tell me a story

There is power in story.  We all know it, and yet we often forget about it.  We become more and more concerned with data...more and more concerned with the bottom line...more and more concerned with reaching our goals...more and more concerned that we meet our numbers - and we forget the power of story.  Early in our lives we asked our parents to tell us another story...we were consumed with reading comics...we listened to Mr. Rogers tell us another story...we even had The Big Book of Bible Stories we pulled off the shelf on a regular basis.  Later on in life, we still find the need to revert to story...we re-read the great novels once again...we wait every week for the next episode of our favorite show...we turn on the radio every Saturday evening and listen to tales from Lake Wobegon...and we still thrill to hearing the Christmas story read from Luke chapter 2 (King James Version, please).  So why have we taken the use of STORY out of our work place?  Here are a few thoughts:

• it is harder to calculate the ROI (return on investment) from story telling
• story telling takes time
• we have forgotten how to listen
• accrediting institutions ask for quantitative assessment data
• story telling makes us vulnerable
• we tell ourselves we need to "get down to business"
• we have forgotten how to tell stories
• we spend too much time behind the computer and less time around the water cooler (or coffee pot)
• we are too busy
• we are too lazy
• we are too...

Over the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to see the power of story in action:

• young freshmen students telling me about their "coolest" moment in high school
• reading about how story telling can ease the mind of disturbances (Robert Coles' The Call of Stories: Teaching and the Moral Imagination)
• listening to Brene Brown give a TED talk about her research on how story telling helps people become more vulnerable 
• being asked to share one of my stories with a colleague - and having him pray with me afterwards about that story
• hearing stories from my faculty about how our vision is being lived out in the classrooms

So how can we further encourage story telling among our colleagues, friends and family?  One final list:

• learn to ask questions that elicit stories from others (open ended, genuinely curious, asking people to tell you more, etc)
• begin each meeting with a story time - connect it to the mission and vision of your organization
• read more fiction...read more good fiction...re-read the books your were required to read in high school and college...read young adult fiction...read graphic novels
• remind yourself to tell one story every day - don't force yourself on people, but see if you can find a willing ear to hear your story
• get out from behind your desk and walk around, stopping in people's offices and ask them what's happening in their lives - then be quiet and listen
• give yourself permission to put your feet up on your desk and enjoy the moment of listening to someone else's story
• eat dinner with your spouse and family at the table rather than in front of the TV
• believe that STORY has power - really believe it - and let others know you believe it
• turn on your public radio station this coming Saturday afternoon and listen to Garrison Keillor tell stories from Lake Wobegon

Stories inspire...stories stoke the imagination...stories teach...stories heal...stories help people and organizations align...stories make people laugh...stories make people cry...stories increase faith...stories lift the spirit...stories are what make us human.  SO...what's your story?

advice about getting advice

This past week I faced a decision that was none too easy for me - lots of variables and the situation seemed to only provide a lose-lose solution.  At least that's how I felt until I started getting advice from various people with whom I work.  Suddenly, I felt better about the decision making process, I had more options before me, and it soon became very clear what the decision should be.  I am forever grateful to those people who took the time to listen and give wise counsel and advice over this situation.  I was again reminded that it is important to seek advice from people when facing tough decisions - a no-duh in my book, but still good to be reminded.

So here are a few thoughts on (my personal advice) on asking for and getting advice:

• be ready and willing to receive advice - don't ask for advice if your mind is already made up; be open to what people have to say and listen closely
• ask the question, then shut up - seeking advice is not explaining why you are doing what you are doing - its listening to what others think about the issue and your role in the issue.  Learn to be quiet for a while and just listen
• listen for the things that are not being said - in other words, ideas arise beyond what others are saying.  As one of my "advice givers" was talking with me the other day, I suddenly had the AHA moment when it all became clear, yet he had not said anything directly that led me to that decision
• ask clarifying questions - the "why is that important" question and the "what do you mean by that" question are both critical to a deeper understanding of what the other person is saying to you
• be clear about what type of advice you are seeking - this is important for yourself as well as the person who is giving the advice.  The paradox here is that you want to have a very clear question that is open ended for the responder to have space in which to think out loud
• seek advice from a variety of people - don't just go to the most obvious people, or your good friends; seek advice from people whom you believe will be honest and yet caring for you and your situation.  I have to give kudos to my team who responded so beautifully and thoughtfully to my situation and made it so much more clearer to me
• go find the person whom you may be least likely to take advice from - this is the hard one, because we do not naturally want to take advice from people like this.  I was blessed to have this person walk into my office on the day I most needed advice, and I took the risk to share my situation with him...and I am so glad I did
• follow up with those who gave you the advice - let them know that you have made a decision and how their words helped in the process.  I have a few more people to visit on this score, but am looking forward to telling them how they were a big part of my decision making process

People in leadership positions often get there by giving advice...but once in that position, they only move forward (and move their organizations forward) by getting advice.  Be an advice getter - and it will be much easier to then be an advice giver.

the art of focus

Of all words people might use to describe me, the term "focused" would probably not be found among the top ten.  Whether it is my strengths of "learner" or "input" (or maybe even my WOO), my mind (and my energies) will often move from one idea to the next.  I have a note on my desk that is a constant reminder to "sleep on that idea."  For me, there are so many things to get done...so many cool ideas to put into place...so many opportunities awaiting me, I find it hard to focus.  And yet, I know the importance - and the power - of focus.

