Book review: Showing Up For Life

Bill Gates' father (William Gates Sr) has taken the time to collect his thoughts and collate them into a handy little book of wisdom.  There are lots of stories and anecdotes that span an entire century and reach from the early 1900's all the way through to 2009.

This is a book deeply set in reality.  There are reflections on surviving the depression, hard work, starting out in life and integrity.  After being married for 42 years Mrs Gates passed away and there are some very nice reflective yet instructful stories from the life of Mary Gates as well.

What I really enjoyed about this book is it's honesty and it's sincerity.  This is not a book about Microsoft or Bill Gates but a book about life.  How to live, make the most of everyday and ultimately leave a lasting legacy through the words you say, the acts you complete and the influence you leave behind.

This is not a management book (in the purest sense).  This book is a common sense guide to life packed full of wisdom and insight.  The evidence that Mr Gates' experiences and philosophies work is best shown through the results of his family and legacy.

You can also check out Mr Gates own thoughts here as well.

Review: The Art of Influence

The Art of Influence is a very short and very punchy parable.  It tells the story of how a recent graduate from business school meets up with one of the leading business leaders of the time and is taught some valuable lessons.

This is a short story.  It won't take long to read.  What it will do though is give you food for thought and some really important life lessons.

While there are four obvious laws that are stated (without giving them away) there also plenty of other thoughts, stories and pieces of wisdom that wind their way through the book.  A lot like the fable of Hansel and Gretel this story weaves its way along a path and encourages you to follow it.

Chris Widener is the author and has done a great job on this book.  Interestingly this book reminds me a lot of the other parable 'Who moved my cheese'.

This is a book or audio story that is well worth investing in annd aharing with your friends.  A quick note - you can probably skip the first half of the book and start at the chapter where the first law is introduced by Mr Gold.  The introductory content before this chapter doesn't add a whole lot to the over all story.

My final opinion - four stars out of five,

Blaming Others

If it was you that stuffed up - own up, face facts, deal with it.  EOM.

Transparency in Business

The HBR this month leads with an article titled "Leadership in the age of transparency".  I recommend it as a must read sometime this month for sure.

I am unaware if there are many better ways of demonstrating transparency than the way Air New Zealand have captured it -



What does the term 'transparency in business' mean to you?

Making The Right Choice

What is the right choice to make in any given situation?  How do you know if the choice you are making is right or wrong?

I have been working through exactly this kind of situation.  It is a 'what should I do' situation.  So where should we start when it comes to making choices?

I go back to my annual resolutions, goals and objectives that I set for myself in December of last year.  Those goals are - 1.  Compliance, 2. Excellence and 3.  Teamwork.

So the situation arose where I had to pick between a good option that was mainly for my benefit or an option whereby I would forfeit personal gain in order to be involved with and develop my team.

Okay - so it doesn't sound that bad - but - giving up a financial reward for little effort isn't as easy as it may sound.  I was pretty keen on ensuring I got the best personal reward.  Until I started reflecting on where I am at and what is important to me in 2010.

So I chose to go with the team option.  Giving up a bit of money in the short term I decided was a poor way to get ahead when compared to the benefits and rewards of working with the team to grow the financial benefits and rewards for everyone.

Guess what - after I made the decision to stay true to my goals I had a pair of breakthrough moments.  One - the conflicting appointment was shifted so I can still make a personal gain, and two - I may have a chance to do something I have always dreamed of and may now be able to do.

Moral of the story - stay true to yourself, act and think with integrity and the rewards will come your way.

(Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/will-lion/3122985108/)

The Missed Position

So you applied for a position within your company - one that you really wanted or coveted - and didn't get it. What do you do?

Well you can either - get bitter or get better!

