the customer’s time is off-putting.

Why not bundle a short survey with a long survey? The short survey may be 5-10 critical questions or scores that don’t take more time. Tell the customer how long it will take before they opt in. Then, after they’ve finished the short survey, ask if they’d be willing to answer some additional questions (and let them know how much longer that will take).

J.D. Powers provided the painfully long survey for Audi, and I respect their ability to gather and crunch useful data. But in the age of perpetual distraction and limited attention, we’ve got to remember that if you don’t get feedback quickly, you may not get it at all.

Customer Service: Sorry Seems the Hardest Word

One morning I spent an inordinately long time in the drive through of my local quick service (often an oxymoron) restaurant. I was in a hurry. Aren’t most people who use the drive through? I don’t know if the SUV two ahead of me ordered breakfast for the 5th grade but I was trapped with cars behind me.

When I finally got to the window, I inquired: what was up with the delay?

The guy at the window mumbled something incomprehensible and responded with a tone of voice that suggested I had wished him a happy morning.

As I waited for my food I noticed the sign in the window–How are we doing?–with several ways to communicate that information to management. I considered whether or not to do so.

My frustration could have been greatly diminished with a simple phrase: “Sorry for the wait today.” It would have pre-empted my comment and instantly let me know the service providers were aware. It would have also suggested that long waits are an exception and not the rule.

Even if it had been given after I expressed concern, it would have been helpful.

So simple yet so often overlooked. Elton John was right: sorry seems the hardest word. And it is sad, so sad that service providers don’t use it appropriately more often.

A Fred Sighting at Jason's Deli

My long time friend Anthony Braswell shared the following Fred-sighting with me:

One of my all-time favorite restaurants to visit each week is our local Jason’s Deli.  It’s convenient, but that’s not why I go.

It’s really good, but that’s not the only reason why I go.  They also have free ice cream!

And I go because of the Fred Factor!

I wish I could introduce you to my friend, House Mouse.  That’s what her Jason’s Deli employee nametag says.  She is the reason I keep going back!  She might not be the “typical” customer service employee. She’s got tattoos.  You don’t have to wonder what her favorite sports team is because she has Tarheels tattooed on her arm!  God help you if you are wearing a Duke shirt! But she does possess the spirit of Fred. She does an ordinary job in an extraordinary way!

She greets every person with a handshake and if you are a frequent guest like I am. Sometimes she even gives you a hug!  She remembers my name, what I want and if I try to order something that isn’t their specialty, she playfully refuses to let me order it.  “The best for my friends!” she says!  I often bring friends with me and she’ll tell them, “Wow!  You keep great company!  This is a great guy that you are hanging out with today!” She understands how to make people feel special and create value for every customer.

I took time recently to share how awesome House Mouse is with her boss.  I let him know that she was the reason that I ate there so often and used their restaurant as a place for meetings. The manager let me know after that meeting that she was getting a raise.

Her words to me were, “Thanks so for making that happen!”

My response to her was, “I just reminded your boss of what he already knew!”

Thanks, Anthony, for sharing your Fred sighting.

Stay Calm or Get Excited?

One key to effective leadership is to know when to stay calm and when to get excited.

I was reminded of that reading the newspaper today. One journalist advised that investors stay calm during this currently crazily declining market. Getting worked up will most likely cloud your thinking and acting rashly is never a good idea.

Staying calm is more about your inner peace and demeanor. If you’ve prepared, studied the situation thoughtfully and done your work, calm is a natural result. While the outcome isn’t guaranteed, you have the assurance you’ve done all you can.

Staying calm also creates confidence for your team, both in your abilities as well as their own. The ability to be calm means you trust them to meet whatever challenges as successfully as possible. A leader who doesn’t stay calm suggests that their anxiety is due to their team.

It pays to get excited about things that matter. It is difficult to lead if you have a monotone personality. If you bring the same emotion (or lack of it) to everything, nobody ever really knows that is important to you.

Of course, being excited isn’t the same as getting worked up. The latter suggests someone who is upset rather than just passionate (and sure, there are times when we ought to be upset, but they are far fewer than the times we actually are).

