Earn your Luck – Happy St. Patrick’s Day
Earn your Luck
Do you believe that to succeed you just have to be lucky?
In honour of my second favourite day of the year, St. Patrick’s Day, I thought I’d share some thoughts on being lucky. “Luck” hints to us that all good things are the result of chance. Some people are lucky, some aren’t. Or so the conventional thinking goes.
But the truth is, fortune isn’t found in a four leaf clover or at the end of a rainbow. Good luck follows hard work. It may seem that the people who get “all the breaks” do so effortlessly, but when you look deeper, you will find effort, persistence, and determination.
In other words, “lucky” people reap opportunities because they’ve worked hard to get where they are, not because circumstances have magically lined up to give them a smooth ride.
So often, “lucky breaks” in life have actually come about because you have worked diligently, and often unglamorously, to achieve your goals. In other words, good luck doesn’t come to you… you must go to it. And that’s why the key to being lucky isn’t chance. It’s good, old fashioned, roll-up-your-sleeves-and-make-it-happen work.
Oh, and it’s my second favourite day of the year because it’s also my birthday!
Because I shall be celebrating in Phuket, Thailand whilst you all slave away, I thought it only right that I give you a present this year.
So, for this weekend, 16th and 17th March 2013 – from midnight PST Saturday (around 4pm Saturday SGT) till 23:59 PST on Sunday 17th (around 4pm Monday 18th SGT), you can download the Kindle version of my hot new leadership book from the Amazon store for free. I’d gift wrap it too but it’s kinda hard to wrap a digital file 
Go straight here, to get “What’s Better Today? How to Grow and Learn into the Leader You Can Be, now. Remember, there will be no charge between the hours above. And for those of you in Asia, when the site tells you that it is not available in your region… I have no idea why… just change your region to US and you’ll be able to download it.
No Kindle? Then get yourself the Kindle app or, you can get it on Kobo (not free, sorry) you can order now.
Prefer paper? Well, be patient, around mid-April, Penguin will be publishing my book (I know I am so blessed) and it will be available in all good bookstores.
Now’s your chance to give me a birthday treat… aha the catch… download my book, tell your friends and get them to download the book and let’s see if we can knock that Dr John. C Maxwell off the top of the Leadership Bestseller list, if only for a week 
Be greatly blessed, highly favoured, and if you insist, be lucky!
Happy St Patrick’s Day!
John
Do you want to be at Cause or Effect? Creative and Survival Cycles
One of the most common issues faced by people in their lives and leadership is life happening. John Lennon’s famously said “Life happens whilst you’re making other plans.”
Some of you reading this are going to like this, others won’t like this one little bit. Essentially, you have a choice. A very simple choice. You can either choose to create your future, or you can accept the one that you get.
“But…” I hear many about to interrupt .. there are no ‘buts’. Sorry about that. Yes, it is true that other people, the world, the circumstances around you may well prevent you from achieving your goal. So what are you going to do about it?
Can you cause the world do something different? There are many things that you cannot change… the weather for example. Overcome the problem.
Can you make another person do whatever is necessary? You cannot directly cause them to do something, though you can influence them.
“But…” I continue to hear… There are no buts. You choose to act to overcome the obstacle.
Do you want to be at cause for your life, or at the effect of life happening to you?
If you genuinely want the latter… read no more, you are in danger of gaining the former.
Are you like a thermometer. Reacting to the external environment?
Or, are you like a thermostat, changing and adapting and controlling what you can control to change the environment?
In their book “The Skilled Facilitator”, Schwarz et al, (2005) they describe a Life Learning Model, developed by Dr. Guillermo Cuellar, adapted in the diagram below to show the creative and survival cycles that people choose to follow.
In any given situation, we start with a choice. We can act to make something happen, or, we react to the external situation. Both appear to start the same way. Yet, they start a cycle that is either virtuous or destructive in the long term.
Most people who are motivated towards achievement are likley to be in the creative cycle. Those of you who are more motivated away-from things that you do not want, will be in the survival cycle.
When you are at effect, you react to something external to you (or something that you believe is outside your control). Your primary purpose is to protect yourself (or your people).
Your personal values and beliefs will determine what you see as obstacles, both conscious and unconscious and these influence your choice to address or avoid the obstacles.
In the survival cycle, you will try to avoid the obstacles in your path to reacting to the external ’threat’. And, as you try to avoid them, you will adapt or assimilate your reaction to do so. As a result of obstacle avoidance, your result is likely to be less than optimal. Most often the result achieved is not really the desired result. This leads to disappointment and your survival vision… “I have to”…”I must..” in order to survive.
