I have a case of writer's block. I'm clogged, cramped and uncomfortable.
Sure, you might say that moving to write this column entry is evidence to the contrary, however hear me out. I have not posted an entry since August 7, when I had just returned from a weekend of silence at the Abby of Gesthemani in Kentucky (see previous entry). To confirm my suspicion, I sought the bastion of all knowledge: the Wizard of Wiki:
For other uses, see Writer's block (disambiguation). "Writer's block is a condition, associated with writing as a profession, in which an author loses the ability to produce new work. The condition varies widely in intensity. It can be trivial, a temporary difficulty in dealing with the task at hand. At the other extreme, some "blocked" writers have been unable to work for years on end, and some have even abandoned their careers. It can manifest as the affected writer viewing their work as inferior or unsuitable, when in fact it could be the opposite."
No question; I have it. The cause? Hard to diagnose, since the last months have been filled with fodder for inklings, including: - My son and his wife are having a second child in April; - I visited Oregon to celebrate my grandson Utah's first birthday; - I am working to raise awareness and funding for Rocketown, the remarkable Nashville youth center started in 1994 by the renown contemporary Christian music artist Michael W. Smith - www.rocketown.com ; - I finished writing my book about innovative leadership and high impact success, Get Out of Your Own Way; - I committed the rest of my life to Lynn, an amazing woman with whom I exchanged marriage vows while standing in the Sea of Galilee during our 10-day biblical study a month ago in Israel. - Lynn and I were busted for attempting to smuggle a contraband salami at the Newark airport customs upon our return trip from Israel (story to follow soon!).
There's plenty to write about, but I just can't seem to get unstuck. The pipes are jammed tight with scraps of discontent, doubt, indecision and even a bit of, "Oh crap, I'll be sixty years old in April and I'm still wondering what I'll be when I grow up." A lot of ambiguities. But, this morning something happened that stirred some internal movement; the first signs of an impending disambiguation (great word, disambiguation, meaning "to remove ambiguities").
I was moved while sitting on the...chair in my study. I was reading a wonderful book, Live Like You Mean It, written by my dear friend and mentor T.J. Addington.I met T.J. during a most tumultuous time in my life, when I was close to separatiing from my former wife, Valerie, and the "doom loop" spiral in which I was caught emotionally, professionally and spiritually. He was a client, the leader of the international mission for a Christian movement of 1400 churches and over 500 missionaries throughout the world. I helped him successfully re-craft the story of what became ReachGlobal. The bonus for me has been 1) the chance to travel the world to experience firsthand what we came to refer as GodSightings: evidence of the hand of God and His love at work through people throughout the world in some of its darkest corners, 2) working alongside healthy leaders building healthy environments and 3) to call him a colleague, mentor and one of my most treasured friends.
On December 4, 2007 T.J. checked into the St. Paul Hospital emergency room, having awaken early that morning unable to breathe. That began a forty-two-day stay, thirty-two of them spent in ICU and eighteen days in coma. Diagnosed with MRSA pneumonia, there were countless physical traumas when the doctors were almost certain he would not survive. T.J. is today as busy as ever traveling the world to serve God's call to develop, empower and release healthy leaders that will multiply in building healthy churches. He also finds time to write books, fly fish and spend time with his family. His life is testimony to the power of prayer (hundreds of people worldwide prayed for him during his journey "there and back again")...and what I have come to realize is the power of "if you feel it, do it, now!" One of my favorite passages from this book on this subject (the book's a must read for anyone needing a kick start) reads:
"As individuals, we often live life without much of a target. We respond to the demands of the moment, the job, the expectations of others, and the overwhelming busyness of life. But too many people get to the finish line with a long list of regrets.
We realize we didn't invest enough time in our children or marriage. We're sorry we did not have more time for deep relationships. We wish there had been more time for reflection and thinking. Now there is too little time for those things that suddenly are more important than the salary we pulled down or the ladder we climbed."
So what? I just returned yesterday from a weekend of silence during my second visit to the Abbey of Gesthemani. I guess you might say I was there because I woke up early one morning and couldn't breathe. In the sanctuary of chanting monks, steeple chimes and the snow-icing covered hills of Kentucky I checked out of the ICU: I Can Un-Constipate.
