Leadership-Taking Charge

The problem with leadership is that we're making copycats. We study the road leaders take and all try to take the same road, creating creative gridlock. We need more road-makers, more people to follow the spirit of these leaders' steps, not their actual path. We need more history-bending figures that seem bigger than life, able to do things that the rest of us see as impossible. In two words, we need more "iconic leaders." The fact that so many icons were at the same conference is amazing. The fact that we have so few icons is tragic.

After looking at this subject for many years, I believe there are three factors that iconic leaders have.

The first is a sense of their own, center of the Earth, core values. Such values are discovered, not taught, not adopted. One of the reasons leaders tend to come from situations of adversity (poverty, early death of a parent, illness -- all factors positively correlated with a life that makes an impact) is that hardships reveal what matters to us -- what principles matter, and what don't. We all have hardships, but we don't all learn from them. It's not the hardship that counts; it's the reflection on it that does. People who are depressed have an edge in this type of learning, because they feel so down they cannot help but to reflect. The result of great reflection as iconic leaders all say, as Martin Luther did when challenged about why he was risking his life: "Here I stand, I can do no other." Gandhi's core values were dignity and respect. Martin Luther King, Jr. was justice and empathy. People's core values are as unique as a fingerprint, so my brief summary of a few iconic leaders’ core values is the beginning of their journey, not the end.

The second element is that they know their great gift. Great gifts are much more specific than talents, strengths or abilities. They are a bit like a cat. They don't come running when you call, but if you create the right environment they insist on sitting on your lap. Like a cat, you can put them in categories (long hair, short hair, tabby, ragdoll), but truthfully, no two cats are the same; each has its own pattern of behavior, it's own personality. If the cat analogy doesn't work for you, then think of children or best friends. The key is to get to know the nuance of your great gift -- when it works, when it fails and situations when it's extra powerful

I referred to finding your great gift in a previous post, and at a specific conference, several people were asking me about mine. It's that I take input and ideas from many fields, companies, empirical research, and synthesize something original. It's part creative and part discovery. And unlike other synthesizers, I take it all the way down to specific steps people can take. It's why I write one book every three years, instead of three books every year. I can't release them until they're done, until my great gift says, "It's ready." My great gift is that I synthesize across fields, from history to spirituality to brain science to mythology, and produce what my tribe calls "actionable insights" -- a new way of seeing an old problem, with specific steps that people are inspired to take as a result of the new perspective.

Here's the test of whether you're on the trail of your great gift: You can do it. When your mind is idle, your great gift kicks in. If you go days without using it, you feel like you've neglected a friend. So a great gift is subtle and creates an obsession at the same time. If you learn to use it, it stops stalking you, and reveals its nature more and more, every day. A relationship with your gift is not optional; the only choice is whether your great gift will feed your leadership story, or whether you feel haunted by an obsession.

The third element is a "cross-trained intuition." Leaders seem to know what the right thing to do is, even when others don't. How do they do this? In almost all the cases I've studied, they drew on insights from a field very different from the one in which they're leading. Howard Thurman, a missionary who had met Gandhi, and studied the principles of non-violence, mentored Martin Luther King, Jr. Many of King's insights came from combining an understanding of missionary work, with the remarkable life of the Indian leader. As a result of this influence, his intuition told him to not align himself with either political party in the United States, to remain outside the system of elected office, and to side with anyone down on his or her luck, regardless of their gender, age, race, or religion. His intuition has been trained by studied something very different from leading a social movement in the United States.

Gandhi's mother was a Jain, a devotee of a belief system that every living being has a soul. He also studied the classics, and was especially moved by the story of Harishchandra, a legendary figure who never told a lie and was a symbol of courage. Later in life, he became a nonviolent agitator -- values-driven, courageous, and building a movement that included Hindus and Muslims -- traditional enemies in India.