Lord knows I have tried to focus from time to time.  Whether it be following the concepts laid forth in a "how to organize your life" book (I really try to not watch email all day long); whether it be keeping track of how I spend my time during any given day (that was depressing); whether it be trying to keep a clean and clutter-free desk (I am getting better at that); or whether it be scheduling large blocks of time on my calendar to work on a specific project (it seems that people still tend to want to talk to me during those times)...all of these items can and should be done.  I think I have come to the conclusion that FOCUS may not be a science at all, but an art - something that one does because of who they are and how they think rather that what they do.  Let me explain...

The concept of FLOW (made popular by the research done by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi) seems to me to be more of how one sees the world - the concept of doing what one loves and doing it in a manner that creates FLOW is a gift that an individual can bring about, a gift both to themselves and to the world.  When I am in the state of FLOW, not only am I doing good work but those around me are more capable of doing good work.  And like great art or music, so it is with FLOW- very difficult to describe but you know it when you see it.  We are drawn to focused people...we like being around focused people...we like ourselves when we are focused...and at the end of a day in which we have experienced being focused, we feel as if we have accomplished a great bit.  What does focus look and feel like?  Here are a few thoughts:

• there is a heightened sense of awareness
• there is a sense of completion
• time seems to move at just the right pace
• distractions seem to be minimized (thought in reality they may not be)
• a sense of joy and peace surrounds you
• stuff gets done
• you are less angry at the world
• you suddenly have more time for people
• you see yourself as being able to take on any task that might come your way
• there is both an exhilaration and an exhaustion - both of which create energy

So how does one get to this place?  How might one find themselves more often in a state of focus?  It takes time and practice...it takes knowing about certain skills that assist toward this end....it takes using the tools that are around you to help create focus...it takes finding what you do well and using those talents in your day-to-day work...it takes surrounding yourself with competent people who agree on vision...it takes you being incredibly competent in what you do...it takes a certain amount of confidence that you can do this job - and do it well...it takes an understanding of what is really important in your role, and what can be left to be done at a later date (or by other people)...it takes understanding who you are and what strengths you bring to the table...it takes the ability to say NO to that which gets in the way of focus...it takes forgiving yourself when life throws you a curve ball...and it takes time to where being focused can move from the conscious incompetence to the unconscious competence.  And that's when focus becomes an art!

...one room at a time

This coming Tuesday, August 21, I will be presenting at Seton Cove, an organization that describes its mission as providing a welcoming place of solace and hospitality where people of any faith may nourish and foster their spiritual growth and journey towards wholeness.  When I was invited to be a part of their program for this fall, I was asked what I would like to speak on.  I am not sure whether it was because I was teaching on the topic at the time...or I had just left another miserable meeting, but I asked if I could address how to make meetings more meaningful - and through the process help people become more whole.  So I chose as my topic: Changing the World One Room at a Time: Designing Meeting that Make an Impact (shameless commercial here: there are still seats available...register here).

Please understand that there are many factors that go into making a good meeting run well, including an agenda sent early, arriving on time, having a well ventilated room, being sure to make action lists, and following up with good minutes.  While those are all wonderful "things to do" for having good meetings, there is also the "unwritten" rules that help to make the meeting meaningful and ripe for changing people's lives and the worlds in which they live.  Not wanting to spoil the essence of what I will be saying this coming Tuesday, here are but a few thoughts on this topic:

• as the convener, have you considered the WHY of the meeting, and what you believe should be the one big thing that will arise from the ensuing conversation?
• as the convener, have you thought about the room set-up, and taken the time to design the space for the bests possible interaction?
• as the convener, are you entering the room really believing that everyone there is bringing their unique gift into the conversation? 
• as a participant, are you entering the room emotionally ready to engage in deep conversation?
• as a participant, are you ready and willing to share your unique gift with the group?
• as a participant, have you considered what the un-named elephant in the room might be and carefully thought through how it might be named?
• as convener or participant, are you willing to lay aside your own assumptions to truly listen to what others will be saying?

