Don’t Be a "Cop-Out" New Year’s Celebrant

Posted on December 31, 2011 by pdncoach

Don’t be one of those cop-out New Year’s celebrants who say “I don’t make New Year’s resolutions.”

Don’t be a New Year’s Weenie!

Resolve to do something important in 2012 (meaning: decide firmly on a course of action). Start something new, repeat something great, have the courage to take action on the one thing that is truly most important to you now, and follow through to its achievement.

Make a plan and execute it. Overcome obstacles. Get better. Don’t give up until you win!

Remember the Parable of the Five Frogs:

There are 5 frogs sitting on a log. Four decide to jump off. How many are left?

We don’t know how many frogs jumped or how many were left on the log.  Just because you decide to do something doesn’t mean you do it.

In 2012, have the courage to take action on the one thing that is truly most important to you now, and follow through to its achievement. Inspiration leads to intention. Don’t let your mood of the moment interfere with the intention of your life this year. Start living at The Intersection of Purpose and Now.

Join me at the Intersection of Purpose & Now.
Posted in courage, goals, intention, New Year, resolutions | Leave a comment

Disruptive Passion

Posted on December 1, 2011 by pdncoach

When the going gets rough, the rough get going…but do they know where they are going?  Value-driven leaders have a keen sense of Purpose.

You may recognize your deep desire for something more; I hope you do.  You don’t just want it; you need it. You need a “must do”, a disruptive passion that gives your every breath, every moment, every thought, every feeling, every move clear purpose. What’s the sense in doing anything without doing it On Purpose?  Purpose can appear with reflection, but it’s much more satisfying when it is a form of anticipation.

Purpose is a necessary ingredient of a meaningful life, no doubt about it. Purpose is your only weapon against the forces of mediocrity, status-quo, boredom, dissatisfaction and decay that, otherwise, will eventually win you over.  These are the forces that hate your passion, your “heart’s desires”, your Big Idea, your purpose, and they will do everything in their power to bring you back to “the way things are”.

Without Desire and Purpose, circumstances win. You tolerate rather than pursue. You react instead of pro-act. You are reluctant to act or you merely pass. The ubiquitous “They” will try to convince you to play it safe, and intimidate you into returning to the easy path they have chosen.  They are powerfully convincing.

Passion, desire and purpose is disruptive. True passion, with purpose as your guide, will disrupt your life and the lives of those around you. But the rewards of change are growth, happiness, success, fulfillment, and significance in your private world, if not in your public world.

Goals can help you escape, but sometimes only to another cage. Goals are not enough, because goals too often give “ought to” and “should do” artificial urgency and importance

Know your passion. Articulate your deep desire in the form of Purpose. Test it against what you value most, against and your core beliefs. Then give it “legs” with written goals. Come alive with a unique sense of direction. Only then will you be able to schedule your priorities, rather than prioritizing your schedule.

Set a course for your true north and you’ll never be completely lost.  “Blow a certain trumpet” and the going may – no it WILL get rough…and you will come alive.

Join me at the Intersection of Purpose & Now.
Posted in core values, goals, passion, Purpose, values-based leadership | Leave a comment

Becoming the Value-Based, Purpose-Driven Leader

Posted on November 28, 2011 by pdncoach

“If you are not self-reflective, how can you know yourself? If you do not know yourself, how can you lead yourself? If you cannot lead yourself, how can you lead others?” ~Harry M. Kraemer, From Values to Action: The Four Principles of Values-Based Leadership 

I have coached hundreds of people over the past 20 years, and there are a very few common issues that all have sought to address, or at some point recognized their need to more clearly articulate.  First, one must recognize that circumstances do not define you; your response to circumstance defines you through your attitudes, daily habits and goals. Second, understanding, articulating and following one’s purpose is the first requirement of leadership.

This is what it takes to lead and to live at The Intersection of Purpose and Now.
So when I coach you in leadership, and provide a proven process, structure and world-class materials for leadership development, I always clarify that you already have your REAL materials: they are in your own agenda – identifying, articulating, testing and measuring the kind of leader you are trying to be, and passing this on to others.

Robert McDonald: Value-Based Leadership
In this inspiring and informative 2009 presentation at MIT, Bob McDonald, the Chairman, President and CEO of Proctor & Gamble presents 12 beliefs he has been working on and periodically changing for about 20 years. These beliefs represent his values and purpose. He offers them not for you to replicate so much as to inspire you to develop your own leadership beliefs. And he provides an excellent example, indeed.

  1. People like to work for a leader that’s predictable.
  2. Nothing happens without leadership; it is the most precious and scarce resource in the world.
  3. Living a life driven by a purpose leads to a more meaningful and rewarding life than simply meandering through life without a purpose.
  4. Everybody wants to succeed and success is contagious. Spend your time catching people succeeding. Further, leaders “take responsibility for things even when they’re beyond our control.” 
  5. Putting people in the right jobs is the most important trait of a leader. People “get the best grades in the course they enjoy the most.”
  6. Character is the most important trait of the leader. Character is about putting the needs of the organization above your own needs.  People will follow a leader whose ambition is for the organization. Further, a key to a leader’s character is to “take responsibility for things even when they’re beyond our control” and never make excuses. 
  7. Diverse groups of people are more innovative than homogenous groups of people. 
  8. Ineffective strategy, structure and systems are bigger barriers to achievement than the talents of people. Leaders must provide these. Put good people into a bad process and the bad process will win. 
  9. There will be some people who will not make it on the journey. Leaders have such good relationships and continuous feedback with people that they know before you have to tell them.  You help them recognize the tension and identify other careers which offer greater promise for them.
  10. Organizations have to renew themselves. Growth requires change and leaders have to create the change. Help the organization and the people in it get ready for change and develop new capabilities. The distinguishing characteristic of people who succeed and those who don’t is their ability to learn. [Great question for any team or organizational leader to ask: “What’s going to turn us into a boiled frog?”]
  11. Recruiting is a top priority (especially if you want to only recruit from within – every hire could be a future CEO).
  12. As a leader the true test of character isn’t what happens in your organization when you’re there, it’s what happens when you’re not there.

From the West Point Prayer:

“Choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong.”

McDonald begins at 5:05. McDonald allows questions from the audience at 42:57, and perhaps the best questions comes at the very end.

Question: How do you internalize these things and make sure they are right there when you need them?
Answer: When you have to teach something, that’s when you really learn it.  Write it down. Share it with the people around you. Have and engage in a process of renewal.

For those searching for purpose, McDonald recommends this practical written exercise: list organizations to which you belong, and their dominant values; note lessons learned from your family, memorable life and educational experiences; then turn this into a set of beliefs.

Great leaders seek great help. If I can help you email me at askthecoach@pdncoach.com.

Join me at the Intersection of Purpose & Now.
Posted in belief, Bob McDonald, coaching, leadership, MIT, Proctor and Gamble, Purpose, values, values-based leadership | Leave a comment