The leader with a cross-trained intuition that everyone is buzzing about is Steve Jobs. He did a deep dive in minimalism and aesthetics. The computer I'm typing on now -- a new Mac Book Pro -- shows the effect of his intuition, and how he was famously able to reject focus group marketing, because people wouldn't know what they wanted until they saw it. Just as athletes improve their overall fitness by cross training, leaders who have done a deep dive in a field different from the one the lead come across as a bit odd at first, then clever, later visionary, and finally, as godlike in their insights.

If you put these factors together, you unleash a process called the "genius effect." It begins when you notice that the status quo offends you. You get mad, even outraged. The source of this anger, if you trace it back, is that the way things are violates your core values. You can do something about it -- your value compels you to action, even though the challenge seems like it would require a Manhattan Project to tackle. You do have a secret source of ability, which is your great gift. As you get to know it, you find that it's activated by your righteous indignation of the situation. It's not that your gift saves you, it's that you find yourself using a gift you didn't know you had. Along the way, if you're playing long term, you're guided by a deep instinct that has been cross-trained. If you follow the root of this instinct, you go to the field that you know, that others don't.

The genius effect gets its name from what people tend to say about iconic leaders: They are geniuses, not like me at all. That's true. There will never be another Steve Jobs, or Martin Luther King, Jr., or another Gandhi. Nor will there be another you. Your job is to find the way you can be an iconic leader and do that.

If you want a more specific challenge -- then find two people, and go through the process of finding these three elements of iconic leadership with them. It's your job to help them both find their values, great gift, and source of cross-trained intuition. There are two people who will change your life, and you can be well on your way in 90 days. Your job is to find them.

I will end with this thought: Why aren't there more iconic figures? - Because, in the post millennium there just isn't more courage in the world. In fact, a lot of people study leadership for the wrong reason. They are in a situation and rather than rely on their cross-trained intuition, and great gift, and core values, they calm the restless feeling by reading about leadership. So armed with these general guidelines, the challenge is: Stop reading about it, and do it.

Your Education-Why Engineering is still your best educational investment?

When deciding on a particular degree course, many students are unaware of the vast opportunities that lie in the broad area of engineering. This problem arises since most people are unable to define exactly what type of work an engineer performs.

The engineering profession is not well understood by the general public, even in the United States. A professional engineer lives in a high-tech, fast moving world where the competition is fierce and the stakes are high.

With a degree in engineering, you are far more likely to be involved in the research, design and development of new products and services. Engineers have designed and created most of the world in which we now live. The subject is fairly creative and aims to solve everyday problems in a cost effective and practical manner. While many see engineering as a very technical subject, in reality many engineers will develop considerable management experience and the ability to communicate well and motivate individuals is an important skill.

The financial realities of studying for a degree cannot be ignored. Engineering is one of the few University subjects where companies are actively looking to sponsor students throughout their degree program. If sponsored, the company will normally give you money during the university terms, and this can help to make life a bit easier! Most companies will also offer paid work experience during the long summer holidays, and this is a very useful way of experiencing the type of work opportunities engineering has to offer. Sponsorship also offers the chance of a job offer after you graduate.

Job prospects for graduates with a degree in mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering have never been so exciting. The huge growth in areas such as telecommunications has resulted in a large demand for suitably qualified students. In the past, many students have not realized how many opportunities lie in engineering, and this had led to companies finding it extremely difficult to attract people with the skills and experience they require. In general, engineering offers very rewarding work, as well as the potential for personal development, worldwide travel and good pay.

The mechanical engineer has been called the general practitioner and the jack-of-all trades among engineering professions. This is because the profession requires education and skills that span a broad range of technical, social, environmental, and economic problems. In general, however, the mechanical engineer is concerned with controlling the principles of motion, energy, and force through mechanical solutions. 
A mechanical engineer designs the tools and processes used for satisfying the needs of society through a combination of material, human, and economic resources. He/She might work on electric generators, internal combustion engines, steam and gas turbines, and other power-generating machines. He/She might also develop machines such as refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment, power tools, and other power-using machines.