Get excited when you want to share positive energy. Get excited when the outcome is critical and everyone on your team needs to focus. Get excited when you appreciate the good job a colleague has done.

Funny how excited some people get about professional sports teams in which they have no direct involvement, but how reluctant they are to get excited about anything else.

Stay calm in challenging times and get excited when it matters. Knowing when to do which is a nuance of good leadership.

Precision Matters

Yesterday my new friend and fascination expert Sally Hogshead called me at precisely 11 a.m. for a scheduled conversation. I was impressed. More often than not, someone says they’ll call at 11 and the phone rings 5 or 10 minutes later. I was impressed by Sally’s professionalism.

“It makes me crazy,” I shared, “when I ask someone to call me back in literally 2 minutes knowing that I can take the call on a different line or phone then, and they call back 10 or 15 minutes later and I’m no longer available.”

Sally suggested that the meaning of literally seems to have morphed into something like “approximately” or “close to”. “We need a new word,” she said.

I suggested “literally squared.” (Yes, that appears to be two words, but there is no “squared” little 2 symbol on the iMac.)

To some of my more mellow readers, literally squared might seem like a case of being wound too tightly. While that might sometimes be the case, there is a serious aspect to this idea. We live in a world where precision often matters. From medicine to flying an airplane to engineering a structure, you don’t want to work in loose terms.

In a competitive environment for selling and serving customers, clients and shareholders, precision also matters. When we invest time and money, we don’t want vague promises like “I’ll get back to you” (when?), “we are focused on improving earnings” (what are you doing?) or “this will grow your business” (how much?). The more precise the promise and the performance, the more powerful the value proposition.

Whether or not we need a new concept like “literally squared” is debatable. I’m convinced, however, that we need to employ the power of precision.

The You Economy

A friend read a story in the newspaper about how the long-struggling housing market was showing signs of a recovery. For my friend, however, that news brought only frustration.

“It’s not recovering,” he said, “until my house sells.”

My friend had gone through a divorce he didn’t want and ended up with a home he no longer lived in, didn’t need, and couldn’t sell. So when you asked him how he viewed the housing market, he saw it through the lens of the You Economy.

Like my friend, most of us are far more interested in our personal economy — the You Economy — than the economy at large. The economy is impersonal. Your economy is personal. As I explore in my new book, Up, Down, or Sideways, both economies impact our chances for success.

The You Economy and the world’s economy aren’t always in sync. You can be Up when the world is Down, or Down when the world is Up. And like the world’s economy, the You Economy isn’t always predictable. However, it is marked by at least three things that we all should understand:

Dumb Luck — the times when you do the wrong thing and it still works out.

Informed Misfortune — the times when you do everything correctly and things still fail.

Sustainable Success — the results you get by consistently adopting the right mindsets and practicing the methods that are important, regardless of whether times are Up, Down, or Sideways.

The lesson: Don’t grow frustrated in times of Informed Misfortune, don’t feel empowered during times of Dumb Luck, and never take for granted the things that give you the best chance at Sustainable Success.

This blog is based on content in my latest book, Up, Down, Or Sideways. It is available wherever you buy great books. Click here to learn more about the book or click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Visit my website for more resources.

Heeding Wisdom

If you have children over the age of, oh, a few months, you’ve no doubt experienced what it’s like to see good advice go unheeded. This happens particularly often as children grow into that stage when they know far more than their parents, which usually coincides with the teen years.


Unfortunately, this affliction isn’t confined to teenagers. We all experience those times when we fail to take good advice — even at times when we know we should. Welcome to the human species, where pride goes before the fall and stubbornness is the bricks in the road to tribulation.


When I was researching and writing Up, Down, or Sideways, I realized that many of the things we should do regardless of circumstances are pretty basic and rooted in common sense. Yet, we don’t do them consistently.


Why?


The answer lies in understanding the seven basic stages that most of us go through when it comes to wisdom. Most of these stages represent barriers to living out that wisdom. They are …

1. We don’t know (e.g., we’re ignorant).
2. We know but don’t believe (e.g., we don’t think a particular truth applies to us or our situation).
3. We know and believe but still don’t do it (e.g., we lack conviction because it’s difficult, inconvenient, or unnecessary).
4. We know and believe but we can’t do it (e.g., we lack the skills to do it).
5. We know and do inconsistently (e.g., we get lazy or forgetful or distracted).
6. We know and do consistently (e.g., we’ve formed a good habit that we consciously cultivate).
7. We know and make it second nature (e.g., it’s become part of who we are).

