Back on January 9th, I shared a story about how we all got a wakeup call when shots rang out on a sunny Saturday morning in Tucson, Arizona. After that day, as a nation wondered, waited and prayed, a group of friends were sharing ideas on what could be done to remember the fallen, bring the community together and begin the healing process. The result is a new collaborative project called The Healing Trees Humanitarian Program. Continue reading
Category Archives: Real World Inspiration
For the past two years I have been travelling the highways and byways of Arizona and spending time with some incredibly cool and inspiring companies.
Visit here as I share what I experienced along the way…
Leading by Example: Intel and us
On January 26, 2011, Intel Labs announced a $100 million cash investment in U.S. university research over the next 5 years, marking a new model of collaboration for the organization. The Funding will support a number of Intel Science and Technology Centers; the first such center will be led by Stanford University and focus on next-generation visual computing. According to the Intel Labs press release, this new model of university-lead research is expected to provide U.S. researchers with up to 5 times more funding from Intel Labs compared to the previous approach, and enable engagements across a broader set of universities.Continue reading
Following your star…
Over 2000 years ago, three wise men followed a star. A young woman and her husband began a journey that started with the ‘impossible’ and a child was born that became one of the greatest leaders ever known. The world has never been the same.
For many of us, 2010 has been a year of personal and professional challenges, but just imagine the challenges these people once faced. Continue reading
Are you MARKED for success?
How committed are you to your success? I like to think I am but I don’t think I would go as far as my friend Kevin Daum has. He is on a quest for what he calls the “Jewish Super Bowl Ring”; a New York Times Best Seller with his latest book, Roar!
Kevin shared his thoughts earlier this year with Mike Michalowicz, The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur about personal commitment and what it takes to succeed in the Sales and Marketing Jungle.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K62ponMIHtU]
“Go Big or Go Home” – Kevin Daum
In days like these, we hear a lot about leaders who are looking for commitment, engagement, and the need for people who are willing to give all they have to the project, the plan, and the goals of the company. Yet, how many of us as leaders are truly committed to ‘go all in” as they say in Vegas.
Commitment is not measured in words – JKW
The true measure of commitment is not your words, it’s your actions. If you don’t believe me – ask your team. They know what their leaders are truly committed to because they pay attention to not just what we say but what we do.
Your team may listen to what you say… but they do what you demonstrate. – JKW
I’ve met a lot of authors who say they want a New York Times Best Seller. OK, lets be honest, most of us would be doing the happy dance if this happened. But would we sell our big house, and move to a nice (but small) apartment in Manhattan to be closer to the action. Would we hound our publisher with idea after idea to get extra support, stand on a street corner in the cold passing out flyers to passer-byes, meet with group after group telling the same story over and over again, or chronicle each step of the way on a blog for all the world to see. I’ve watched Kevin do it. (Ok, I admit it – after the tattoo I had to see what he would come up with next. And I am not even his publisher, that honor went to John Wiley and Sons.)
Watching Kevin pursue his dream, I believe him when he says he will be a New York Times Best Selling Author some day. And because HE is so committed, it made me want to ‘join his team’ by offering some encouragement here.
If you want your team engaged, keep your sense of humor. – JKW
As leaders, we need to keep trying new things, finding ways to add more value, and deliver a quality product . We need to recruit champions and inspire our team to carry the message further.
In Kevin’s case he has come up with some very innovative ideas to promote his book. I’ve even used some of them, with his blessing, in promoting CorePurpose Publishing’s latest release, The Recipe: A fable for leaders and teams by Amilya Antonetti. It must be working – after a while Amazon started to offer the books as a pairing together.
In watching Kevin what I have noticed, through it all, is he is loving every step of the journey. He never loses his smile or his personal belief that he will get to the end of the road. He has a quality product (I bought the book and read it) and he’s kept his sense of humor. For example – check out his “book trailer”…
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qord1Y_VU-8]
So whatever dream you and your team are pursuing, you might want to take a page from Kevin’s book and live your commitment. You just might end up doing your own happy dance! (Hey Kevin – what IS the name of that song?)