Practically every company that designs and produces a product employs a mechanical engineer. But mechanical engineers can also be found in research labs, the military, government, and in other professions such as medicine, law or teaching; most mechanical engineering jobs require design experience. When for a new or improved product is needed, companies call upon mechanical engineers to do the job. Engineers have to push beyond the limits of their previous work and use innovative technology to meet project requirements successfully; a second major area of employment for mechanical engineers is manufacturing. Manufacturing jobs cover nearly everything involved in developing a product, from selecting the appropriate materials to choosing the correct machinery to manufacture the product. Most mechanical engineers in this industry work for equipment manufacturers, aerospace companies, utilities, material processing plants, transportation companies, and petroleum companies. They also work with small firms, consulting practices, universities, and government research labs.

An Electrical and Electronic Engineering degree opens the door on many possible careers. Whether you want to be a manager or a technical expert, a sales person or a computer programmer, most electronics companies will need and value your skills. If at the end of your degree you decide that your future does not lie in engineering, then your degree can still be used to apply for a wide range of alternative employment opportunities.

In conclusion, a good degree in Mechanical, Electrical and Electronic Engineering from a university with strong research in growth areas such as telecommunications, as well as strong links to the industry, is an excellent and flexible foundation for future success.

Did you know that within Fortune 500 companies 53% of the CEOs have a degree in engineering, while only 11% have a business related degree in their resume?

Stages of CEO/Executive Development

Everyone goes through the same stages of human development on the road to adulthood and maturity. Unfortunately, some of us get stuck in one stage or another, stunting our growth and rendering us dysfunctional.

We look just like ordinary adults, but we actually behave a lot more like children, acting out, throwing tantrums, and generally making life miserable for everyone around us.

It's pretty much the same thing with executives and business leaders. The only difference is that, instead of just messing up their own lives like ordinary people, dysfunctional leaders influence the lives, livelihoods, and investment portfolios of hordes of employees, customers, and investors.

I'd estimate that maybe a quarter of the executives and directors I've worked with have gotten themselves prematurely stuck in one of the following stages of leadership development:

Stage 1: Sponge. You listen and learn from everyone and every situation as you try to figure out how things work in the real business world. Just like a baby learning to walk, you look really cute stumbling around like the clueless neophyte you are. The good news is you have no real responsibility, so you're not in a position to cause any real damage. You just fall, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and try again until you get it right.

Stage 2: Proof-of-concept. Believing you're actually capable of accomplishing something besides making a complete fool of yourself by promising the world and delivering next to nothing, you set out to prove yourself worthy of the management title that, in all likelihood, you've already been granted.

Stage 3: Delivery. Congratulations, you've somehow managed to deliver the goods and succeed in doing something that can credibly be viewed as a business success. In other words, you made money for somebody and got rewarded with a nice fat bonus. You think you've finally arrived. Won't your spouse be thrilled?

Stage 4: Reset. A little full of yourself, you try a repeat performance using the same tricks that worked the first time and realize--too late--that you're going to need a bigger playbook to consistently make it in the big leagues. Failure doesn't sit well with you. In fact, it's downright depressing. So you set out to make sure that never happens again.

Stage 5: Maturity. After a few iterations of the third and fourth stages, you finally begin to get how the real world works. You realize you're just like everybody else, meaning you succeed at some things, fail at others, and learn from everything. It slowly dawns on you that being a mature leader isn't that much different from the first stage, except experience has given you confidence and, with any luck, a sense of humor and humility. Win or lose, you look good doing it -- and deserve that bonus, right?

So, think it over. Are you stuck in one of the stages or know somebody who is? Let me hear from you!

Management Time Strategies

Time is money, so the saying goes. If you're trying to make the most of both, here are some of my favorite strategies for getting a team working effectively.

1. Give people doors. Collaboration is great, but so is the ability to focus. If architecture is remotely within your purview, make sure people have space for quiet concentration when they need it for writing or thinking through longer projects. Nothing kills productivity like distractions.

2. Schedule shorter calls. I've never understood why phone calls (and meetings) are always scheduled for 30 or 60 minutes. Is it because all phone calls naturally take this long? Or is it because that's how much time people budget in their calendars for them? In most cases, shortening the scheduled length of a phone call (to 15 or 20 minutes) will not only make it shorter, but also more effective.

