“The reason they want you to fit in is that once you do, then they can ignore you.” — Seth Godin
Bet most of you have never seen it from that vantage point before. Have you? Not me.
Until today.
Standing out, or being remarkable, usually makes others uncomfortable. Everyone’s so competitive.
When was the last time you saw people rushing to become the most homogeneous?
How does a person or an organization become world class, and stay world class? Here are four tips to do just that. First, however we need to state the obvious:
It’s a double edge sword isn’t it? If consistency is the hallmark or quality, and continuous improvement is the key to becoming (and sustaining) world class status, how do you balance risk and reward?
Let’s use this example from yesterday.
As a professional speaker, there are several goals for every presentation:
Let’s review from a different angle, what you just read:
The second set of bullet points states the common sense theories that we all nod our heads in agreement when we hear them.
The first set illustrates how I internalized these common sense things to make them work for my particular role in the business world.
Now it’s your turn. Take the four common sense bullet points and make them your own. Tomorrow, I’ll share how practicing what I preach led to an amazing result.
You don’t have to any of this. And maybe that’s a leader’s biggest challenge, doing what’s easier rather than what’s harder. So here’s a fifth tip – being world class means out working your competition. Most people hate to admit this. And then they wonder why they aren’t world class.
Writing five blogs every day has wonderful, and may I audaciously say, transformational benefits. Far beyond what was ever thought possible. And yet….
What comes along with the good – and everyone knows this as a “truth” – is the bad. The bad in this case is writers block. My first little bout came and went a few days ago. It lasted a couple days. Triggered mostly by time pressures, not lack of desire.
Anyway, following a daily routine of scanning Facebook, Twitter, LnkedIn, blogs, etc, I stumbled upon a LinkedIn status update.
Susan Harrow’s article, Changing Your Body Changes Your Self, is definitely worth a quick read. Why? Because she speaks about what is common knowledge, but not common practice.
One of the best ways to change our bodies is to use common sense. One of the best ways to use common sense is to focus on it every day. Ya with me? Every single day. Period. Carpe diem.
The past two days, talking about “Big Picture”, vision, and perspective has me thinking this morning, and reflecting.
Re-reading the past two posts, written from here in Anchorage, Alaska, it makes me curious about how and why leaders choose their leadership style. It also begs the question, “How much thought do leaders put into their present day, yesterday, and tomorrow”?
A friend of mine was here in 1993 and visited Portage Glacier with his wife. From the visitors center, he said you could reach out and touch Portage Glacier. Too cloudy to see anything while I was there two days ago. But even if it had been clear, the only way to see it now is to travel by boat.
Didn’t anyone see this coming? Where were our global leaders when it came to thinking about environmental lessons learned from the past, real time consideration for current direction, and a look into the future to visualize where we will end up?
Whether it’s global warming and icebergs, or business conditions and technology, every leader ought to be thinking big picture as they plow headlong into their day. Otherwise, we may get to our destination, but our ship has already left port.
Here’s the secret to “Are You Serious”, from yesterday’s post.
Think. Read. Watch. Listen. Talk. Write. Blog.
A lot.
Then repeat.
For example. I invested about about 30 minutes Sunday to listen to THIS.
That’s how I do it. And yes, I are serious. 
PS. If you missed it two sentences up, (click THIS) Seth Godin explains, book by book, his thinking with each book. If you are serious about becoming better, this will rock your thinking – especially if you are a traditionalist.
Manner of Speaking WordPress blog. It’s a good one. Click here to check it out.
If you have no interest in Public Speaking, that’s ok. May I offer this different perspective for still paying attention to this jungle jeff blog post?
As a Professional Speaker, sometimes a “sports story” is appropriate. There are people however, that will immediately turn off and tune out. Why? Well for starters, they’ll say things like:
So let me just say this, when I tell a “sports story”, it’s not about sports, it’s about excellence. When I blog about public speaking, it’s not about public speaking as much as it is about passion, and the pursuit of excellence – in any endeavor.
That’s why you should pay attention. “You can observe a lot by watching”. – Yogi Berra
Three things Lee Cockerell told me when I asked his advice on public speaking, in 1999:
Here’s a fourth tip. Benchmark. Click here to do that right now.
Make your day GREAT. It’s up to you. Always has been. Always will be. Be inspired. Or not.
Public speakers who get paid are called Professional Speakers. Professional Speakers who become certified through The National Speakers Association are designated as CSP – Certified professional Speaker.
Public speaking is the greatest fear humans have, even greater than the fear of dying. Mastering this fear has certain benefits that are challenging to explain.
National Speakers Association ( NSA ) Winter Conference – You Tube video update:
If you are an accomplished or an aspiring Professional Speaker, NSA is guaranteed to help you succeed, no matter your current skill level.
Masters World Championships, Finland
jungle jeff is absolutely a wellness fanatic. Most don’t realize this. Why would they realize it? Why should they?
I started with one push-up per day for a week and then each new week, add one more push-up per day. After six weeks, that’s six push-ups per day.
Also started running one mailbox per day for a week and then each new week added another mailbox. After six weeks, I was running past six mailboxes. Then walked back.
Through continuous improvement techniques learned at work (fortune 100 company), managed my boredom, injuries, motivation and goals – and after a decade, guess what happened this past Summer?
From one push-up per day ten years ago, to representing the USA at the WMA Master’s Track & Field World Championships in Lahti, Finland. Men’s 400 meters, 50 – 54 age group.
So, excellence can be attained in virtually anything, but you have to be willing to set an impossible goal, work incredibly hard and never give up. Ya with me?
Seth Godin is like a new BFF. Why? Because if I…..
If I have to explain it to you, you may not get it. Click here to go to his blog. Highly recommend you read Seth Godin’s blog every day. It’s simple to subscribe to it and you can have it waiting in your in box each morning.
But maybe you’d rather just stick with a plan that’s certain to be safe.
Anyone here remember how Napster destroyed the Music Industry’s decade-old business model? The Internet is changing all the rules.
Next on deck, 37signals.
Here’s my prediction, if you don’t know what I’m talking about, you’ll most likely become a victim of a Napster-like competitor.
Or, you could just stick your head in the sand.