I just returned from a weekend of silence among the Trappist monks at the monastery of Abbey at Gesthemani in Trappist, Kentucky. It was an item on my ‘bucket list.’ The unfamiliar path that opened before me, as Robert Frost so aptly stated, has made all the difference. It began even before I arrived, having found the card Lynn had hidden with the following:
“I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.” Isaiah 42:16
It felt intrusive injecting myself into the personal silence and stories of those who walked these holy grounds before me. Still, I leaned into the anticipation of whispers I might discern through reading, reflection and prayer; the melodies of the solitary. I offer two quotes, some images of my walk in solitude and my heartfelt wish for you to take the time…to find the time…to visit the silence…to surrender into its arms.
"Have you ever tried to spend a whole hour doing nothing but listening to the voice that dwells deep in your heart? When there is no radio to listen to, no TV to watch, no book to read, no person to talk to, no project to finish, no phone call to make, how does that make you feel? Often it does no more than make us so aware of how much there still is to do that we haven't yet done that we decide to leave the fearful silence and go back to work! It is not easy to enter into the silence and reach beyond the many boisterous and demanding voices of our world and to discover the small intimate voice saying: 'You are my Beloved Child, on you my favor rests.' Still, if we dare to embrace our solitude and befriend our silence, we will come to know that voice. I do not want to suggest to you that one day you will hear that voice with your bodily ears. I am not speaking about a hallucinatory voice, but about a voice that can be heard by the ear of faith, the ear of the inner heart." Life of the Beloved, Henri Nouwen
How can I hear with different ears and see with different eyes?
"A man knows when he has found his vocation when he stops thinking about how to live and begins to live. Thus, if one is called to be a solitary, he will stop wondering how he is to live and start living peacefully only when he is in solitude. But if one is not called to a solitary life, the more he is alone the more will he worry about living and forget to live. When we are not living up to our true vocation, thought deadens our life, or substitutes itself for life, or gives in to life so that our life drowns out our thinking and stifles the voice of conscience. When we find our vocation - thought and life are one." Thoughts in Silence, Thomas Merton
The more I discover my own face, I discover the face of God. That's God's original plan. There's no way to DO IT because you already ARE IT. Humans do not know what they are doing; every other creature is just doing what they are.
There’s a lot to be said about nothing.
In the embrace of the brackets - (b)
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
“Put your life where your mouth is; add a shmear of better.”
DO THINGS BETTER
DO BETTER THINGS
BETTER DO THINGS
Three words. Three sentences. Three meanings.
Three Men: I moved back to Nashville last October and in the last twenty-four hours reconnected with two men I have known, and who know each other, for almost twenty years and with whom I had lost connection for almost ten years. Facebook made it possible. -- DO THINGS BETTER.
Three Strands: In just a few moments of texting and exchanged "wassup" inquiries it became clear that each of them had recently become separated from their respective spouses and were going the process of redefining their lives. Knowing that I had also gone through the deserts of separation and divorce, I felt that this “coincidence” was an invitation to weave our (strung out) lives together and share our stories. Besides, “…a chord of three strands is not quickly broken.”Ecclesiastes 4:12 -- DO BETTER THINGS.
Three Chances: There’s something pretty cool about “threes.” There’s the Three Bears, Three Amigos, Three Wise Men, 3 Dog Night (yes, I am dating myself), Three Tenors, Three Musketeers and those timeless sages, the Three Stooges. Feeling mostly related to the latter of the list, I know that if I hold off and wait till I have some spare time to gather the three of us together, the Stooges will have become the wise men, the Dogs will have been spayed and the Musketeers’ blades will be dull. I will have to create the margin for a part time commitment, if it really matters enough. – BETTER DO THINGS
TAKEAWAY:
There are more ways than ever to reach out and touch someone.
We are not alone in our blunders, pain and resolve to be better versions of ourselves.
Reassembling the broken pieces of our lives is a team sport.
Time is never given; it must be taken.
There is strength in threes. Remember Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? What about the Trinity?
I can hardly believe how long it's been since I've added to my column. Even though I somehow missed the uproar of cries for more writings from my loyal readers, I have not been idle during the pause. I have followed my call (it was actually a "collect" call) to write a book about Leadership and Business. It's titled Get out of your own way: How High Impact Leaders take the wheel and drive the HI Way to wherever they want to get to. It's been quite a revealing ride, and now that I am writing the last chapter and conclusion I thought I'd scratch my itch for reconnecting with you. I've missed you, sniff sniff, really I have.
But my catalyst to write today has nothing to do with a new business book. It has everything to do with my flood of emotions over the last few weeks.