3. Kill the standing meeting. Oh, I know -- sometimes you do need meetings scheduled at a regular time and place. But these tend to creep up on you and multiply until calendars are filled. Get rid of them all. Then slowly see which ones you need to add back.

4. Give all meetings an agenda, with a time frame attached to each item. Invite fewer people rather than more -- something you'll be able to do if you check in occasionally with all team members, so they don't need to crash meetings to get face time.

5. If you need an immediate answer, call. Don't risk creating a culture where people feel compelled to check email constantly, just in case you sent them something.

6. Turn out the lights at a reasonable hour. Pushing past people's work limits not only wastes time, in some industries it can be completely counterproductive. Since some people won't leave until you do, leave conspicuously.

7. Re-using and recycling aren't just for household trash. See if you can re-use anything your team spent time on in a different context. Extra research can morph into articles in industry publications, white papers can turn into speeches; and you should give any workshop you design multiple times. Use all parts of the buffalo in your work life.

8. Keep in touch with everyone who left your organization on good terms. Next time you have an opening, give these people a call first. Someone might say yes, which could save weeks of searching and interviewing candidates and then training them in your company's culture.

9. Give everyone the attention they deserve. In the short run, cutting short a one-on-one discussion with someone who clearly wants to be heard can save time. But in the long run, burnt out or unhappy employees will cost you big.

Being a Great Manager!

In the best of all worlds, executive compensation, shareholder value, operating goals, management objectives, and employee needs are all perfectly aligned.

If you ever find a company like that, keep it to yourself. Nobody will believe you.

It should come as no surprise that perfect companies are about as easy to find as perfect bosses and perfect spouses. It just doesn't happen. Come to think of it, if you look in the mirror and don't see plenty of flaws, you're delusional. And companies are entirely made up of imperfect people, just like you.

Even after 100,000 years of natural selection, the human race has progressed to the point where our organizations are nearly as effective as a colony of ants with defective antennas. That's right, we still have a long way to go; Sobering thought, I know.

And yet, for all the Yahoos, HPs RIMs, Sprints, Sonys, Kodaks, Nokias, Bank of Americas, and all the executives that turned these once-great brands into laughing stocks, there's still the occasional Apple or IBM to give us hope.

It may be an imperfect world, but there are still managers who more or less know what they're doing -- after they've had their morning coffee. Here's my take on what high-performance managers do -- or are at least supposed to do -- to motivate their teams and deliver results:

- Help the company achieve its strategic and operating goals by making smart business decisions and managing their team effectively.

- Entrust their employees with as much responsibility as their capabilities will allow and hold them accountable for the same.

- Behave like a mature adult -- genuine and empathetic -- even when their employees or their management are acting out like spoiled children.

- Provide their employees with the tools, training, and support they need to effectively achieve challenging but reasonably attainable goals.

- Promote a can-do, customer service attitude with customers and stakeholders by walking the talk and leading by example.

- Promote their team's accomplishments and take the heat for their failures.

- Provide genuine feedback, both good and bad, to their employees, peers, and management. Request the same from them.

- Work their tail off and be hands-on when necessary. If they don't, they can't expect anybody else to do it either.

- Don't compromise their ethical principles in the name of "the ends justify the means" or for any other reason.

- Strike a balance between shielding their folks from the ripples of dysfunctional management and openly communicating events that may affect them.

Overall, the best managers create a work environment where people feel challenged, do their best, and are held accountable for meeting their commitments. But most importantly, they're key components in an organization that exists to serve its customers and shareholders. We're all happiest working for a successful company.

What We All Need to Learn to Say

It happens to everyone. You'll be talking to friends or watching a movie and somebody says something that, for whatever reason, strikes a resounding chord with you.

I wouldn't describe it as an epiphany because you probably weren't even aware of how much it spoke to you. But that particular phrase somehow resonated with your situation and state of mind at that point in time.

