The Importance of Failure

Failure“Failure is only the opportunity to begin again, only this time more wisely.” – Henry Ford

“You learn as much from those who have failed as from those who have succeeded.” – Michael Johnson

“Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

In several of my past messages, I’ve spoken of the importance of failure as a part of the growing experience of leadership.  And I truly believe it is important.  I also believe it is important to have a culture that supports its team members when failure occurs.  To be clear, I am not advocating failure for the sake of failure, nor do I think you should be comfortable with failure as an option.  The message has been more around the importance of learning lessons from that failure. Continue reading →

Are You Sure You’re Not a Bad Boss?

worst boss“… take the time to consider not just what kind of a leader you are, but what kind you’re not” – Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman

I found this interesting study from a pair of researchers (Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman) in a recent issue of Harvard Business Review (http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/08/are_you_sure_youre_not_a_bad_b.html).  They analyzed over 30,000 managers and reports from 300,000 of their peers, employees, and executives.  What they found is quite interesting.  It’s more about what they don’t do than what they do that makes them bad bosses.  It wasn’t ‘taking credit for others work’ or the ‘hypocritical’ bosses who said one thing but did another that topped the list.  It was something quite different

And the number one offense?  Failure to inspire, owing to a lack of energy and enthusiasm.  Again and again, these leaders were described as unenthusiastic and passive. Continue reading →

Losing Your Way

“If you’ve been successful {with your company}, I want you to be completely terrified.” – Jim Collins, well-known author and expert on business leadership

Recently I had the opportunity to attend the American Staffing Association’s annual 2012 Staffing World Conference as a guest speaker.  The keynote speaker for this conference was none other than Jim Collins, one of THE leading experts on business leadership.  He’s written a number of notable books, including “Good to Great”, “Built to Last”, “Great by Choice”, and “How the Mighty Fall”.  I would venture to guess that a fair number of you have read his works and are big fans.  If you have not, and if there is only one leadership book you should read, it is his first book – “Good to Great”. Continue reading →

Recognizing that You’re Part of Something Bigger

“Your strength will not come from your place on some org chart, but from building trust and earning respect.” – Sheryl Sandberg, COO Facebook

“I’m an employee of Costco that just HAPPENS to oversee the wine category” – Annette Alvarez-Peters

I would guess that many of you have heard of or are members of Costco.  My wife and I are members of Costco, and I would venture to say that we spend more money at Costco than at any other single retailer we frequent.  We purchase everything from electronics and appliances, to groceries and other staples, to clothing, and even some large purchases like furniture.  For those of you who are members, you’ll smile fondly when I describe the experience of wandering through a Costco, nibbling on their samples, and seeing what new products they have to offer this week.  But my favorite thing to buy at Costco is wine…they have a fairly good selection of wine at some of the best prices I’ve ever seen.  And I do so love my wine! Continue reading →

A Sometimes Thankless Job

“Thanks Dad. The party was cool.” –Birthday cake Amanda Wright
(OK, maybe she didn’t actually say this, but I’m sure she thought it) 😉
This past weekend was my daughter’s 13th birthday party.  She and four of her best friends celebrated their ‘coming of age’ with a huge birthday bash for 100 of their closest friends.  Forget the traditional parties where you have 8 to 10 of your closest friends over for cake and a magic show with Bozo the Clown.  This is something entirely different.

So, as the trend goes (at least in the area of Houston we live in), throughout their 7th grade school year the girls and guys pack up in groups of 3-5 and host ‘13th Birthday’ parties for almost their entire grade level.   The parents hire a DJ, rent out the local community or recreation center, and decorate like there’s no tomorrow.  All for three hours of 13-year-old ‘partying’. Continue reading →

2012 Summer Olympics

Goodbye 2012 Olympics

Well, it’s finally over.  The 2012 Olympics in London finished last night, with one of the most memorable closing ceremonies I’ve ever seen.  As I sat and watched that ceremony, I couldn’t help but be struck by the power and beauty of the Olympic games.  For one small moment in time a collection of athletes from around the world come together to represent the best in what their country has to offer.  They do it for the pride.  The pride that comes in working hard to achieve something.   The pride that comes in succeeding where others can’t.  And the pride that comes from overcoming obstacles, setbacks, and hardships to accomplish something great.

If you were like me, you spent several nights these past few weeks watching the games.  It didn’t matter that the airing was time delayed, that the events had already been decided.  It was just as dramatic to watch as if it was live.  I found myself watching late into the night – Swimming, Gymnastics, Volleyball, Rowing, Diving – none of these sports I have ever participated in, but all of them captivating my attention. Continue reading →

Balancing Work with Life

balance“I believe that being successful means having a balance of success stories across the many areas of your life. You can’t truly be considered successful in your business life if your home life is in shambles.”  [Zig Zigler]

I often stress the importance of work/life balance to my fellow team mates. So for this leadership thought posting, I thought I would feature that concept. And, given that we are deep in the middle of the summer holiday season and now in the middle of a holiday week (July 4th) whose Wednesday calendar placement seems to have given many of us the opportunity for a very long weekend break, this quote is perfect. And of all of the quotes I’ve seen about work/life balance, this one seems to put it all in the right perspective.

I’ve often used my leadership thought posting to impart some wisdom around how to be a better leader in all aspects of life. Clearly many of my past entries have focused around the importance of leadership in managing your teams, in working with your teammates, and in servicing your clients. Make no mistake, it is important for you to build a company of leaders that are known for the quality of their work and the character of their team.

But it is also important to seek a balance in the order of things. Much like the Tao religion/philosophy that seeks harmony with the yin and yang in all things, we aren’t going to be productive or effective in work if we aren’t at harmony with the other aspects of our life. Our health. Our family. Our friends. Our interests. These are all important as well.

OK, maybe that’s getting a little too deep for this week’s message, but you get the picture.

Words of Wisdom

“Now my little eaglet, stand on the edge of the nest, take a deep breath, and soar.  I want to watch you fly!”

[Linda H. Tumlinson – 1945-2012]

I hope I am not out of line with this week’s quote, as it touches on a rather personal note.  But since I believe in personalizing my messages, I’m taking a chance and sharing it.  This week’s quote comes from my mother, Linda H. Tumlinson.  It’s an excerpt from a letter she wrote me on the day I graduated from college.  Please bear with me as I share the wisdom behind this quote, while paying a small tribute to the person who most shaped my life.

As some of you are aware, I lost my mother this past week after a long and lengthy battle with Lupus.  She was an amazing woman.  After serving as a parole officer for 25 years, she went on to found one of the first shelters for battered and drug addicted women in Houston (The Shoulder) and served as a key executive with Prison Fellowship Ministries.

A truly selfless person, she had a gift for seeing the very best in a person, and for believing in them when others may not have.  She knew the character of a man (or woman), and was willing to take risks to give them the chance to let that character shine through.  She was not judgmental, but she did expect you to be accountable for your actions.  But most of all, she could see potential in every single person and would push you to achieve it regardless of the circumstances.

I’ve carried this quote in my head for over 22 years now.  It is such an amazing quote.  So full of hope.  So full of anticipation.  And so full of promise.  It shows faith, trust, and belief.  How can you not strive to be your absolute best when you’ve been given such words of encouragement?

I am sharing this quote for two reasons.  One, I believe it is a fitting tribute to a wonderful person.  Two, I want you to have it.  I want you to own it.  And I hope it inspires you to achieve more than you ever thought possible simply because someone believes in you that much.

PS – thank you so much for all of the support you’ve given me through this tough time.  You will never know how important it was in helping me through it.  As was sharing this quote, so I appreciate you allowing me the latitude to do so.