If you are not aware of the recent flood in Nashville you 1) are living under a large rock, 2) have joined the Tea Party, 3) ran out of your meds or 4) are so distracted by what will happen to Jack Bauer in Sunday's final episode of 24 that you have disconnected from reality.
The flood's devastation is staggering, beyond anything I can write and capture on camera. I came face-to-face with the real impact of a catastrophe (like I had only experienced on newscasts about Katrina) last week when Lynn, Spencer and his friend Anthony, Bentley and I joined the hundreds of people who unselfishly appeared in a Bordeaux neighborhood. This classic Nashville residential community was one of the city's most water-ravaged; some homes were submerged to their roof.
The assignment we were given was clear: "We are going to walk up to homes and tell people that we are here to do whatever we can do to help them save their possessions, remove sheet-rock, tear out floors, remove debris and anything else to help them to move toward reclaiming their lives.
By the end of the day the streets were lined with furniture, carpets, floorboards, appliances, light fixtures; the stuff of their lives that was now just garbage for a landfill. But all surrounding the molding debris were the torrent of people streaming in from every direction and washing over strangers' lives with the kind of sacrificial love that busts through the dams of disdain and indifference, spilling hope-filled colors palette of compassion.
The stuff of their lives and homes, now reduced to mold-covered refuse and stud-bared skeletons, were being replaced with the furnishings from strangers who were there to help fill the emptiness...just because. Our faces were masked and our eyes goggled, but our hearts fully exposed.
There was little dialogue. Everything needing to be said was exchanged in narratives; the ink of sweat, soil, nods of acknowledgment and passing hugs.
And then our day came to an end. We loaded the tools into the back of the car. We drove slowly out of the neighborhood and headed home. Filthy. Sore. Tired.
There was no conversation.
Just before reaching the highway, off to our left were huge piles of garbage, the debris from the surrounding community. Lynn reached for her camera as we raced past, craning our heads back to catch one more glimpse before the reality of our experience was reduced to the ongoing newscasts.
Our junk is still amidst the heaps of trash we left behind, for the treasures we brought home.
I just returned from a week in Oregon visiting Victoria, Rick and my new five-month-old grandson, Utah Cohen Sewing. I was there to work on a new book, think about this season in my life and spend quality time with my family. It was perfect in every way imaginable. And it triggered the memory from a moment about a year ago that reflects the power of High Impact Leadership better than the business concepts from my book.
The time was 9:04 PM when I heard the faint chimes and saw the glow and name on my iPhone: “Victoria Sewing.” I was in the middle of the first gathering of the StoneAgers; a group of nine men from Living Stones (www.livingstonescov.org) who accepted the invitation to join me and Bentley for a movie, snacks and conversation. We were watching Miracle, the film about the “miracle on ice” when the 1980 U.S.A. hockey team, coached by the late (great) Herb Brooks, defeated the “unbeatable” Russian team.
This is the #1 film I have used in my 100+ ideation/vision-casting sessions; the quintessential testimony to the concepts of Individual and team character in pursuit of an impossible dream.
“Hi sweetie.”
“Hi, Dad. Are you OK? Why are you speaking so quietly?”
“I’m actually in a meeting with a group of men and we’re watching a movie. Can I call you back later when it is over?”
“Sure…and by the way, it’s a boy!”
“Oh my gosh. A boy. Victoria, that is wonderful news. I am so happy for you both. Such a blessing.”
The next moments shattered a shower of celluloid memories:
·I remembered my notes as a small boy; leaving messages scattered throughout the house at night for my parents to find when they'd arrive home late at night; I would fall asleep in the feathers of their joyful discoveries;
·I remembered climbing Boulder’s foothills, sitting on a ledge with a six-year-old boy named John whose eyes blazed cobalt, stolen from the Colorado sky. We dreamed of all the undiscovered lands past the horizon. He is the man who is now “daddy” to my four-year-old grandson Kinley;
·I remembered losing our first child: stillborn in pre-term;
·I remembered the moment Victoria came into the world and was tenderly offered into my arms - her new life sheathed in the nectar of countless tomorrows;
·I remembered the picture of my Dad holding me high into the air when I was two-years-old. I still carry the tickle of that moment in my belly.
Before beginning the movie with the guys, I asked them the following questions to consider while watching the film:
1.What defines us as men?
2.What defines a great team?
3.What defines a great moment?