After a while, you probably won't remember when you first heard it or what you were going through that made it stick with you like it did. But every so often, that phrase pops into your head and you use it. Over time, it becomes part of your toolbox, your belief system, your internal compass, what you stand for. It becomes part of your DNA.

It's the same thing with companies - a collection of beliefs and behavior becomes part of the culture.

I'm not sure a week goes by that a few of these don't go through my mind and impact the way I live and work. They figure prominently in the decisions I make and the way I act once I've made them. It's a good thing I learned to say them. Hope you find them useful.

My work doesn't define me. Work is about business. Mostly that involves a company delivering a product or service to its customers. Notice you're not in that equation. I don't care if you're the CEO. Sure, everybody plays a role, and some roles are bigger than others. While it's great to be engaged and passionate about your work, just remember that it's what you do, not who you are.

What should I do differently? Also what am I missing or not seeing? Inertia's a killer for lives, careers, and companies. If you're not happy with the way things are going, that's not going to change until you do something differently. That means sitting down and thinking about what you should maybe do differently. Yes, that takes effort and energy. No kidding.

Do the right thing. This simple phrase that one wise CEO used to say all the time articulates the work ethic that my father instilled in me when I was young. It represents my moral and ethical compass. You can say that what's right for one person isn't right for another, and that may be true in some cases. But more often than not, at least on some level people usually know what the right thing to do is. They just choose not to do it.

Tomorrow's another day. As a business owner I've had managers complain about the lack of resources and cry that there just wasn't enough time in the day to get everything done. No kidding. It's not as if I forced them at gunpoint to do x, y and z that day. If I had to pick one Golden Rule of the workplace, it's this one. I don't know how anyone can live without it.

What's the worst that can happen? People are forever taking big risks with stuff they can't afford to lose while playing it way too safe when they have nothing to lose. The most important things you need to do in life are the things that scare you. It's called facing your fear and having the courage to act. It helps a lot if you learn to ask yourself this question so you can tell if your fear is justified or not.

How am I doing? It's truly sad that someone in the human resources or organizational development field had to come up with "360 degree" reviews so managers and executives can find out how they're really doing. Yes, the anonymity factor is unique, but if your people or peers aren't comfortable telling you the truth when you ask for it, something's wrong with your management or leadership style.

What's my value proposition? Said another way, how can I help my company, customer, organization, or management? These days I guess they call it "servant leadership," but to me it's always been a question of what can I do better than anyone else that benefits whoever's paying me. It's the same thing with products, services, organizations, and companies. If you can't articulate what unique benefit you offer, then why should anyone pay for it?

 What the heck (substituted word)? The line that defines the movie "Risky Business" is when Miles says to Joel (played by Tom Cruise): "Every now and then say, 'What the Heck'; 'What the Heck!'; gives you freedom. Freedom brings opportunity. Opportunity makes your future." It's repeated in one form or another throughout the movie. It's similar to "What's the worst that can happen?" but I think of it more like "letting go." When you learn to let go, good things come to you; Really. 

I'm wasting my time and energy. This phrase is a relatively recent one for me, but I suspect that every single one of you will benefit by learning how to say it. Why? Social media. Smartphones. iPads. The blogosphere. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, texting, Pandora, iTunes, gaming, Hulu, reality television -- we live in a world of endless distraction, information, and communication overload. It's too much.

Hope is a terrible strategy. Once you make decisions, having faith that you're doing the right thing and sticking with it as long as it makes sense is all well and good. But far too many people aren't willing to do the work. They take the easy way out or take bigger risks than they should and hope things work out. They won't. When hope takes the place of cold, hard facts and smart decision-making, it's a recipe for disaster.

What phrases come to your mind when you need guidance?

The Marks of a Terrible Boss

Everyone has horror stories about bad bosses. Then when we become the boss, we tend to think that we're only doing what is necessary and, by the way, that employees cause all the problems. 

Thing is, part of a manager's job is to handle bad employees; an employee shouldn't have to handle a bad boss. So how do you know if you are one? Here are five signs that you're failing in your job as a manager. 

