It is easy to be cynical about the importance of teams and teamwork, because it has become such a “red ocean” of coaches, resources, etc.. In the midst of all of that, I bet at the simplest of levels we could all agree that teams are important.

All that to say, I just finished listening to the MP3 version of “Overcoming the 5 Dysfunctions of a Team“, and it was helpful. It is a very simple tool, that can easily help you put a list of values that your team can all agree is the goal of the group. Then, once there is buy in, you immediately have a litmus test of how well you are doing.

If on the other hand you are stuck on being cynical about teamwork… then this is for you… (despair.com – place for a smile today… if you have a sense of humor that is)

This week i spent out in Phoenix, AZ becoming certified for Kolbe. Kolbe, if you don’t know will change your world. It will definitely change the way you work, think, interact, breathe, and just about everything else about yourself. Here is the quick version.

You have 3 parts to your brain. Not just two. The third part is just as much apart of you as your heart and soul. The problem is you have never noticed your third part. You should. It is very fun. This part is the one that determines how you work. (so as you can imagine it can be pretty valuable to know about yourself.)

So, my mind is full of lots and lots of theory, and still haven’t really concurred the overnight flight back from Phoenix. (Can you have jetleg from flying over only one time zone?) I am very excited about using this at Avalaunch (Where I work).

This week I read two books by the wonderful Kathy Kolbe, who started this whole Kolbe thing… Here and here they are. They are amazing books that will help you find out more about yourself, and more importantly, how to lead yourself, and others.

If you want to know more, then lets sit down and chat about it… to go into it further would make this blog very, very long…

thanks for reading!

by Seth Godin

7/10

Elevator Pitch: Some people are valuable, but if you want to be invaluable, or even indispensable, you have to be a linchpin. Linchpins are so vital to the organization that you wouldn’t be able to replace them. They hold it all together.

Favorite Quotes: “Art is a personal gift that changes the recipient.”

“Change it by so over-delivering that people post about you.” – (Talking about your Google search results)

“And perfect is bad, because you can’t top perfect.”

“The problem with meeting expectations is that it’s not remarkable. It won’t change the recipient of your work, and it’s easy to emulate (which makes you easy to replace).”

Overview: I never like to give too much of the book away, and trust me I haven’t. Almost all of those quotes are in the first third of the book. This is a fantastic read. Inspiring, motivating, and very challenging.

Without stealing his thunder, the moral of the story is you can settle for being a cog in the wheel of the organization where you work. A step in the process, part of the committee that resides over the committees, etc… OR you can be such an indispensable person in your organization that they couldn’t replace you if they wanted to.

You don’t get there with power plays, politics, or even by getting your MBA. You get there by being intentional and human in your interactions with people. (my words not his)

You won’t get ahead (for very long anyways) by playing games. You won’t enjoy work more by burning bridges with people that you work with… You will enjoy your work more when you make an intentional decision to lean into it (Tribes shoutout) and lead. Lead the people under you. Lead the people around you. AND lead the people that you report to…

If you want to check this book out… it will be on sale JAN 26th. Check it out on Amazon.

Exciting lessons to follow… Thanks seth and Acumen fund for all you do…

I might be late to the game, but I just found out about this “Way Back Machine” thing that is going on. For those of you who haven’t heard of it, like I hadn’t until last week, it is essentially a website that will show you the history of any website in its existence. You can see anything from Google’s first website or remind yourself of your website when it first launched.

Here is the lesson that I learned from it. If apple’s website once looked like this but now can look like this, then there is hope for us all. We all HAVE to keep refining what we do; growing, learning, and changing. If you don’t change, you will be left behind.

Also, Google’s website then and now. Really not that different… Pretty amazing the level of focus, foresight, and consistency that they have been able to show to stay on top of their game, and yet still be so true to who they were from the beginning.

10/10

Elevator Pitch: how to take a product and make it a purple cow, or make it remarkable

Favorite Quotes:

-”If you had unlimited time it would be easy… being hard headed about time is the single best way to make the innovation happen.”

Overview:

This is a great, “get you out of a rut” book. It will make you think. This book, like most of Seth’s stuff, will make you dream of what you can do to your product to make it better. My favorite thing about it though is all the talk about the “Champion” that you should be in your company. Here is what that means…

The owner of the idea becomes the Champion, but the merit of the idea itself doesn’t really matter in wether or not it will be implemented. No, it only matters if you are the type of Champion to get it done. You have to become the type of person in your company that can get the permission, trust, and authority to make your idea happen.

If you want to give it a try, and more importantly if you want to become a champion, check it out…

7/10

Elevator Summary: One of the most straight forward systems to becoming a successful leader.

Favorite Quotes:

“Often the gap between self-realization and reality is enormous.”

“The difference between leaders and followers is perspective. The difference between leaders and effective leaders is better perspective. Effective leaders have better perspective.”- J. Robert Clinton

“Recognition: babies cry for it and grown men die for it.”

Thoughts:

One of the best books on leadership I have ever read. I really like all of the references to other authors, and thoughts on leadership from the greats. (John Maxwell, John Wooden, etc…) But it did seem a little long, and it was a book on leadership… So…

I will give Kudos to Chris Brady and Orin Woodward, the five stages of leadership that they lay out help you clearly see where you are as a leader, and where you can/should be.

Check it out on Amazon

Overall Rating : 9 out of 10

Elevator Summary: This book contains secrets and tips for anyone starting, running or working in a small business. It is a must read for those people. Quick, full of insight, and pretty entertaining.

Favorite quotes:

“Profit is the applause you get for taking care of your customers and creating a motivating environment for your people.”

“4 things you need to remember to be an entrepreneur:

1. Your sales have to exceed your expenses.
2. Collect your bills
3. Take care of your customers
4. Take care of your people (employees)”

If you still aren’t convinced to read this book, then you are just crazy. If you have a passion in life, and want to achieve it, this book in a no brainer. Easy weekend read, and will dramatically simplify your thought process of most important “swings” of your day. The author is the famous Ken Blanchard of “Creating Raving Fans” as well as many other great books.

Please buy this book and read it. It will change your business…

Live a remarkable life. Live a life with epic and amazing scenes. Live a life that people would want to make a movie about… That is the main thought of this Donald Miller book – “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years.”

BUT, don’t do it to have some great small talk at a bar or your next interview. Don’t do it to impress a girl, and most of all, don’t do it so that you feel better about yourself.

Live a beautiful life so that you don’t miss out on the story that God is writing with your life. Don’t sit on the couch and miss the conversation he wants you to have with that certain someone. Don’t just watch a great movie but try to live it out.

In true Donald form, this book is inspiring, but I would hate for people to read it and miss the reason to live a great story. It is to Honor and Glorify God that we should read more and watch less TV; and travel more and sit at home less; invest in people more and play less video games.

If you do it for yourself, then it isn’t honorable. Just selfish…

*Thanks to Jordan Lloyd for the copy of this book, his friendship, and for his investment in my life… Check him out on twitter…