On the other side, you can choose to take action. The desired end result could be considered to be exactly the same thing, and the external environmental pressures could also be exactly the same as for the person who ‘reacts’. It’s a mindset choice that makes the greatest difference here. In the creative cycle, your purpose is to discover potential and possibilities.
You take action and come across the self-same obstacles. But instead of trying to avoid the obstacles, you address them. Experimenting and testing to find the best way to overcome the obstacles. When you find the optimal way to address the obstacle, you gain your desired result and CELEBRATE!. You have a creative vision… “I like to…”…”I want to…”
Survival cycle strategies that we employ (and we all employ them at some point) are often developed early in life and was originally a creative response to a situation. It worked then and achieved the desired results then. Later in life, we continue to use the same response yet circumstances have changed.
A common example of taking an early life response and applying it in later life that I come across all to frequently is when a child’s parents use punishment as their primary means of maintaining discipline at home and as their primary means of getting the child to do certain tasks or chores.
- Original “Cause” and Creative Cycle Response
- Later Life Survival Cycle Response
- ”Eat all your dinner or I’ll smack you” – ‘Accidently’ feed the dog under the table (especially those gray Brussels Sprouts!)
- Abdicate (aka delegate) work I don’t like or enjoy to others. Blame others for the mess they leave. (Think about the many bosses who’ve dumped their workload on you)
- ”Get a Grade A or I’ll beat you” – Hide report cards from parents (get caught eventually but fewer beatings)
- Continuously change reporting policies to hide information from stakeholders (think Enron and Kenneth Lay)
- “Behave or go to your room without supper” – Stock up on foodstuff secreted in room and/or outwardly behave whilst inwardly rebelling. Hardly a punishment if you have Internet and TV in your room but still used.
- “Play politics” sucking up to the right people outwardly whilst undermining them to take power away. (Think about Kevin Rudd’s sudden resignation as Australia’s PM)
There are no right or wrong cycles. The two exist simultaneously.
You may be choosing to be at cause, and using the creative cycle, yet those obstacles, well they turn out to be insurmountable… so you avoid them instead, adapting and assimilating, true, not getting the optimal result but, life really does happen whilst you are making other plans.
Do You Know Why You Lead?
When was the last time, if ever, you asked yourself the question:
“Why do I lead?”
Notice I did not ask how you lead or what you lead, I asked WHY you lead. What is the ultimate outcome or purpose that drives you to carry on despite the many challenges that accompany leadership?
If you don’t know the answer to that question, maybe it’s time you put some thought into it.
On Leadership and The Force of Connection
"If knowledge traps are the cholesterol of organizations, then the force of connection that fosters relationship excellence is the statin drug that breaks up knowledge traps, restores knowledge flow, and keeps the environment healthy." ~ Michael Lee Stallard
An Eye-Opening Story
There’s a story about a manager who bumped into one of her former employees in the grocery store. The former employee gave her the cold shoulder.
On Leaders and Accountability: Notes From the Cliff
As we launch into the New Year, I’ve amazed at how the word “cliff” has dominated the news.
We’re obviously not talking about the very dangerous physical sport of cliff diving which can be a thing of beauty and grace done by the professionals.
No, it’s the political sport of dancing on the edge of a fiscal cliff that threatens our economy in a multitude of ways.
On Leadership, Management and Knowing Where to Tap
Here is a story about understanding the difference between management and leadership.
An Age Old Story
In a rickety old part of town an old man goes to an old boiler factory to fix the only boiler on the work site. He gets shown around, told about the boiler problem, what had happened prior to it seizing up and stopping. The factory manager asked him if there was anything he could do to bring it back to life.
Personal Leadership: Inspire Your Life, Inspire Your Business
An epiphany can come from a lot of places: talking with a new person, experiencing a new place or culture, or reading a book seemingly unrelated to your problem.
If you’re really paying attention, you may realize how slyly and timely inspiration enters our lives, usually just when we need it.
Experiences That Change You
For instance, in 1989 I had an accident while water skiing.
Building a Leadership Team That Builds Your Business
When it comes to your small business, you only want the best. You have worked hard to build your business and you continue to work hard to keep it flourishing.
But growing your business without the right people is a path to ruin.
Your Building Blocks to Business
When your business reaches a point where it requires additional dedicated workers…
Are you at Cause or Effect?
Are you at Cause or Effect? |
Are you at Cause or Effect?
Purpose and Objectives
One of the most common issues faced by people in their lives and leadership is: life happening. John Lennon’s famously said “Life happens whilst you’re making other plans.”