1. Your employees lie to you. This may sound like a bad employee problem, but why do they need to lie to you? Do you make unreasonable demands? Punish people excessively for mistakes? Interrogate them over why they need time off? These things all create a culture where your employees feel the only way they can get what they need is to lie. A culture of openness and understanding makes for employees who will speak honestly with you.

2. No other managers want to poach your employees. A good manager develops good employees. Other managers want good employees. If you are developing good employees, your peers will express interest in working with them. If you spend more time trying to get rid of bad employees than trying to keep your good ones, the problem may be with you.

3. You always have emergencies. Business is sometimes unpredictable. And clients? They're not always forthcoming with their true needs and desires. But the fact that things are unpredictable is, well, predictable. As a manager, it's your job to assess the situation and plan in advance. Occasional emergencies are understandable, but constant ones mean that you're not doing what you need to do. Sometimes that involves pushing back against your superiors and protecting your people. It means scheduling according to actual needs, and if you don't have the budget for that it often means changing the definition of need.

4. You always ask yourself "what can I legally do?" rather than "what should I do?" Yes, you have to follow the law. But just because you can tell an employee to cancel their vacation or stay late when they have plans doesn't mean you should. Just because you can fire someone for no reason whatsoever doesn't mean you should fire someone because you feel like it. 

5. You steal credit. Some managers try to impress their bosses by taking credit for everyone's work. This won't only backfire on you when your star employee quits and suddenly your boss is asking for all that work that "you" used to do, but will cause your employees to resent you. Managers are supposed to manage people. Showing that you are capable of hiring, developing, training, and guiding people who are doing great work is what your superiors want to see. 

Certainly this list is not exhaustive, but take a quick look at yourself and see if you fall into any of these categories. If so, stop it and change your behavior. You'll be surprised at how your employees respond to your improved management skills.

Creating the Philosophy of Advancement

If you spend enough time in the fast-paced high-tech industry, you'll notice a recurring theme among innovative entrepreneurs and successful executives. For the most part, they're "different." They question the status quo and take risks.

That's not all good, mind you.

It's not uncommon to hear someone say, "They broke the mold when they made him" after a particularly confrontational meeting with one of the "different" people, a statement which usually carries a note of awe mixed with overtones of relief that the meeting is over.

Just so we're clear, I'm not talking about a little unconventional thinking or eccentric behavior. I'm talking about people who are seriously "different." That means they can bring some unique and innovative ideas to a company -- if they don't self-destruct and take everyone down with them in the process.

In my experience, individuals capable of accomplishing big things often tend to be overly aggressive, demanding, egocentric and sometimes abusive. Most managers would therefore consider them to be problematic, especially in a team environment. And their concerns would indeed be justified.

As you might expect, many of these "different" folks go the entrepreneurial route, usually in response to corporate environments that don't easily or readily accommodate their unique styles and mixed baggage.

But contrary to what you might think, the vast majority does stick it out and climb the corporate ladder with varying degrees of success. How long that lasts and how successful they are depends very much on the particular environment, their toxicity to it, and whether their accomplishments ultimately outweigh the price organizations pay to keep them engaged and motivated.

Some companies, on the other hand, would just as soon not deal with them at all.

When I was a young Senior Principle Engineer at Computer Sciences Corporation, I remember one of our star performers -- his name was Bill -- telling me he was leaving the company. When I asked why, he said, "There's just no fast-track for star performers around here." Bill didn't mean it in an egotistical way; he was just stating the truth. And you know, he was right.

Now, don't get me wrong. CSC did have a program for identifying and rewarding young up-and-comers. There were stock grants and one-on-one meetings with top executives who talked about grooming you for the big time and all that. But for Bill, me and I presume others that simply did not cut it. The organizational structure was relatively inflexible. You climbed the corporate ladder at their pace, not yours.