4.What defines a great opportunity?
5.How do you know when it’s your time?
So what? As leaders, followers, seekers, teachers and learners:
1.Braveheart, Band of Brothers (a must see), First Knight and Lord of the Rings are logical and socially promoted images of manhood. And John Eldridge’s wonderful book, Wild at Heart, and Dan B. Allander’s Leading with a Limp offer complementary perspectives that round out the “hunt, smash, bleed and kill a dragon” image us guys love. They both remind us that it is not only acceptable, but essential to embrace your meekness and sensitivity in expressing your full man-ness. I, for one, admit that I am very comfortable with my feminine side – c’mon guys, admit that you watched and loved Sleepless in Seattle. Any question about the masculinity of C.S. Lewis, Rembrandt, Ghandi, Moses or Jesus?
2.At some point it would be good to remember, as Herb Brooks so aptly reminds his fragmented hockey team, that “You’d better figure out that the name on the front of your jersey is a hell of a lot more important than the name on the back.” If you are playing life’s game for your ends and outcomes only, consider the following: there is no way that any one of us can or will be better, smarter, more talented, more efficient and more effective than all of us together. No way, no how. Sure, it’s tempting to think that you are Superman; but remember that even he had Jimmy and Lois on the front lines to offset the blue tights thing;
3.“Great moments are born from great opportunities.” It matters little what position you play right now. There will be a time, sooner or later, that your great moment will open before you like the sapphire pathway up Mt. Sinai that God revealed to Moses after the food and fireworks show with the seventy elders (Exodus 24:9-11). Being fully present where you are and within what you are doing right nowoffers you a great opportunity to experience the fullness of this great moment; your moment to do it right, now. That takes a Brave Heart.
4.Read #3 again.
5.The time is there; it’s yours for the taking. Years ago one of the wise men in my life commented to my lamenting over the lack of respect from colleagues who were supposed to be taking direction from me. His comment still pierces today: “Brian, you must learn that power is never given to anyone; it is taken.” Take a moment. Take the time. Take the lead. Take the team. Take the mountain. This is your time. Take it.
Woman or man. Coach or player. It doesn't matter. What matters most is realizing that this very moment can begin the greatest moments of your life, if you take the time. High Impact time, leadership and success is never given; it's taken. Stop dwelling in the illusion of waiting for some "spare time" to do that thing you know in your heart and soul will make a difference. It's not coming. Start right now. Take "part" of your time to step out and take what is yours for the taking. It can and will make all the difference in the world.
Embraced in the brackets.
(b)
*FOOTNOTE:
It was my time; I didn’t take it. It is far easier, and often more painful, to look back at a seemingly innocent moment in our past that held the promise of riches beyond measure…and we let slip through our fingers. I leave you with one that I remember when my children were very young and I was absent a lot while “working hard to provide them the good life.”
I was on a business trip with a brief airport stop in Dallas. This was at a time when you still could come to the gate to meet a passenger; I invited my parents to come by so we could visit between flights. I hadn't seen them in a log time. We embraced, caught up, laughed and suddenly the time tapped its weary finger on my shoulder; it was time to board. We hugged again, and when I separated from my Dad’s embrace I saw something in his eyes; a longing and wish for more time. He was a traveling salesman and was absent a lot when I was a kid.
When I neared the end of the jet-way, I turned back and noticed their tear-swollen eyes. And then the moment was gone.
My father died eight years ago. He’s gone. I wish I had taken more time.
I remembered the picture of my Dad holding me high into the air when I was two-years-old. I still carry the tickle of that moment in my belly.
“This is your time. Now go out and take it.” Herb Brooks
*NOTE TO MY READER: The following are the key takeaways and interactions to go deeper with Stage 1: Living the HI Way. This will be the last full chapter I share in this manner. To my delighted surprise, there is some expressed interest in representation for this book, and as such I will be focusing on completing the writing and then defining the optimal distribution. I will, however, share other segments along the way.
Thank you for reading and being a part of my/our story.
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STAGE 1 HI TAKEAWAYS and HI INTERACTION OPPORTUNITIES
I. HI TAKEAWAY #1: There has never been, and never will be, a better time than right now to pursue your vision.
II. HI TAKEAWAY #2: If you think there are actions that you can implement right now (given the brutal facts of your current situation) that will yield positive results, some of which are unlike any you have experienced in the past, you are right. If, however, you think that there are no actions that you can implement right now (given the brutal facts of your current situation) that will change things for the better or move you from your undesirable position, you are also correct.
