witnessing history in the making

Today I met with 50+ women activist leaders and policy advocates from 11 countries in the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA) region. Although my role was to "teach" them about leadership, change, and effective team-building, they gave me more than I could have ever given them. To hear their personal stories, to experience their courage, and to help them connect with one another was a gift I will never forget. Thanks to Vital Voices, the sponsoring organization and brainchild of Hillary Clinton, for the opportunity to witness history as it unfolds in this region and to be able to make my own personal contribution by supporting these women. The brave leaders from Egypt confirmed that they achieved what even they thought was impossible a few weeks ago. I hope others find the same inspiration I do in knowing that the impossible CAN and DOES happen.

St. Brede's Day

Today is St. Brede's Day, celebrated for a few thousand years in Ireland. Traditionally, the day symbolizes sweeping out the old and welcoming in the fresh energy of spring.

Decluttering is always good--for organizations as well as individuals. Take one small part of your work, your home, or your life and remove the clutter. Once you start, you'll discover that not nearly as much as you thought is actually essential. Clean and reorganize the essence you have retained. You will find it calming, and be opened to new possibilities.

Even Without Wasabi

There was a long line at the take-out sandwich counter at lunch today. When the woman ahead of me finally got in position to place her order, she said to the server in an annoyed tone, "I understand that you no longer have the roast beef and wasabi!" The server courteously replied, "I'm sorry, mam, but that is true." "Huuumph!" she retorted in a loud voice. Then she turned to the server standing right next to the first and repeated the identical statement, to which she got the same reply. He kindly offered to make her a roast beef sandwich with spicy mustard, since they no longer carried wasabi. She contorted her face, made an even louder sound of displeasure, and stomped out.

What causes someone to wait in line for 15 minutes for a sandwich she knew they didn't have, and prevents her from finding something acceptable from the hundreds of possible combinations they did have? When we are tired, hurting, needy, or off balance, any of us can focus on what we don't or can't have, rather than what we do have or can create.

I'm grateful to this woman for the reminder that there's always a varied menu of options, even without wasabi.

Sucessful Resolutions

Have you found yourself making new year's resolutions in the last week--or feeling guilty that you didn't? Why are they so alluring, when so many get broken? One reason is because, on some level, we are all conscious of the gap between our ideal situation and our current reality. The beginning of a new calendar year seems like a good time to make a fresh start in reducing that gap, so we pledge to "do better or different."

I understand this desire to be our best selves. For all of my adult life, I have been driven to help people and organizations do just that. Fortunately, a lifetime of study and experience has contributed to a better batting average that most people have with their new year's resolutions. What are some keys to successfully setting and achieving goals that you can apply, individually or with your team?

1. Create a sense of urgency. Why is this change needed? What will happen if it doesn't occur?
2. Be specific about the results you want. Write & post them. Visualize them. Make them real.
3. Enlist others. Build a team that shares your vision. Draw on their talents.
4. Produce short-term, visible wins. Showing progress will reinforce your drive.
5. Don't give up. Breaking old patterns takes time. Even if you have a temporary setback, never, ever give up!

What's Your Halter?

One of the joys of working with such a variety of nonprofit organizations is the opportunity to dip into so many different worlds, learn from each, and cross pollinate ideas and solutions. When I was working with an organization that trains seeing eye dogs, I learned that these dogs are just like other dogs when they are not on their halters. Visiting homes where the dogs were being raised gave me the opportunity to see them spread out in front of the fireplace, begging for belly rubs, just like any other dog. I was surprised, after seeing how disciplined and single-minded they were at work.

We all have "high performance profiles," a set of elements that together cause us to excel at what we do. For a seeing eye dog, it's obvious that donning his halter means getting serious. For me, there are a host of factors that contribute to being able to sustain peak performance. For years, I've worked at cultivating them so that I can achieve optimum performance when needed. One factor I've just noticed is wearing a watch. My watch has become for me what the seeing eye dog's halter is to him--it means "work." When I strap it on in the morning, it is time to get down to business.

What are the factors that help you and your team perform well? Do you do better when you get enough sleep? When you are close to deadline? When you frequently review goals? When you get positive feedback? Pay attention to what contributes to success, and then build in those elements to be able to achieve and sustain peak performance.

All You Need is Love

John Lennon died 30 years ago today. I am reminded of an assignment given the first day of the first teaching methods course I took in undergraduate school. Our professor asked us to come in the next week with our personal philosophy or perspective on what it takes to be a good teacher. Most of the students in the class didn't even do the assignment. I had spent the entire weekend painting a banner on canvas with dozens of Peter Max figures surrounding the statement, "ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE." I was actually embarrassed by my over-achievement, but committed to the sentiment. The banner hung in the entrance to the University of Michigan School of Education for many years. All this time later, I would say that you need more than love to be successful at anything, but it's the very best place to start.

Be the Change

One of the most frequently seen quotes about change is from Mahatma Gandhi: "Be the change you want to see in the world." We're so familiar with this quote that we can forget to stop and reflect on its powerful meaning.

Maybe the most difficult challenge we face is to live one's life in complete alignment with one's values and vision. How many organizational leaders want everyone around them to change but don't want to align their own behavior with the values and vision they espouse? Every day, I wrestle with reducing the gap between my actions and the change I want to see in the world.

It is said that the way someone does one thing is the way they do everything. Think about that. How you do every little thing (yes, even how you handle being cut off in Beltway traffic) is a statement about who you are and what you value. As you go through the day today, pay attention to how you handle the little things, and ask yourself the degree to which you ARE the change you want to see in the world.