For all I know, that's as it should be, at least for some companies; Texas Instrument’s current CEO, Rich Templeton, started there in 1980. And a quarter of a century later, he was running the show. Whether that's short or long is a subjective matter. But just about every member of Texas Instrument’s executive management team has been with the company that long. That's how TI rolls. And it is a great company.

That said, other companies have found a way not only to accommodate star performers, but mentor them in a way that accelerates their integration into the management ranks without stifling or dampening whatever it is that made them special in the first place.

If you want to create a culture that promotes innovation, where people who are different can thrive, there are five components you'll need for it to work. Just keep in mind; this is pretty much an all-or-none proposition. In other words, one weak link can blow the whole chain. That's just the way it is.

Identify them. First, you need to have a process for identifying these young up-and-coming stars. Train your line managers and recruiters on what to look for, and make that an integral part of the management and organizational review process so a short list of names is visible at all management levels. That's the first step.

Listen to them. If you actually have a dialog with these folks, you'll learn that they usually have tremendous distaste for the status quo and standard procedures. They probably think the usual rules don't apply to them. They'll want to work long hours, but where and when they want. They'll have a long list of things that "waste their time," like boring group meetings, having to report their every move, and company events. They'll want freedom from what they consider to be arbitrary constraints. It's important to listen, because they need to feel "heard."

Mentor them. Just because you listened, doesn't mean you give in. Be flexible if you can, but don't go too far. You see, they need discipline to realize their potential, but they need to be shown how it will benefit them and the company in the long run. You can't just say, "This is for your own good" and  expect them to comply. They're higher maintenance than that. You've got to show them the big picture, the great things the company intends to accomplish, and connect them to those big goals by giving them as much responsibility as they can handle.

Bet on them. This is really where the rubber meets the road. People who are entrepreneurial and innovative by nature need to take risks, and to do that inside a corporate environment means management has to take risks by betting on them. That doesn't mean betting the farm without any "adult supervision" or management oversight, but if you can live with a little less communication on what's going on day to day and keep upper management off their backs, all the better.

Maintain balance. For this kind of culture to work, you can't have unbridled flexibility and hands-off management. You've got to have balance. Imagine a company as a human body. The brain manages everything and organs and cells are specialized to perform unique functions. Everything works in harmony but the endocrine system -- hormones -- keeps everything regulated and in balance. Otherwise, the system would fail. As the metaphor goes, you've got to monitor and regulate the health of the organization so things don't spiral out of control before you're even aware that anything's wrong. To accomplish that, keep a razor-like focus on what's critical and stay flexible on what isn't.

Embracing the Variation

At some point in time most working professionals will be faced with a new career opportunity outside of their current employer’s offerings.  Most of the folks I know have some sort of fantasy involving a job opening that pays a higher salary, contains added career growth potential, and/or generally sets them in a direction that suits their future ambitions.  But when that ideal job opportunity moves from the fantasyland of their dreams and into the landscape before them, how will they react?  How would you react?

When this door of possibility opens, the initial reaction of the working professional is usually extremely positive.  They are gung-ho about the idea of advancement and the excitement of something new, but once the opportunity translates itself into an official offer letter, the frame of mind adjusts 180 degrees.  Apprehension of change takes over the consciousness and fear sets in.  Hesitant thoughts begin to traverse the mind:  “Maybe this bump in salary or career direction isn’t worth the jump right now.”  “Maybe I should hold off for a little while and see where my current position takes me.”

Yeah, maybe they should, and maybe they shouldn’t.  Nothing is certain, and the fear of change is completely natural.  However, surrendering to this fear and hesitation without an accurate evaluation of the options can lead to unfortunate personal growth stagnation.

The bottom line is that we all must evaluate our options realistically and be ready to face change if necessary.  We must be willing to adjust in the event that we are dealt a straight flush. Sure, the house might have the royal flush, so you’ll never be absolutely 100% certain where your current position will take you.  But if you perform a constructive assessment of your options weighted against a timeline of the next five years and your gut feeling tells you that the bump is worth the jump, your instinct is almost certainly correct.  Make the leap and never look back.