Consider: HI Leaders recognize that the true value lays not so much in the measure of whether the glass is half empty or half full (the context of your current situation), but within the context of the glass itself (your key vessel) and moving it forward in the most effective manner in pursuit of your defined goals.
III. HI TAKEAWAY #3: THE FIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF HI LEADERS:
1. HI Leaders have PRESENCE. HI Leaders do not simply go to meetings or attend to situations they encounter; they are fully present, engaged and genuinely interested in each moment that is presented to them. 2. HI Leaders have VISION. HI Leaders have the ability to innovate, stretch the boundaries and have the courage to experiment, knowing that success often involves challenging the "status quo." 3. HI Leaders have CAPACITY. HI Leaders have or make the capacity when, where and how it is needed to respond to HI Opportunities. 4. HI Leaders have RESOURCE. HI Leaders know how to invest and leverage their organization’s time, talent and treasure for the greatest ROI (Return on Investment) and ROM (Return on Mission). 5. HI Leaders can pull the TRIGGER. HI Leaders can put the right ideas into action at the right time and right now.
HI INTERACTION OPPORTUNITY: 1. Take eighteen minutes RIGHT NOW. (TIME IT!)5 Ask yourself the following questions and write down ONE SENTENCE ONLY FOR EACH ANSWER that eflects your FIRST INSTINCTIVE RESPONSE:
* Based on your current situation (business, role, career trajectory, etc.), given what you know as of today, do you feel as though your situational glass is half empty or half full? Answer YES or NO. * What is the #1 reason for this answer? * If time, money, people, past history and other real or perceived obstacles were removed what ONE ACTION would you implement that you KNOW would lead to a positive outcome?
2A. Take fifty-five minutes with UP TO FIVE KEY TEAM MEMBERS within the next five business days. (BOOK IT NOW, THEN TIME THE MEETING!). Review the previous question and one-sentence answers, then challenge the team to a dialogue that nets FIVE GO-FORWARD ACTIONS that you feel would address the obstacles and implied successes from such actions. Write down the FIVE GO-FORWARD ACTIONS, then file them in a safe place to come back to at a later date in the HI Solutions process.
2B. Take an additional fifty-five minutes with the same FIVE KEY TEAM MEMBERS from #2A. (TIME IT!) Read each of the FIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF HI LEADERS. Openly discuss, for each individual 1) if you have this characteristic and why, 2) if you do not currently have this characteristic and why and 3) ONE THING you can do starting RIGHT NOW that will move you in a direction to build that characteristic. Write down and set aside for more work to come in a later chapter.
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5 HI NOTE: The reason for the specificity of taking “fifty-five” and “eighteen” minutes, respectively, for each interaction is based on my experience advising teams as to the most effective rituals of interaction. Claiming specific time allows for the fact that meetings rarely begin promptly at the start of the allocated time; punctuality, finishing a cell phone call, catching up on sports or recapping the latest episode of American Idol. The message from this “counter intuitive” time designation is: 1) we are not going to do things the same old way, 2) catch up on “other things” at some other time, 3) each of us value the time we devote to important issues and 4) time is valuable (there is NO such thing as "spare time" - time must be "taken"), and as such we are going to stop exactly at that end of our time (I use a stopwatch), so we need to be smart how we spend it.
Together with other captives, Stockdale was part of a group of about a dozen prisoners that came to be known as the "Alcatraz Gang". These prisoners were kept separated from each other and held in solitary confinement. In his book, Collins recaps his conversation with Stockdale regarding how he coped during his period in the Vietnamese POW camp.Did he, in fact, have a deliberate strategy?
"I never lost faith in the end of the story, I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event of my life, which, in retrospect, I would not trade."
When Collins then followed by asking who among the other prisoners didn't make it out, Stockdale replied:
"Oh, that’s easy, the optimists. Oh, they were the ones who said, 'We're going to be out by Christmas.' And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they'd say, 'We're going to be out by Easter.' And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart."
Stockdale then added:
"This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.”
