Sunday, November 1, 2009

Week 44 - XLR8 The Passionate Leader

I love Sunday mornings because I can read the paper, drink my coffee and watch CBS Sunday Morning on TV. Today they had a segment on Larry Bird & Magic Johnson (they played basketball against each other in the 70’s). While they competed against each other, they “hated” each other. However, their fierce competition made each other better.

What made this story special was their current relationship as described by Larry: "The one thing I know is if I ever had problems with my son, with my marriage, anything, if I call him he will be there and vice versa." In life, you don't get very many people that you know would be there in the middle of the night. "One, in my case. I got a lot of good friends, but only like him." Magic got very emotional when heard it. "We'll always be there for each other. It's something that - forget the color of the skin, we're the same. We're just alike. We're just alike." Amen.

I have someone like that in my life that I grew up with. John reads this blog. Just know how important you are to me.

  • Zig Ziglar’s Inspiration: 365 Days A Year
    • My favorite quote for the week of November 1st – 7th: “People are like sticks of dynamite. The power’s on the inside but nothing happens until the fuse gets lit.” Mac Anderson
      • My son, Andrew, who came to Leadership Week last June, is working with a group in his fraternity to determine the power of their “Unique Ability” tonight. Their pre-work assignment was to ask 10 people (family & close friends): “What is my unique ability - why do you enjoy having a relationship with me; what is it about me that makes our relationship special?” Preferably, they would provide 2 - 3 key words or a short concise sentence.
      • That data is then transferred to a worksheet with a 3” circle in the middle with 10 lines radiating from it. Each entry is further refined to the key words or phrase and written in the 10 spaces. Lastly, a 20 – 25 word statement capturing the key themes is written. Andrew came up with: “I am a genuine, loyal critical thinker with a desire to make an impact and determined to get results through collaboration and natural leadership charisma.”
      • He has been interviewing for a job when he graduates in May. I emphasized to him that he should make sure his unique ability comes across loud and clear in the interviews. More importantly, he should choose the job that will allow him to utilize his unique ability the most.

  • The Best Year of Your Life: Get Debbie Ford's Kit
    • Week Forty-Three: Have Faith
    • Week Forty-Four: What’s Your Excuse?
      • Maybe you have noticed that human beings are masters at inventing excuses for why we can’t or don’t have everything we desire. “I didn’t have time.” “I’m too busy or stressed out.”
      • The scariest thing about our excuses is that we often mistake them for the truth. The truth is we choose to make them so. What could you do or accomplish without your favorite excuse? Do you have the courage to give it up? Be more committed to what you want than this excuse.

  • Creating a Culture of Leadership Development – A Drop for Your Bucket!!! Send an electronic drop or comment by going to the blog (click on this blog’s heading – Wake Up the Passionate Leader above) and click on the “comment” icon at the end of this week’s posting.

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