This short list is but a beginning of thoughts and ideas that, if considered prior to meetings, really can change the world:

• when participants understand the WHY of the meeting, better solutions can be reached
• when participants can interact at a deep level, they feel that their voice is important and will speak from their hearts and souls
• when participants are allowed to use their gifts, they flourish in other aspects of their lives
• when participants prepare themselves ahead of time (both emotionally and spiritually) they are more able to embrace the "other" in the room
• when participants have considered the bumps that may lay ahead, and thought about how to speak toward them, people are treated in a more kind manner
• when assumptions can be laid aside, listening takes place at a higher level and better solutions can be reached

Perhaps what I am most excited about in this session is that I get to speak to people's inner lives.  We all have to attend meetings, and for so many of them we leave feeling drained and frustrated.  I believe there is a better way...I believe that meetings should uplift and restore...I  believe that meetings are holy ground and should be treated as such...I believe that committees and teams, when functioning properly, deeply affect people's lives...and I believe that meetings can change the world - one room at a time.

For further reading on this topic, I invite you to explore the following resources:

• Community: The Structure of Belonging by Peter Block
• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
• The Wisdom of Teams by Katzenbach & Smith
• Turning to One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Community by Margaret Wheatley
• The World Cafe: Shaping our Futures Through Conversations that Matter by Juanita Brown
• Don't Just Do Something, Stand There: Ten Principles for Leading Meetings that Matter by Weisbord & Janoff

a week in the life...

Crazy week of meeting with really cool people...I spent time with Concordia's newest Dean of Science and Math, Dr. Janet Whitson, talking about the importance of external relations and how to balance that with all of the internal demands this job puts on us.  I was able to demonstrate for her what I meant by that the next few days as I:

- met with COB alumnus Nick Cmerek who recently became a CPA and is working for a small firm in Austin
- met with COB Advisory Board member Amar Ramakrishnan who recently took a new position with a start up and is expecting his second child soon - put me on to the book This Will Make You Smarter: 150 New Scientific Concepts to Improve Your Thinking and Learning (a must read).  Follow Amar on Twitter @staysmall
- met with Dr. Kathryn Davis from Huston-Tillotson Business School and Concordia MBA student JC Otero about creating a data base for mentoring.  Great discussion and great new colleague
- met with COB alumnus Robby King who is working for Big Commerce and is doing incredibly well - loves his job!  find out more at www.bigcommerce.com
- met with a group of ECHO membersat the offices of I & O Communications (with CEO Elyse Yates - www.iando.com) to brainstorm marketing and PR plans for ending homelessness in Austin.  Find out more about this great organization at www.austinecho.org
- met with Doug Bain of Bain Consulting (a new acquaintance that was facilitated by COB Advisory Board member Debbie Leverett).  Doug is a brilliant thinker and also serves on the Board for Conspiare.  Follow Doug @BainConsulting
- ended the week yesterday by meeting with the new Manager of Community Engagement for the Texas RFO of Thrivent Financial - Scott Armey.  While at that event, ran into Kurt Senske (Lutheran Social Services), Nicole Griesse (COB Alum who works at Lutheran Social Services), Dick Moeller (Water to Thrive), Chad Thompson (Thrivent), Kristen Cantu (Thrivent), and Dan Zieschang (Lutheran Social Services).

On top of all these exciting and great meetings during the week, I think I also got everything else done that was required internally.  What really excites me is to see what will happen in the future as a result of my external relations during this past week.  Just a glimpse into my life and the REALLY COOL PEOPLE I get to meet all the time.  Are you taking the time to meet new and exciting people each week?

revolutionary leadership

Two of the books I read over my vacation and Summer Reading Feast included biographies (LARGE biographies!) of Che Guevara and Malcolm X.  Since both of these men were assassinated prior to my 10th birthday, I missed all of the action and rhetoric that took place during their lifetimes - and for the most part was shielded from them and their accomplishments growing up (remember the days when communism = evil?).  I told someone this past week that I would have had the grand triumvirate if I had read the biography of Mao as well.  What struck me about both Che and Malcolm X is that they were considered revolutionaries...the same word that was used for the founding fathers of the United States of America.  And yet, my history books would never have put John Adams and George Washington in the same sentence as Che Guevara and Malcolm X.