Thanks for stopping by. Stay Tuned…
Joan Koerber-Walker
Turning ‘Round and Looking Up
Just like the horses and riders on a carousel, American businesses are turning around and looking up. Continue reading
Making A Difference in a World Gone Dark
This week, while in NYC launching The Recipe: A fable for Leaders and Teams, our new book by Amilya Antonetti, I got to meet an amazing woman. Her name is Lynn Tilton – and boy is she making a difference!
It’s not every day that you meet a girl from the Bronx who has worked her way up to not only phenomenal success (her company Patriarch Partners has SEVEN BILLION DOLLARS under management) but who is so “together” that her success comes not from a desire for cash but from a drive to make a difference for others by saving companies and saving and creating American jobs.
Lynn was one of three leaders that AMA Enterprises and CorePurpose honored as inspiring leaders at a private VIP and Media Event in New York as we launched The Recipe. While the book is a story about how teams and leaders come together, Lynn’s LIFE is a prime example of how one woman’s quest to make a difference can affect millions! (You can see more pictures from the event honoring Lynn here. )
Lynn graciously agreed to answer some of my questions about how she has achieved so much. As she spoke, I learned so much that this is actually the first of a three part series I will be running about our conversation in the week to come. It will start here, continue on Amilya.com, and conclude on Going for the Brass Ring, my blog at Fast Company.
So here are some of the first bits that Lynn shared with me…
It started in the Bronx…
My life journey has evolved from my birthplace – Bronx, NY- through the
ivory towers of Yale and Columbia Universities to the male-dominated world
of Wall Street. Today, as the founder and CEO of Patriarch Partners, I
focus not only on the more than 70 companies in our portfolio, but also on
“the Main Streets” of once thriving towns across America, that struggle for
survival in the new economy that has turned its back on the American worker.
Patriarch’s mission is to rebuild America one company at a time and one job
at a time and it has been made possible through hard work, an innovative
spirit and an unwavering quest for truth and light where others see
hopelessness.
The truth is cold and hard but the first step on the path to hope and
salvation. ~ Lynn Tilton, Patriarch Partners
Saving America…Once Company at a Time
My business is founded upon my personal mission…the attempt to save
America, one company at a time, one job at a time. The Patriarch platform
is built upon the premise that each company otherwise would have been liquidated, but
instead saved and rebuilt, is value added to our economy and our nation.
With the restructure and renewal of each of these companies, jobs are
sustained and created. Over the years we have saved approximately 150
companies from the throws of liquidation and 250,000 jobs associated with
those companies.
Who was your inspiration?
My father–his teachings and his values–have long been my inspiration. We
were raised to give back to the world and to others. It is for this reason
that my firm is named Patriarch Partners; in the name of the father. My dad
died my junior year in college but that which he taught me lives on in our
work and the lives of the families who we touch.
Turning Dust to Diamonds
My business and my personal life no longer have boundaries. I am driven by
the cause that this business has become. Knowing the loss of a working
parent while young, I experienced the devastation such loss can bring to the
structure of a family. That loss and the memory motivates me to spare
families from that desolation. In the end, I believe that making money and
making the world a better place are not mutually exclusive options.
If you had 3 wishes – what would they be?
- People standing shoulder to shoulder with common vision and perseverance to
rebuild America. - A world with more appreciation and less expectation.
- A little more calm and sleep for me.
So that’s how we started…
But I have so much more to share. Please stay tuned as the interview continues this weekend on Amilya.com and concludes next week on Going for the Brass Ring, my blog at Fast Company. I’ll be posting the links on Twitter, on Facebook, and through the comments link here on this first part of the series. Just subscribe to the comments here on this post so you don’t miss the great insights from Lynn to come. You can also follow Lynn on Facebook and Twitter. I do. 🙂
Not Just Accepting Change … Leading It. An Interview with Mike Henry Sr.