What are your barriers to applying good advice? Identify them. Bash them. Then make good habits of wisdom that comes your way.


This blog is based on content in my latest book, Up, Down, Or Sideways. It is available wherever you buy great books. Click here to learn more about the book or click here to order it from Amazon.com. Visit my website for more resources.

Keeping Score: Up, Down, or Sideways

This might come as a surprise to some younger readers, but there was a time when there was only one ESPN and most televised sporting events aired on one of three networks — NBC, CBS, or ABC. Now, my television package offers dozens of networks dedicated specifically to sports. ESPN has four or five sister networks. Golf has its own channels. Some college conferences like the Big Ten have their own networks.


We love competition, and not just in America. It’s one of the common elements of any  society — the desire to create systems for scoring performance. Ironically, we also live in a society that doesn’t want to be judged. The overreaction to over-competitive parents led some youth leagues to do away with scoring. And in a misguided attempt to foster self-esteem, there are those who promote the elimination of any type of grading system.


The reality, however, is that we all use scoring systems for our lives. What most of us don’t realize is that we can change our scoring system and, in doing so, change our game.


Many people get locked into a scoring system that defines them even though it doesn’t really represent who they are or what they want out of life. In Up, Down, or Sideways, I write about the importance of discovering and living by a personal scoring system that will guide you toward success whether times are good, bad, or in between.


Most people organize their life and their work around one of four scoring systems: Results, Recognition, Recreation, or Relationships. Which of those most represents your scoring system? Who influenced and influences how you score your success in life? How often do you find yourself complaining about things like the lack of money paid in your profession or the lack of time you get with your family because the hours you put in to maintain a certain income?


It might be time to change your scoring system. Maybe you need to change careers to fit the scoring system that really represents your values and dreams for your life. Or maybe you need to recognize that you’re living your dream and, therefore, you should embrace a scoring system that fits it rather than one that’s imposed on you by pop culture, your parents, or some other outside force.


Your scoring system shapes your priorities and your definition of success, so the first step toward enduring success comes from aligning that system to who you really are, what you really value, and what you really want out life.

This blog is based on content in my latest book, Up, Down, Or Sideways. It is available wherever you buy great books. Click here to learn more about the book or click here to order it from Amazon.com. Visit http://www.marksanborn.com for more resources.

Another Fred’s Optimism

Since writing The Fred Factor about an extraordinary postal carrier named Fred Shea, I’ve encountered and learned about many other “Freds” who embrace the same spirit of service. I came across one such Fred while researching my latest book, Up, Down, or Sideways. It so happens, this one is literally, as well as figuratively, a Fred.


Fred Johnson had lived in New Orleans for nearly six decades, and he wasn’t the type to sit around and do nothing when people throughout his city were suffering. So in 2005, after Hurricane Katrina overwhelmed the levee system that protected much of New Orleans from the Gulf of Mexico’s waters, Johnson made his way to the Superdome, where thousands of people had gathered in search of shelter from the storm.


The Superdome lacked the security, clean water, food, and bedding needed for a crisis of this magnitude. Nearly all the people there had lost their homes. Chaos, confusion, and uncertainty filled the air as the multitudes struggled to find information about where to go and how to get there, not to mention anxiety about who among their friends and family had survived and who had not.


The suffering overwhelmed Johnson. In fact, he later told Scientific American magazine that he “lost it” for a brief period when he first arrived on the scene. Then, he said, his “governor” kicked in.


“When I become overwhelmed,” he said, “I think my process is this: I’m going to cry about it, I’m going to dry my eyes, and then I’m going back to work, but I’m not going to keep crying, crying, crying. I think that’s my governor. That’s how I keep my sanity.”


Johnson, you see, is an optimist. That doesn’t mean he saw happy opportunity and niceness in the midst of one of America’s worst natural disasters. It means he had the ability to quickly re-orient his view of the situation so that he could help himself and help others.