Politics aside, I was struck by the way revolutionary leaders mobilize people and make things happen.  What would it mean for you and me to be a revolutionary leader?  Here are a few principles I gained about leadership - revolutionary leadership - as I read these biographies:

• revolutionary leaders are committed to a cause.  They see the need for change and work to make it happen.  Che was willing to join Fidel Castro in in the fight for liberation of Cuba - but his vision went much farther than one country.  He worked in both Africa and Bolivia to bring about change.
• revolutionary leaders act from an inner sense of mission.  Both Che and  Malcolm did a lot of soul searching to understand what was important to them and WHY they were doing what they did.  Whether it was a long motorcycle journey or time spent in prison, they did the necessary INNER WORK to prepare them for their callings.
• revolutionary leaders are articulate.  Malcolm X was a great speaker, and was able to articulate his message in a away that drew others to the cause.  Taking the time to craft the right message, and then learning to deliver it in a powerful manner are both an important part of using the voice as a tool of influence.
• revolutionary leaders mobilize others.  A revolution does not happen if it only involves a few people.  Bringing others on board, organizing them, and deploying them into action were all techniques that allowed both Che and Malcolm to accomplish what they set out to do.  These leaders thought and acted strategically, engaging others in the process.
• revolutionary leaders never worry about time spent on the cause.  Both Che and Malcolm suffered physically because of the time they spent doing their work.  There are no 8 hour work days for this type of leader - whether it is writing, speaking, organizing, traveling, or meeting with others, they use as many hours of the day they can to accomplish their mission.
• revolutionary leaders are seen as a threat by others.  The mere word "revolutionary" strikes fear into most people's hearts, because it means deep change.  When leaders articulate a vision that challenges the status quo, others begin to see them as a threat and actively work to stop them.  Both Che and Malcolm X had multiple enemies (often from within their own organizations) and were fearful for their lives much of the time.
• revolutionary leaders are willing to put their lives on the line for a cause.  It might have been easy for either Che or Malcolm to go into hiding once they knew they were being hunted, and yet they both moved forward in their causes to the point of an early and tragic death.  While one's mission may not lead them to this point, given other circumstances how many leaders would be willing to press forward knowing their actions might cause their death?

Whether one believes that Che Guevara or Malcolm X are truly great leaders or not, it is hard to deny that they exemplified the aspects of what leaders do best - they had a vision they believed in; they articulated that vision among others; they drew people to a common cause; they acted in a manner to bring that vision about; and they were not afraid to make things happen even when times got tough.  What cause would it take for you - or me - to become a revolutionary leader?  And where throughout the world today do we need more revolutionary leaders to enact positive change?

Summer Reading Feast

I just returned from a month in Maine, and am ready to report on what I like to refer to as my Summer Reading Feast...28 days of good food, good movies, and good books.  Prior ot my trip, someone asked me if I did any "professional" reading on vacation or whether it was just for pleasure.  My reply to them sounded something like this: "I am always reading for pleasure - and I am always reading professionally.  Since I read with my leadership lenses on, it is professional; and since I love to read so much, it is pleasureable."  My Summer Reading Feast is often both a series of planned books (I put aside books all year long to take with me to Maine) as well as serendipitous (we have access to a great bookstore and my favorite public library in the world...not to mention Amazon).  While I don't plan any themes, several often emerge.  What follows is a quick overview of my Summer Reading Feast (with more to follow in weeks to come):

Fiction: I am a HUGE fan of fiction in that it helps me understand the "other" in my relationships with people.  I have also come to realize that great fiction is often wasted on the young, so I try to re-read many of the great novels I read (or didn't read) in high school and college during this Summer Reading Feast:

• The Financier - Theodore Dreiser
• The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
• Sodom and Gommorah - Marcel Proust (vol. 4 of Remembrance of Things Past)
• The Odyssey - Homer (trans. Fagles)
• To Have and Have Not - Ernest Hemingway
• Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
• Olive Kitteridge - Elizabeth Strout (a collection of stories about life in Maine)
• State of Wonder  - Ann Patchet

Non-Fiction: During the Summer Reading Feast, I get to spend about 8 hours a day reading, so it is time to tackle the "big books" that are sitting on my shelf all year long (sometimes longer):

• Che - Jon Lee Anderson
• Macolm X - Manning Marable (one of my favorite books of the summer)
• The Most Beautiful Walk in the World: A Pedestrian in Paris - John Baxter
• A Moveable Feast - Ernest Hemingway (okay, some fiction, some non-fiction)
• Falling Upwards: A Spirituality for the Second Half of Life - Richard Rohr
• A Kierkegaard Anthology - ed. by Robert Bretall

Graphic Novels: The Blue Hill LIbrary has a wonderful collection of graphic novels, so I decided to expand my repertiore in this area:

• My Friend Dahmer - Derf Beckderf
• Black Hole - Charles Burns
• Are You My Mother? - Alison Bechdel
• The Book of Genesis Illustrated by R. Crumb
• Maus I - Art Spiegelman
• A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen - Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill

I will expand some thoughts on these books in future blogs, noting the leadership lessons learned while reading them.  I hope everyone gets a chance to have some type of Summer Reading Feast, using the time for professional and pleasurable reading.