The first step to success is being passionate about what you do. Don’t just take it from me – talk to Mike Henry Sr., founder of the Lead Change Group. Continue reading
Promise and Compromise
You’ve probably had the experience where through the diverse objectives and perspectives of the people on your team, what you set out to create and what you got where not exactly the same. As concessions are made to reach a point of consensus, a completely different animal begins to takes shape.Continue reading
Just a bit of Auld Lang Syne – Farewell 2009
The year 2009 will be a year to remember- fondly by some and less by others. But however you feel about this year soon past – 2010 is just around the corner. (Or as my Aussie friends remind me – It’s already here!)
As the clock strikes Twelve – New Years tradition is to gather with friends and family to wish them well – sing a song and exchange an embrace. We’ve all heard the song and probably sung it – most of us badly – at least I have.
It is believed Robert Burns wrote the lyrics to Auld Lang Syne in the 1700’s. (Most say in 1788.) The 1700’s were challenging years for the Scots – and in January of 1788 – it was the passing of an era with the death at 68 of the long exiled Bonnie Prince Charlie.
This video has Auld Lang Syne as sung by Dougie MacLean on his album Tribute.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acxnmaVTlZA]
As we sing Auld Lang Syne to this challenging decade of zero years, let’s take a page from from the song and put it behind us with fond memories of what was good and focus in on where and why we might raise our ‘cup of kindness’ to the decade to come.
Looking Back on the Big Zero
The decade of the Big Zero was not all bad – it had it’s highs and it’s lows. But the highs for me included starting my own company (CorePurpose turns 8 in July), publishing my first book, leading an inspiring team at ASBA for two years, working with the team at Parenting Arizona and OTEF to make a lasting difference in our community, helping RiboMed move forward in it’s quest for new methods of early cancer detection so we can catch it early and stop the spread before it harms the ones we love, and watching my sons grow from boys into men that their Dad and I can be very proud if. All in all, not a bad list.
Looking forward to the Big One
As I look towards 2010 and beyond – let’s call it the Decade of the BIG ONE – I’m starting a To Do List – not resolutions to break – just actions to take.
- Help someone find a job they love.
- Have lunch with a friend to share ideas on a regular basis
- Pick an OLD Problem and Solve at it in a NEW way at least every other day.
- Recognize someone’s leadership potential and commit to be their mentor
- Accomplish ‘Small Things” as suggested by Rebel Brown in this post at Phoenix Rising.
- Dust off that Five Year Plan and Refine it for 2010 and beyond
- Identify What We Do Best – Focus our energies there and outsource the rest
- Zero in on finding my QUEST company and get it growing.
- Help my son Nick (he’s 18) write his business plan for HIS dream business so that when he writes his 2019 Look Back List he can say – “The Decade of the Big One was when I launched my business – and look what we have achieved.”
So, there you have it – my Look Back List and my To Do List going forward. Have you started yours?
Thanks for stopping – best wishes for a Safe and Happy New Years and a record breaking 2010 and beyond. Get ready – this decade will be the BIG ONE.
Joan Koerber-Walker
Helping Others Make the Most of Their Conative Strengths – Kathy Kolbe
This year I got an extra special treat – I got to meet and get to know Kathy Kolbe.
I had known about Kathy’s work for years and had my own Kolbe A™ Index done in 2005. (My M.O. is 4-3-9-2) Since then, I have used the Kolbe Assessment Tool Set and Kolbe certified consultants to gain insights into creating high performance teams. But it was not until we started chatting on Twitter that Kathy and I actually set a date to get together for lunch and started to share ideas.
About a month later, at Kathy’s suggestion, I got certified myself so that I could better apply the power of understanding my own innate abilities to what I do an and learn how to use Kolbe Wisdom™ to make the most of the natural strengths of others in my home life, at work, and in my various community activities.
I continue to learn something new about conation every time I listen to Kathy (here’s a podcast she did recently with Koren Motekaitus) or by following @KathyKolbe on Twitter. Here is an article Martha Beck wrote in O Magazine about the Kolbe Index.
Understanding what my natural strengths are and how I can make the best use of them has been a huge advantage for me over the years. So when I started the “People Making a Difference Series on Little Life Stories – Kathy was a natural to interview.
An Interview with Kathy Kolbe – the world’s leading expert on Conation.
JKW: Kathy, I hear your name every time someone talks about Conative Abilities. How would YOU describe yourself?