Stockdale, clearly a HI Leader (the characteristics of which will be addressed in the following pages) represents a situation that is a paradox of duality; not an “either/or”, but a “both/and” situation,which Collins goes on to describe it as the Stockdale Paradox. Thinking that embraces exactly where you are right now, the situation you confront right now, the opportunities and challenges you face right now offer a chance to move forward with intention and focus…right now. Sure, you can dig your heals in, wait until the winds calm and the waves relax a bit. Or, you can take the time to pause, consider, acknowledge, define and move forward with intention, focus and unwavering faith that you will reach your goal. This does exempt you from the pain and challenges that come with mastering a skill or attaining a bigger goal than you have ever faced before. The following are examples that speak without additional narrative:
Moses
Nelson Mandela
Susan B. Anthony
Mother Teresa
Lee Iacocca
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Jackie Robinson
Jack Welch
Golda Meir
Ghandi
HI THOUGHT #2: If you think there are actions you can implement right now (given the brutal facts of your current situation) that will yield some positive results unlike any you have experienced in the past, you are right. If, however, you think that there are no actions that you can implement right now (given the brutal facts of your current situation) that will change things for the better or move you from your undesirable position, you are also correct.
You might be ready to ask, “This all sounds great in concept, but does it work in the real world and real-time business application?” Before using a real-time illustration from my experiences, it is important to position the keystone that holds up the foundation of High Impact Solutions and the HI Way: HI Leadership.
The following chart lists the Five Characteristics of HI Leadership. More in-depth discussion will come later in the chapter, Stage 3: HI Way #1. High Impact Leadership. The following are the core characteristics of HI Leadership:
THE FIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF HI LEADERS
1.HI Leaders have PRESENCE. HI Leaders do not simply go to meetings or attend to situations they encounter; they are fully present, engaged and genuinely interested in each moment that is presented to them.
2.HI Leaders have VISION. HI Leaders have the ability to innovate, stretch the boundaries and have the courage to experiment, knowing that success often involves celebrating failure and tolerating success.
3.HI Leaders have CAPACITY. HI Leaders have or make the capacity when, where and how it is needed to respond to HI Opportunities.
4.HI Leaders have RESOURCE. HI Leaders know how to invest and leverage their organization’s time, talent and treasure for the greatest ROI (Return on Investment) and ROM (Return on Mission).
5.HI Leaders can pull the TRIGGER. HI Leaders can put the right ideas into action at the right time and right now.
CASE STUDY #1: Starstruck Entertainment /Reba McEntire
During the mid 1990’s, I had the privilege of working with Reba McEntire and her company, Starstruck Entertainment. I had been consulting to the Country Music industry for five years and had previously worked with Tim McGraw and Kenny Rogers, both HI Brands in their own right; I came to realize that Reba and her organization operate at an even higher level.
Through the 80’s Reba made some pivotal HI decisions involving Narvel Blackstock. During this period Blackstock transitioned from band member, to tour manager and finally into the role of overall artist management; Narvel and Reba eventually married. The combination of Reba’s distinctive artistry as a genuine entertainer, plus Narvel’s preemptive vision, style and courage has led to one of the most successful collaborative models for any genre of entertainment. By the mid 90’s Reba had earned “Super Star” recognition, enjoying outstanding success in music sales, touring, film and through her humanitarian efforts. One of many compelling moves, came when Reba and Narvel decided to stretch beyond the “way it is done,” moving all of Reba’s tour production, booking, publicity, graphic design and promotion in-house. The reaction to their move from some industry “pundits” ranged from mavericks, unorthodox, impractical to smart, gutsy, visionary and strategic. Reba and Narvel realized that 1) no one understood the full scope of the Reba brand better than she and Narvel, 2) their own team could give full time to growing all of Reba’s business categories versus part-time focus from the record label, booking agent, etc. and 3) it would lead to more consistency through controlling all aspects of Reba’s career. Their resulting successes speak for themselves; Reba is recognized as a distinctive, highly stylish, multi-platinum-record selling, high-powered tour, sought-after actress, media favorite and genuine super-star entertainer.