Real optimism like Johnson’s isn’t blind faith; it is far-sighted faith. Rather than deny the problems of the present, it focuses on the solutions for the future. It doesn’t look at the world through rose-tinted glasses; it uses trifocals — accepting the good, the bad, and the in-between, but choosing to focus on the good.


The negative person focuses only on the downside. The realist sees the downsides and the upsides but is uncertain about where to focus. The intelligent optimist doesn’t ignore the downside or reality, but simply focuses on the upside and expects the best.


This blog is based on content in my latest book, Up, Down, Or Sideways. It is available wherever you buy great books. Click here to learn more about the book or click here to order it from Amazon.com. Visit http://www.marksanborn.com for more resources.

The Value of Your IPO

LinkedIn, the popular social-networking site, went public May 19 with shares for its initial public offering priced at $45 each. That put the company’s value at around $4.3 billion. Before noon on the day of the IPO, the stock price had climbed as high as $92.99 a share.


So what’s a share of LinkedIn really worth?


Whatever someone’s willing to pay for it.


LinkedIn spent about eight years building its value as a company, then tested that value when it went public.


Like all companies, how well it holds its value over time remains to be seen. But as individuals trying to define and achieve success, the best place to start is like a company working toward a successful IPO — by building our value.


If your core values are rock solid, if you produce outcomes that other people value, and if you value other people, then you’ll find yourself positioned to prosper regardless of the circumstances around you.


For instance, if you are always involved in important projects within your organization, you’re providing value that can’t be ignored. When times are good, you’ll see the rewards (probably in higher pay and/or fast-track promotions). When times are bad and your organization or your customers are cutting back, you’ll find yourself on the “can’t cut” list. The opposite? You’ll be like those “nonessential government workers” you read about when Congress can’t settle on a budget — the first to get laid off.


Have you checked with your employer lately to see what he or she values in your work? Have you asked that person how you might increase your value to the organization? You ask the same question of clients and customers.  None of us are irreplaceable, but all of us can produce value that sets us up for success.

This blog is based on content in my latest book, Up, Down, Or Sideways. It is available wherever you buy great books. Click here to learn more about the book or for ordering information. Visit my website for more resources.

The Dance of Connections

Ever dance the tango?


For novices, it can intimidate with its seemingly complicated precision and timing that moves a couple in a graceful but formal and crisp flow around a dance floor. It only takes one lesson, however, to learn the basic steps. It takes lots of practice to become great at the tango, but only 30 or so minutes to learn enough to survive it.


Two things I know about how to make the tango look good: One, the male lead must provide a strong upper-body frame, especially with his right arm. Two, the couple takes the basic steps belly-to-belly.
If we want to succeed regardless of the external circumstances around us, we can learn a few things from the tango, because the tango is all about a creating a relationship — a connection — that achieves its objective (grace, style, pizzazz, all within a prescribed structure).


It starts with support: a strong frame. In other words, how are you supporting the people who are important to you (friends, family, co-workers, customers, etc.)? Do you give them something they can hold tightly and with confidence? Do you lead with authority and confidence? Do you move them without aggressive force or pressure?


Next, it requires closeness. You might not want to be belly-to-belly with everyone in your life, but you want to create trust and appropriate levels of transparency. You want to be approachable, even in more formal relationships. You want to connect in non-physical ways.


Creating and caring for the connections in your life prepares you for success regardless of the circumstances that come your way. I cover more of the basics for doing that in Up, Down, or Sideways, because I’ve learned that the basic steps become the foundation for a truly remarkable dance.


Do you know anybody who could benefit from “dance lessons” when it comes to making and keeping connections? How well do the people on your team interact with customers and vendors? With each other? And do you have any room for improvement?

This blog is based on content in my latest book, Up, Down, Or Sideways. It is available wherever you buy great books. Click here to learn more about the book.

Leadership Lessons: A Distinctive Point of View

I meet regularly with my friend Andy (who work for the firm that manages our finances) for updates and adjustments to strategy. One of the reasons I look forward to these meetings is that Andy always has a very distinctive and interesting point of view. He is well informed but, more importantly, he has thought carefully about the information (which is available to all) to come up with conclusions that are specific to him.

