Tag: Jungle Jeff

Leaders Focus On Culture

Of the things a leader can spend time doing, maintaining, growing and reinforcing corporate culture should be on the short list of critical success factors.

Can you imagine trying to be world-class with an average corporate culture?

Can you imagine a team of highly energized, focused, and driven professionals in an average corporate culture?

What would happen if a great organization took it’s corporate culture for granted?

What would happen to a good (not great) organization that elevated it’s corporate culture?

The other day, I went outside my Hotel for a breath of fresh air. During a ten minute break to take a walk, I shot a half dozen “one-take-You Tube videos”.

Most of them were about culture.  You can observe a lot by watching:

Maybe you are all set with your corporate culture. Maybe you have a great personal culture for you and your family. You do focus these business applications to your personal life, right?

The View Never Changes If

If you’re not the lead reindeer, the view never changes. Being emplyed is like that too.  And it reminds me that as a leader, it’s incumbent on me to see the future and describe to others what it looks like.

Someone has to set the vision.  If it ain’t the leader, what have you got?  Seriously.  If the leader doesn’t do it, you’re in serious trouble.

Imagine these guys without a lead reindeer:

PS. Okay, so they’re not exactly reindeer, but you get the point. Make your day great. You know where you’re headed, right?

jungle jeff and His Camera

jungle jeff always has a camera in his pocket.  Always.  Well okay, not always.  Not while sleeping.  Who has pockets while sleeping?

Einstein once said, “Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means.”

Writing as the five-a-day blogger, it is a hope that I may become the change I wish to see in the world.

A camera is a helpful tool to capture thoughts and share them in a different way, a visual way.  Expect to see quite a few One-Take-You Tube videos in the next couple days.  Carpe diem!

One Simple Tip to Avoid Waiting

Want a tip to help you resist the urge to wait? In a moment, I’ll share what happened last month, what I did about it, and how it impacted my leadership philosophy.

But it’s a double edge sword isn’t it?  If consistency is the hallmark of quality, and continuous improvement is the key to becoming world class, how do you balance risk and reward?

Faced with a opportunity to do something the way I’ve always done it, or a way I’ve been dreaming about but always chicken out, I was once again presented the opportunity, but was afraid I’d pass on it again.

But not this time.  Finally choose the way I had envisioned.

It was amazingly exhilarating!  Why?  Which is a good question because the thing I did differently, was actually very small in the big scheme of things.

Then why was it exhilarating?  Because conquering a small fear builds the confidence to conquer another small fear.

Eventually, the fears that get conquered are bigger and bigger, until we are faced with very little fear that we can’t act on.

Well, we will always come across scary things, but the confidence to confront and conquer is a priceless ROI for small risk taking habit.

The key, the simple tip – “Do at least one thing each day that scares you.”

What Will GREAT Look Like?

What will GREAT look like for you in 2010?

I can’t imagine being a professional and not being a LinkedIn member. But it’s not unreasonable at this point for many to still not be involved.

My wife is not on LinkedIn, however, I do believe it would benefit her to get started.

Anyway, through LinkedIn, which I read daily, I followed a link  – “What Will Great Look Like For You In 2010?” A quote from that link sparked today’s blog post.

So there are two messages today:

  1. Social media, like anything else, works best when used frequently
  2. All five of my blogs are free

A reader commented a few months ago, “You never ask for anything.”

It was, and still is, a question that leaves a funny feeling in my gut.

Why would anyone invest in five daily blogs, reveal secrets, success tips, insightful thinking, be vulnerable and transparent, and never ask for a nickel in return?

“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” — Howard Thurman