KK: Theorist by nature, entrepreneur by preference & writer by pure determination, I’m also a severe dyslexic who has created paths to my freedom to be me. I strive to develop expertise & opportunities to help others do the same.
As the author of 100+ books & programs teaching creative problem solving for kids – thru my biz, Resources for the Gifted -Time Magazine named me (1985 Man of the Year article) 1 of 7 people representing America’s Can-Do Spirit.
Shortly after, a near-fatal car accident left me unable to walk, talk, read or write. I’d been exploring little known instinct-driven conative actions & reactions, and this provided the unique opportunity to experience the isolated use of that source of personal power. The recovery process gave me a higher education in the conative part of the mind. When the book I later wrote (Conative Connection) became a best seller, it was clear that my life’s work was to help others discover the power of the differing but equal innate abilities I’d unearthed. I do that through Kolbe Corp and the non-profit Center for Conative Abilities.
JKW: Many companies are learning the importance of understanding conation in the workplace – but it does not stop there. You’ve shared some great examples with me. Would you share one with our readers?
KK: A favorite application of my work is what happened when I was helping a CEO build and lead his exec team. He asked if I could also help with family problems. His wife and 16 and 12 year old kids completed the Kolbe A Index or Kolbe Youth Indexes, and by phone we discussed natural conflicts in their MOs (or Kolbe Index results). His wife came to realize she was on his son’s case because he didn’t stick to her sense of order. She was also uncomfortable with her husband’s innate degree of risk taking. The daughter, who they feared was ADD, was actually able to thrive once they understood her conative need for hands-on, multitasking activities. In three teleconferences, a family in crisis became one with an appreciation – even a sense of humor – about their differing instinctive responses to one another. And, like a doctor who faces family illnesses, the CEO became a better leader.
JKW: You have inspired thousands. Who inspires you?
KK: My greatest inspiration has come from my grandchildren. When I see their joy when they have the freedom to be themselves, their persistence in overcoming obstacles, their compassion for each others’ conative needs, and the great wisdom in how they use this information, I am in awe of both the power within them and the way they put it to use.
JKW: Why do you do what you do?
KK: I do what I do because it is what I believe I was meant to do. I am fulfilling my sense of purpose.
JKW: If you had three wishes, what would they be?
KK: Wish #1 – That every human being knew the nature of his or her instinct-driven conative powers, found joy in it, humor in their differences from others, and had the freedom to use it purposefully.
Wish #2 – That our culture would stop pathologizing conative strengths (false ADD and other misdiagnoses ) and stereotyping these universal traits by gender, age , and race (“men are more mechanically inclined”).
Wish #3 – That the combination of human intelligence, compassion, and conative creativity could be used to rid humankind of poverty, pain and wars against one another.
A Special Gift from Kathy Kolbe
Kathy Kolbe’s gift to all of us is the ability to better understand HOW we will do what we do to solve problems, find solutions, and get things done. Understanding our personal M.O. (Modus Operandi) and identifying our natural talents helps us understand how we do our best work and why certain things come so easily to us while others do not.
Kathy even has set up a special page on her website just for you as a thank you for reading this post. For a limited time, you, our readers can receive a 20% discount ($10.00 off) on the Kolbe A™ Index. See offer and more information at: http://kolbe.com/jkw .
When you take your Kolbe A™ Index, be sure to listen to the audio portions of your report, recorded specially for you by Kathy. They are incredibly helpful.
Plus – as a special gift from me (I can’t let Kathy do ALL the work) – I’ll be happy to spend an hour with you on the phone or via Skype chatting about how you can put this knowledge to work for you. Just send me a note by clicking on this contact link. In your note, include Your Name (exactly as you entered it in the Kolbe system) your four number MO (mine is 4-3-9-2) and your email address so I can review your report and get back to you to set up a time.
Taking the Kolbe A™ Index is the first step to learning how to emphasize the things that come most naturally to you and how to stop fighting your natural instincts. Isn’t that a great way to kick off 2010!
Thanks for stopping by. Stay tuned…
Joan Koerber-Walker
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