This previous illustration, alone, offers characteristics of a highly effective leader and brand success; but the rest of the story even more effectively portrays the highest example of leading and living the HI Way. In 1995, after building upon the foundation of Reba’s success, Startstruck applied their model to the management of other Country Music acts. That’s when Narvel read Al Reis’ breakthrough book, Focus: The Future of Your Company Depends on It,[1]which subsequently led to their engaging Ries to consult with Starstruck. That process ultimately uncovered a profound realization: the outcome of expanding to manage other artists had simultaneously reduced the focus and momentum for Reba; their proven mega brand. Acknowledging this, Starstruck confronted its own version of “the glass half empty or half full” dichotomy. Narvel’s focused response illustrates a strong example of HI Leadership characteristics:
1.His PRESENCE: He took the time to process and evaluate the full scope of the company’s environment and situation, both favorable and unfavorable, on behalf of reassessing their single-most powerful goal;
2.His VISION: Even with varying levels of success from their additional artist roster, he had the vision and foresight to realize that none of them had the long term potential that could be realized from focusing and leveraging Reba’s momentum, exclusively;
3.His CAPACITY: Deciding to focus exclusively on Reba, he committed to a formula of devoting Starstruck’s full attention to controlling the trajectory for all of Reba’s business categories, while effectively partnering with outside experts who could add to/complement their defined path. This would require, by definition, releasing the other artists on Starstruck’s roster;
4.His RESOURCE: He investedtime (planning, production, etc.), talent (the right internal and external people in the right positions) and treasure (their own finances, plus strategic partners’ resources, i.e. record label, licensing, etc.) to position Reba for explosive future success;
5.His ability to pull the TRIGGER: With the goal, strategy and resources clearly defined, he released all the artists on the roster and moved forward with focus, intention and determination.
My role with Starstruck was to help Narvel and Reba to guide their team through the process of redefining, crafting and releasing Reba’s go-forward Brand Position and Story. The desired outcome was to help define and mobilize new strategies, tactics and actions surrounding Reba’s career direction. Through Narvel’s leadership, I helped the team build and guide a comprehensive process of research, interaction, evaluation, implementing, dialoguing, refining, implementing, dialoguing, refining….
This illustration is not meant to personally claim any of the successes that Reba has experienced as a result my time with Starstruck. And, I do believe that Narvel’s HI Leadership combined with Starstruck’s HI Team taking the time, engaging the steps and living out the defined actions led to a series of high impact results, including:
·Reba became the first-ever national spokesperson for First Book, a literacy organization based on Washington, D.C., providing books for disadvantaged children to keep as their own;
·Reba was invited to perform during the halftime of a Thanksgiving Day Dallas Cowboy football game supporting the Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign. She was the first artist to perform for this ongoing campaign. As an added HI Strategy, Starstruck recorded an original song, “What If”, placing a copy of the single in every seat in Texas Stadium as a gift, as well as filming a companion video that aired during movie trailers in Carmike Theaters across the country between Thanksgiving and Christmas of that same year to bolster awareness;
·Reba was featured with other global “women of renown” in a major spread for fashion designer, Anne Klein showcasing her new high-fashion collection;
·Reba played the lead role in the New York Broadway hit show, Annie Get Your Gun;
·Reba starred in the self-titled hit television series, Reba, which ran for six successful seasons and is now in heavy syndication;
·Reba launched her first-ever collection of women’s clothing in partnership with Dillard’s; today, this direction has expanded to include footwear, accessories and home furnishings;
·Reba continues to enjoy success as a top selling recording artist and touring sensation.
Conclusion:
The past’s “tried and true” ways and doing things are not likely to get the results you want while operating in the future. And the future is today. HI Leaders feel, know and respond to doing business and life the HI Way. You can, too.
HI WAY DRIVERS WANTED: Today's and tomorrow's high impact solutions will be driven by High Impact leaders. They understand the power of story and intelligent thought architecture.
Drive on.
Sure, you might say that moving to write this column entry is evidence to the contrary, however hear me out. I have not posted an entry since August 7, when I had just returned from a weekend of silence at the Abby of Gesthemani in Kentucky (see previous entry). To confirm my suspicion, I sought the bastion of all knowledge: the Wizard of Wiki:
I was moved while sitting on the...chair in my study. I was reading a wonderful book, Live Like You Mean It, written by my dear friend and mentor T.J. Addington. I met T.J. during a most tumultuous time in my life, when I was close to separatiing from my former wife, Valerie, and the "doom loop" spiral in which I was caught emotionally, professionally and spiritually. He was a client, the leader of the international mission for a Christian movement of 1400 churches and over 500 missionaries throughout the world. I helped him successfully re-craft the story of what became ReachGlobal. The bonus for me has been 1) the chance to travel the world to experience firsthand what we came to refer as GodSightings: evidence of the hand of God and His love at work through people throughout the world in some of its darkest corners, 2) working alongside healthy leaders building healthy environments and 3) to call him a colleague, mentor and one of my most treasured friends.
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