Tag: Jungle Jeff

Seth Godin’s Top Book Picks

Seth Godin announced his November Top Book picks. Click here.

Most people, like I was three months ago, are clueless who Seth Godin is.

If you are serious about your career, and committed to becoming better at your leadership performance, and especially your leadership thinking, you better should become familiar with Seth Godin.

I first read Purple Cow (about being remarkable) and now Tribes (about, well, stay tuned).

Seth Godin is also on You Tube and you can start to see how refreshingly different, and amazingly brilliant, his thinking is.

But wait. I almost forgot. Most humans (like 90%) are not proactively seeking change.  Leaders say they embrace change, but how often do you see leaders transforming themselves and others?

Conformity Leadership Insight

“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?

Think

Think.  Think Tank.  Think it over. Think before you act.

Think things through.  What will people think?  I can’t think.

What would your parents think?  No time to think.

Think before you speak.  Think you know it all, don’t you?

  1. Make yourself think
  2. I challenge you to think
  3. Do you demand yourself to think?
  4. Do you demand others to think?

When we are aware of the reasons why we don’t think -which causes us to slowly start to wither as a vibrant, inspired individual – we have the opportunity to really do something about it.  You know, to reverse it.

But that might be too hard for you, I think.

I mean, what do you think?

Hell Heck yes it’s difficult.  Why the hell heck do you think so few people have the guts to change anything, let alone change themselves.

PS.  This is the conversation I just had with myself. This happens all day, everyday.  My mind is a battlefield of what I want to do, should do, and actually do.  I think.

Usually 50% At Best

Trust. Distrust.

Like.  Dislike.

Do you trust your leader?  Do you like your leader?

Take President Barack Obama, or any President for that matter.  Usually, at best, a President receives between 50-60% of the popular vote.  More or less half. Stay with me here.

What this means is the other half don’t like and don’t trust the President, relatively speaking.

And it’s the same in large organizations and small businesses. Seriously, it is.

Why do we try so hard to be liked, when in reality, the best we can ever hope for is about half.

Take Simon Cowell, from American Idol (yes, many of you hate Simon and the show), while many people do not like him, everyone trusts that he will tell the truth.

And the reason we know Simon will always tell the truth, is because he always does. Sounds simple, but Simon is consistent to a fault. He’s honest even if it’s “bad news”.

And yet, he’s crystal clear about his mission – select the very best singer. Period. Determine the “Gold Medal” winner. Select the next American Idol.

Most don’t like him. Most absolutely trust him.

If trust is the most important leadership characteristic, who gives a flip about being liked?