A friend of mine is currently in a state of extreme hesitation concerning a career opportunity that I truly believe he should take.  Either way, I just hope he makes a decision that he won’t regret down the line.

The Impact of Your Words

We all know about "impact words" in marketing -- language that is proven to be most likely to get attention or elicit a buyer response. But using these powerful trigger words and not backing them up -- or qualifying them so much as to make them meaningless -- can be worse than not using them at all. The advertising of a good, reputable company is a promise; and good, reputable companies and business people don't make promises they can't keep.

Clearly it's difficult to make powerful, one-, two-, or three-word claims that are completely string-free and ironclad, so it's important to do a reality check when you use impact words in your marketing. If there are too many "ifs, ands, or buts" attached to your promises, or if the likelihood is low of the typical customer getting exactly the promised service, product, or experience, you could be crossing into teaser territory and it could backfire on you.

Here are some commonly used impact words and thoughts to consider before using them:

"Instantly": If you can't give a discount, rebate, or service in real time, on the spot (whether at a cash register, website, or someone’s front door), doesn’t call it instant. There's nothing vague about the word, so the customer's expectation is clear. If it's not going to happen immediately, then use more accurate words like "fast," "speedy," "while you wait," or "at point of purchase."

"No questions asked": If you use these strong and unequivocal words, abide by them. Too often those words are tossed out -- most often as part of a warranty or return policy -- but not really honored. Returns and other after-sale interactions are often where the customer is most sensitive to the quality of your service; they can be make-or-break situations for your business. So if you say it, do it, using your mouth to smile, apologize if needed, and say thank you -- not to question, challenge, or back-pedal.

"Guaranteed": It's admittedly very difficult to use this ubiquitous word without some kind of qualifier (though some companies do it very well). So, if you do use the word, be very upfront and specific about exactly what is guaranteed and how. We've all been in situations where we make a claim on a guarantee, only to have some clause pointed out to us that happens to specifically exclude our problem.

If your guarantee is truly unconditional, that's fantastic, and you should trumpet it. But if it's not, be clear. Say, "Our guarantee," and then say what it is. It comes down to common sense -- read your promise, as a customer would, then envision a scenario where it comes into question. If there is any chance it might be misunderstood or misleading, your guarantee isn't clear enough. Here is a perfect example of a clear and solid guarantee; it's short, sweet (no fruit pun intended), and unambiguous.

"Free": Free is free (or at least it should be). Free with a patently ridiculous handling charge -- as is common in late night infomercial pitches -- or free with conditions that are not disclosed clearly or until late in the process, can be sketchy. The "free" may be technically accurate in some fashion, but the further something gets from truly free, the more of a “buzz kill” it is for a customer. You may be sending me a free collector's coffee mug, but if you mumble, "You just pay shipping and a $12.95 handling charge," I'm not feeling the free quite as much.

"Limited time": It's common practice for companies to advertise sales, promotions, or other offers as being "for a limited time only," for the obvious purpose of creating a sense of urgency and forcing a faster buying decision. But when that limited-time opportunity gets advertised in near-perpetuity, or kept alive by the usually questionable "extended by popular demand," customers become incredulous and less likely to buy into future time-sensitive offers. If there is no specified end date, or you aren't sure you will end your offer in what would reasonably be considered a limited time, don't position it that way. On the other hand, if the claim is accurate, be specific: Say "one week only" or "offer ends July 31st" -- no ambiguity there.

"No small print": This is really part-and-parcel of all the other words and situations above. "No small print" means not a single condition, caveat, or codicil. If there's so much as an asterisk or footnote, you've broken the promise. Here's an example I found of those words used to elegant perfection. If your offer requires small print (as most do), that's OK, but then just state that some conditions apply... or don't say anything and make the offer details clear in the big print.

The bottom line is that if you overpromise, set customer expectations at an unrealistic level, or use cloudy language to prompt customer behavior, you do so at your peril. If you can make a clear, powerful promise and honor it with confidence, go for it. If not, better to skip the trigger words and not risk having them come back to bite you.