The best leaders in any profession have a distinctive point of view. That doesn’t necessarily mean you agree with them, but it does mean that you know exactly what they think and why.

Not all points of view are created equally. They range from far-fetched and nutty to sound and wise. The best points of view are always based on two things: good information and good analysis.

That means a leader is limited by the information they receive and review and the analysis they apply.

Many simply aren’t willing to do the hard work to seek out the best information and/or make time for a penetrating analysis.

There are always many things on a leader’s “to do” list, but his or her strategic necessities agenda should be relatively short, and developing a distinctive point of view should be on it.

What great leaders can you think of that had or have a distinctive point of view? And what did you learn from their perspective?

For more information and resources about developing and improving leadership in your organization, click here.

A Work Manifesto

Manifesto (def): A public declaration of policy and aims.

What follows are my views about and commitment to work based on 30+ years of being employed and being an employer. These are philosophies I subscribe to and that I desire in those I work with and encounter in the marketplace. MHS

I work because I need to and because I want to. There is satisfaction in work well done. Good work produces value and isn’t just a means to an end, but an opportunity to be a productive, contributing member of society. Work helps give life purpose and structure.

I don’t like everything about the work I do, but I understand that is the nature of work. Work often requires that we do what needs to be done as well as what we like to do. Doing great work is a choice I make; to do less cheats not just my employer and customer but myself.

Impediments to work are temporary. If my place of employment blocks my ability to be productive in an honest and ethical way, I will not sell my soul to continue working there. If my boss doesn’t understand the concept of a healthy work environment I will actively look for a different boss or organization that does. My current situation may not allow me to switch jobs or employers immediately, but I refuse to resign myself to a work life of misery. I will endure for the short term with the goal of prospering in the long term.

How I do my work makes life a heaven or hell for others. How I treat colleagues and customers makes their lives better or worse. Neutrality is a myth beacause any attempt to disengage will appear to others as indifference, and that indifference is an insult to others.

I will not actively or passively inflict pain. While the bad behavior of others might make it tempting to do so, I will choose to play by a higher standard. I will do what I can to make working with me enjoyable.

I do not control how others act, but I completely control how I act. When others act inappropriately to me, I will respond professionally but will not accept and thereby condone the inappropriate behavior. I will politely but directly address the inappropriateness.

I understand that others come to me for solutions to problems and that is what I am paid for. Therefore problems, as difficult as they can be, are not an impediment to my work but often they are my work itself.

I will take responsibility rather than place blame. If I can’t fix it, I will either live with it or leave it. There are no other rational options.  I understand there is no perfect workplace, but refuse to make where I work worse by my own apathy or lethargy. I won’t let the poor attitudes and behaviors determine my own choices. I know that I often succeed at work not because of but in spite of undesirable circumstances.

In a time when not all who truly desire work have that opportunity, I am grateful for the work I have.

If you were to summarize your views on work, what would your personal manifesto say? What would you add to what I’ve written? What would you change?


Visit http://www.marksanborn.com/ for more resources.

How Leaders Communicate Part 5: Leaders Call for Action

In my fifth and final article in the “How Leaders Communicate” series, I examine how leaders give a call for action and how 10 sentences can change the world.

10) Call for action

Scholars of Roman history say that when Cicero spoke, people marveled. When Caesar spoke, people marched.

Cicero was impressive. Caesar influenced. What was the difference?

Great messages end with a call to action.

Todd Beamer, a hero on hijacked flight United 93 September, 11, 2001 made famous the phrase “Let’s roll.” His actions, and that of his colleagues, may well have saved many lives. In the crucible of crisis, Todd clearly signaled it was time to act on the plans that had been laid.

Too many communicate without a clear call to action. Every email, phone call, voicemail, conversation or speech can and probably should conclude with a “Let’s do it” indicated: let’s move forward, take the next step, get involved, play your part, etc.

Jeff Salzman, a cofounder with Jimmy Calano of the training company CareerTrack, had an excellent technique for assuring commitment from others. Jeff suggested that when making a request, simply conclude by asking “Do I have your word on that?”