Here's what I did for the person who got the job over me -

1. Congratulations. I offered them congratulations and wished them well.


2. Support. I offered and gave as much support as I could to enable them to be the best at what they have to do.


3. Integrity. I speak highly of the person when I am talking to others in the staff room or on other occasions.

Remember - you reap what you sow! Here are some questions I use to self relect -

1. Role size. Was the job the right shape/size for my abilities? If I didn't get the job because of a lack of skill - then get started and work towards fixing those areas of lack.


2. Philosophy. Did the job role and company philosophy suit me and vise versa? If not then great - I don't have to deal with those issues in the future.


3. Interview. What questions did they ask? How do I feel I answered them? Could I have handled the interview any differently?

So you didn't get the job. Don't get even - get better!

Breakthrough in 2010

Here are four keys to breakthrough that Zig Ziglar has posted on his weekly newsletter -

Insight #1: Integrity makes your mission possible.

Insight #2: Wisdom chooses the right doors at the right time and helps you come up with the right plan.

Insight #3: Strength and discipline give you the fuel to reach your goal.

Insight #4: Hope keeps your boat afloat.

Lets add some application to those keys. Here are my thoughts -

1. Integrity. Choosing to do what is right even when it seems certain doing what isn't right would be so much easier. Trust is everything.

2. Wisdom. Listen to the small voice that speaks to you in your mind. It is called your conscience and it is valuable. Ignore it at your own risk.

3.Discipline. You need to set a goal, focus on it, remind yourself what it is and then work out the small steps you need to take to fulfill it. Then ACT!

4. Hope. Don't let setbacks or disappointments keep you from being happy or acheiving your goals, Rather use setbacks, criticism and negative feedback as markers and signs of areas in your life that still require work.

Make 2010 work for you!

Crisis - How do you deal with it?

A crisis can either paralyse you with fear or energise you to make a change going forward.

This week we have had to deal with a major crisis that fortunately will not have as much impact as we first thought it would have. Also the team came out the other side with a clearer understanding and sense of purpose than what we had before the crisis hit.

So what did we do to get through?

1. Called a crisis meeting. All the parties involved were called in. Not just the persons who may have appeared to have been at fault but a wider selection of people. Those persons who were also able to solve the situation.


2. Focused on the issue at hand. Move away from finger pointing, blaming others or trying to apportion responsibility to a person. Rather focus on fixing the problem.


3. Made action plans. Every person in the meeting left with a sense of direction about what would be done to solve the situation. Every person will also be held accountable for their assigned tasks to ensure they are completed correctly.


4. Created procedures and protocols. Solving the problem faced once is not good enough. Creating levers and establishing communication links for the future is the ultimate outcome.


5. Reflected. There were a whole bunch of people who - missed it. We all missed the error and didn't fully appreciate the outcomes of our decisions. Through reflection we are able to ensure (as well as we can) that we will not knowingly make the same mistakes again.


6. Came clean. Our boss went and spoke to the CEO as soon as we knew what was happening and was able to - build credibility (integrity and honesty) and take some of the heat out of the situation.

Don't get me wrong. There was a crisis and there is some fallout as a result. However given the fact that we dealt with it - early, with everyone and can move forward - we all get to sleep better at night as a result.

Integrity

An interesting situation has occurred in New Zealand politics. In a time where the public and consumers want transparency and honesty - some politicians go and do the opposite.

The public have said through their voice in the media and talk back radio that free perks should not be squandered or abused by the politicians. Especially not by persons whom have previously railed against such abuses of power. However it is only now that those same persons behaviors are in the public arena, whereas previously it was all hushed up.

What can we learn from this?

1. If you live by the sword, you die by the sword. Be careful what you say about others and how you go about saying it.



2. You reap what you sow. If you use the system to your advantage (even lawfully) someone else will most likely do the same to you in the future.



3. Integrity and a good name is all you have. It is easy to lose a good image and very, very hard to get it back.



4. Work hard to maintain your credibility - friends are more fickle than family.

What should these politicians do? Be more honest in the future, don't take advantage of the system and never forget that they are in the spotlight at all times. It's hard being in a position where you are visible all the time - hence the need to be so much more careful.