Leadership on Speed

one of the most powerful movies i have seen in a long time

With my schedule, I don't get to watch nearly as many movies as I would like (older or newer) but I recently had the chance to watch the movie Secretariat and I LOVED it.  It is only fair to tell you that I am a bit biased because 1. I LOVE horses and 2. I am a sucker for anything remotely inspirational but, in my opinion this movies still moves to the top of the list.  

Most biographical movies are not 100% accurate and Secretariat is no different but any movie that inspires me to spend hours pouring through material to learn the rest of the actual story should be an indicator of how much I enjoyed it and the more I learned the more fascinated I became..

I learned a lot of lessons from Mrs. Tweedy and her crew.  Here are just a few: 

1.  Only YOU know what you know

    Despite how others may discount you, YOU know what you know.  If you have the experience or expertise to make something happen (even if you are the only one who knows it), GO FOR IT.

2.  Believe in yourself.  Believe in your dream. 

    New journeys are frought with trepidation and uncertainty.  Often the only thing that sustains you is your vision of the outcome.  Believe in yourself.  You may not always be confident in the path but always stand firm in the destination.

3.  Dreams breed innovation and creativity.

    Don't be afraid to step out of the box to accomplish the seemingly impossible.  You may be the only person on the planet to do what you are about to do - and that's ok.

3.  Commitment. Commitment. Commitment.

   Did I say commitment?

4.  Surround yourself with the right team.

   It is not enough to have talented people around you (though that is important).  They must also be likeminded spirits and believe in the dream as passionately as you do.  There is no doubt that a small group of committed people can change the world.  

5.  Commitment to a dream means sacrifice.

    Any journey worth taking involves sacrifice.  If you don't recognize that, I guarantee you that the people around you will.  

6.  Trust your intuition.

    This has always been a core belief of mine throughout my life and this movie only reaffirms that.  Women tend to call it "intuition".  Men may feel more comfortable "going with their gut" but however you couch it, use it.  The only times my intuition has EVER failed me was when I failed to trust IT.

7.  Speak your truth but let actions speak louder.

    It's one thing to speak up when the time is right but sometimes words can become bluster.  When that happens, it's time to be quiet and let the work speak for itself.  NO ONE ignores results.

8.  Know when to walk on the edge.

   No risk. No reward.  All of the great leaders of our day walked on the edge.  They walked on the edge because they believed in something so strongly that they could take no other action.  It was often not until the race had been run that history revealed their true greatness.

9.  Sometimes it takes a perfect storm.

   The question becomes: Are perfect storms acts of God or do you actually create the perfect storm by acting on influences in your environment?  I believe the latter.  Leaders see a need and make a choice to fill the gap.  They see events unfolding and recognize that they can make a difference where others see events unfolding and hope someone else will do something about it.

Is it time for your perfect storm?

Continue to be great! 

the fragility of life

The fear of death follows from the fear of life.  A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.  ~Mark Twain

Like many of us, I am deeply shocked and saddened at the death of Natasha Richardson.  I am sure there was a time in my life in which I would hear such news distantly and without affect but no more.  As a wife and mother, I think about the suddenness of the families loss and the callousness of a term such as "talk and die".  To be in the midst of your life one minute and gone the next - it is (or should be) a reminder to us all of the fragility of life....

At times like these, we tend to take stock of our own existence...of our own mortality and our legacy. I can only hope that I have made a difference with my life and my work and yet, I am reminded that I have much left to do and that tomorrow is not promised.  

Why Natasha? Why now?

To that I can only tell you of my own personal story with my brother whom I lost to lung cancer in 2004.  As he deteriorated and we came to be sure that his transition was imminent, I "happened" to be reading Neal Walsch's Conversations With God (as if I don't believe that everything has a divine purpose).  My brother was only 49 and the father of two beautiful children.  As I questioned my brothers fate and the timing of his premature death, I came upon this notion which shifted my thinking and brought me immense peace -

No person moves on until their work is done.

It is difficult to accept the end of a life before it's time but I know, just as I discovered with my brother, that Natasha's work was done and God has called her home. 

What about you?  What do you hope to accomplish in the time that you have left? Are you having fun? Do you have balance? What will your legacy be? 

You were born to be great.

YES, you can!

what did you want to be when you grew up?

Yesterday, I caught part of the movie "The Astronaut Farmer" with Billy Bob Thornton and to give you a brief summary, the movie is about a man who has a dream to personally build a spaceship (think NASA) and launch it into orbit (himself).  I won't give away the ending but as you might guess, he encounters lots of trials, tribulations and obstacles along the way not the least of which is the US Government.  I wasn't particularly impressed with the movie but there was a scene in which he had to appear before some kind of governmental agency in order to get approval and as you might expect, he was getting all kinds of resistance.  At a point in the hearings, he says something akin to the following:

When we are children, we are told (and we believe) that we can do anything - be anything - we want to when we grow up but along the way, something happens and we stop believing...

I am paraphrasing but I find that sentiment is absolutely true.  When we are children, our dreams are limitless but along the way we get boxed into expectations and mediocrity.  Being average is rewarded, being creative and independent is not.  We become afraid that we will fail (or succeed).  We become afraid of what others will think or one hundred other reasons that prevent many of us from even trying.  Recently I saw a quote that went something like this:  F.E.A.R = False Evidence Appearing Real - don't believe it! My question for you today is:  What did you want to be when you grew up?  If you could be anything in the world right now, what would it be and what's standing in your way? 

YES, you can!