That gives people a chance to seriously consider the agreement. If they have hesitations or reluctance, it will come up at that point. Most conscientious people take giving their word very seriously.

Others tell.                     Leaders sell.

Others impress.             Leaders influence.

Others try to be heard.   Leaders try to be understood.

Others explain.              Leaders energize.

Others listen.                 Leaders hear what is being said.

Others inform.               Leaders inspire.

Others give facts.           Leaders tell stories.

Ten Sentences Can Change the World

The Gettysburg Address is one of the most memorable speeches of American history. Delivered by Abraham Lincoln at the scene of one of the civil war’s most costly battles, in only ten sentences Lincoln was able to not only encapsulate the great truths he wanted to convey, but to communicate them powerfully and memorably.

Did you know there was another speaker on the dais that day in Gettysburg? His name was Edward Everett. A senator who was considered the most skilled orator of his time, he traveled around the country addressing audiences. He was the equivalent of today’s professional speaker.

Eloquent, he was also long-winded: his speech lasted for nearly two hours. Lincoln’s ten sentences trumped Everett’s two hours.

Great leaders are not evaluated on their eloquence, but on their impact.

Your Ten Sentences

What are your ten sentences as a leader?

What are those things you hold to be deepest and most valuable?

Should you only be able to communicate ten sentences of ideas that summarize and encapsulate all that is important to you and define who you are, what would those ten sentences be?

Beware of anyone who tells you that you should be able to summarize what you are about on the back of a business card. While you might have room for a life purpose or mission statement, the depth and breadth of your life should take up more space.

If Lincoln could summarize an epoch of history in ten sentences, then with careful thought and consideration, you should be able to summarize the epoch of our own desired leadership impact.

What are your ten sentences as a leader?

In the previous articles in the “How Leaders Communicate” series, I discussed how leaders sell 9 other ways they influence. Visit http://www.marksanborn.com/ for more resources.

How Leaders Communicate Part 4: Better Stories and REAL stories

In my fourth article in the “How Leaders Communicate” series, I give you advice for telling a better story and a Real (Relevant, Energizing, Actionable, and Light) story.

8) Tell a better story

 “It is important that a leader be a good storyteller, but equally crucial that the leader embody that story in his or her life.” —Howard Gardner, a leading researcher in leadership development, Harvard University

People generally aren’t that interested in what you’ve done. They are much more interested in what you’ve learned and ultimately most interested in what they can learn from your experience.

Gardener goes on to explain, “The best storytellers are those who can tell a story that’s strange enough to get people’s attention but not so strange that the people can’t eventually make it part of their own consciousness....existential stories are very important. They tell us who we are and what we’re trying to achieve.”   

Perhaps you’ve heard the old poem that goes, “…I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day. I’d rather one would walk with me than simply point the way.”

Telling a story is good, but being the story is better. The congruency between who you are and the stories you tell as a leader create credibility. The purpose, however, isn’t to be speaker-focused, but to use personal experience and story as a bridge to build connection.

My friend, the wise Carl Hammerschlag, puts it well: “Our biology hasn't changed in the last 10,000 years; we feel the same emotions Jesus felt.  . . . We need to focus on the things that bring us together rather than the things that separate us.”

"True leadership is to first know who you are, and then to help others find their place in the story." 

                                          — John Eldredge, author and speaker

One of the best ways to help others find their place in the story is to give others the opportunity to tell their stories. When they have the chance to see it fitting into the bigger story, you build mutual respect, first because you have given them your attention to listen, and secondly because you know and understand them better.

And yet the best stories aren’t my stories or your stories—they are our stories. We share them because while the details and specifics vary, the themes we experience are so similar. Good stories resonate because they transcend time and space and the truths they convey touch us deeply.

Good stories are an important part of relationship building, of creating connection. Within organizations, you experience many of these stories together. In telling and retelling these stories leaders share their perspective and what they learned. Others look at the same story from their personal vantage point and can share additional insights. Storytelling can be an interactive process for learning and growth.

What makes stories powerful is that they happen. That’s why parables are so powerful. While they may not be factually true, they are always true philosophically and express an important concept.

As this video shows, Mark understands the importance of  using stories when presenting a message to an audience.