Some of your clients are going to like this, others won’t like this one little bit. Essentially, your client has a choice. A very simple choice. They can either choose to create their future, or they can accept the one that they get.
Moving someone from effect to cause
“But…” I hear your client about to interrupt… there are no ‘buts’. Sorry about that. Yes, it is true that other people, the world, the circumstances around them may well prevent them from achieving their goal. So what are they going to do about it?
Can they cause the world do something different? There are many things that you cannot change… the weather for example. So the answer is…. overcome the problem.
Can they make another person do whatever is necessary? Neither they nor you can directly cause them to do something, though you (and your client) can influence them.
“But…” I continue to hear… There are no buts. You choose to act to overcome the obstacle.
In any given situation, we start with a choice. We can act to make something happen, or, we react to the external situation. Both appear to start the same way. Yet, they start a cycle that is either virtuous or destructive in the long term.
Most people who are motivated towards achievement are likely to be in the creative cycle. Those of you who are more motivated away-from things that you do not want, will be in the survival cycle.
When you are at effect, you react to something external to you (or something that you believe is outside your control). Your primary purpose is to protect yourself (or your people).
Your personal values and beliefs will determine what you see as obstacles, both conscious and unconscious and these influence your choice to address or avoid the obstacles.
In the survival cycle, you will try to avoid the obstacles in your path to reacting to the external ‘threat’. And, as you try to avoid them, you will adapt or assimilate your reaction to do so. As a result of obstacle avoidance, your result is likely to be less than optimal. Most often the result achieved is not really the desired result. This leads to disappointment and your survival vision… “I have to”…”I must…” in order to survive.
On the other side, you can choose to take action. The desired end result could be considered to be exactly the same thing, and the external environmental pressures could also be exactly the same as for the person who ‘reacts’. It’s a mindset choice that makes the greatest difference here. In the creative cycle, your purpose is to discover potential and possibilities.
You take action and come across the self-same obstacles. But instead of trying to avoid the obstacles, you address them. Experimenting and testing to find the best way to overcome the obstacles. When you find the optimal way to address the obstacle, you gain your desired result and CELEBRATE!. You have a creative vision… “I like to…”…”I want to…”
Survival cycle strategies that we employ (and we all employ them at some point) are often developed early in life and were originally a creative response to a situation. It worked then and achieved the desired results then. Later in life, we continue to use the same response yet circumstances have changed.
A common example of taking an early life response and applying it in later life that I come across frequently is when a child’s parents use punishment as their primary means of maintaining discipline at home and as their primary means of getting the child to do certain tasks or chores. This often means that you may be choosing to be at cause, and using the creative cycle, yet those obstacles, well they turn out to be insurmountable… so you avoid them instead, adapting and assimilating, true, not getting the optimal result but, life really does happen whilst you are making other plans.
Do you want to be at cause for your life, or at the effect of life happening to you?
If you genuinely want the latter… read no more, you are in danger of gaining the former.
Are you like a thermometer. Reacting to the external environment?
Or, are you like a thermostat, changing and adapting and controlling what you can control to change the environment?
In their book “The Skilled Facilitator”, Schwarz et al, (2005) they describe a Life Learning Model, developed by Dr. Guillermo Cuellar, adapted in the diagram below to show the creative and survival cycles that people choose to follow.
Some examples of early creative responses that later in life become survival responses:
| Examples of original causes for a CREATIVE response when young | Examples of later behaviours in life that are now SURVIVAL responses |
| “Eat all your dinner or I’ll smack you“’Accidently’ feed the dog under the table (especially those gray Brussels Sprouts!) | Abdicate (aka delegate) work I don’t like or enjoy to others. Blame others for the mess they leave. (Think about the many bosses who’ve dumped their workload on you |
| “Get a Grade A or I’ll beat you“Hide report cards from parents (get caught eventually but fewer beatings) | Continuously change reporting policies to hide information from stakeholders (think Enron and Kenneth Lay) |
| “Behave or go to your room without supper” Stock up on foodstuff secreted in room and/or outwardly behave whilst inwardly rebelling. Hardly a punishment if you have Internet and TV in your room but still used. | “Play politics” sucking up to the right people outwardly whilst undermining them to take power away. (Think about Kevin Rudd’s sudden resignation as Australia’s PM) |
Death by Avoidance
“I’m just trying to stay off the radar"
“I’m keeping my head down”
“I’m not going to stick my neck out"
I can’t count the times I have heard comments like that over the years. I bet you have too. You generally hear this in an organization where people are just trying to survive. They have come to believe that raising your hand means getting dumped on… or having it cut off.