Great leaders tell REAL stories.

9) Tell a REAL story

To be a better leader by telling better stories, remember that great stories are REAL:

Relevant

The listener should suspect and eventually see the application of the story to the situation, and/or them personally. Relevance is a good way to engage people. When they know there is a reason to listen, they’ll give you their attention.

Energizing

Stories should buoy the spirits. They should stimulate intellectually and invigorate spirits. Being reminded of great truths through powerful stories has a way of doing that.

Actionable

What am I supposed to do? That is the question a story should directly or indirectly answer, and if the answer isn’t implicit in the story, then the storyteller should make that connection.

Light

Stories should be easy enough to be retained. Complex or convoluted stories are difficult to understand, much less recall. Good communicators know that serious medicine, like candy-flavored cough syrup, often goes down best when it is sweetened.

Good stories can be serious in intent and told humorously. Described as pain separated by time, humor can used to discuss otherwise painful experiences and failures. Appropriate humor is never told at another’s expense. Effective leaders often make themselves the brunt of the humorous story. It shows that not only do they not take themselves too seriously, but that they, too, are only human. Good storytellers take their intentions seriously but themselves lightly.

In the first 3 articles in the “How Leaders Communicate” series, I discussed how leaders sell and 7 ways they influence. In the next final article of the series, I’ll examine the tenth way leaders communicate and how ten sentences can change the world. Visit http://www.marksanborn.com/ for more resources.

How Leaders Communicate Part 3: Entertain and Feed-Forward

In my third article in the “How Leaders Communicate” series, I examine how leaders entertain to engage and provide feed-forward.

6)    Entertain to engage

Voltaire is reputed to have said that any speaking style that wasn’t boring was a good style. That’s because being boring is the unforgivable sin of communication.    

For a leader to be heard and understood, he or she must break preoccupation and grab attention, in other words, entertain. That means a leader captures and holds the attention of those being addressed.

As a young lad, I once asked then State Senator David Johnson for advice about public speaking. His words permanently affected me. He said, “Always remember that people want to be entertained. Whether you’re giving a sermon, teaching a class or giving a speech, people want to be entertained.”

You can’t bore people into positive action.

7)  Feedback and feed-forward

If Wheaties is the breakfast of champions, then feedback is the breakfast of winning communicators.

The best way to make sure another person has heard and understood what you said is to ask them to repeat it back to you in their own words. (But I advise not saying, “Now repeat it back to me in your own words” unless you want to alienate that person.) Just request a summary, and take responsibility for any lack of understanding. You could say, “I want to make sure I explained that clearly. Would you please tell me how you understand what I’ve said?”

One of the corniest stories I know is about a man driving up a mountain road in a jeep. Coming down the mountain in the other lane is a woman in a jeep. As she passes, she leans out and yells “Pig!”

The man is offended! She is calling him a name and making a judgment on his character.

As he looks back in his rearview mirror at the woman behind him, he smashes into a hog that is standing in the middle of the road.

That woman wasn’t criticizing him, but rather giving him feedback limited by time. Had circumstances allowed, she might have said, “There is a large farm animal ahead in the middle of the road—be careful!”

Such are the pitfalls of communication. When leaders don’t take time to communicate clearly, the potential for misunderstanding—and even disaster—is high.

Feedback is excellent for adjusting your message and assuring understanding, but it is “after-the-fact.” To increase the odds of future success, you can use feed forward, which provides people with the information they need to be successful before they undertake something.

Feedback provides evaluation of what has been done.

Feed forward clarifies expectations of what needs to be accomplished. It gives people the answers to the final exam in advance.

Feedback focuses on past performance.

Feed forward focuses on future performance. It talks specifically about what a successful performance will be like and enrich the description to enrich the outcome.

Feedback is remedial.

Feed forward is intended to be preventative. Rather than waiting until later to determine if you’ve communicated clearly, information is provided to prevent possible problems

In the first 2 articles in the “How Leaders Communicate” series, I discussed how leaders sell and 5 ways they influence. In the next 2 articles of the series, I’ll examine 3 more ways leaders communicate. Visit http://www.marksanborn.com/ for more resources.