Wearing baggy pants doesn’t make you a skater, wearing spandex doesn’t make you a cyclist, looking at the world through Oakley shades doesn’t make you a snowboarder, saying, ‘dude’ doesn’t make you a surfer and—in business—printing ‘leader’ on your card doesn’t make you lead. Real leaders take us to places we've never been, turn nothing into something, transform good into great, help us grow as human beings and change the pieces of the world that they touch for the better. Real leaders are, in other words, Extreme Leaders. This site will help you make the choice to be one of them. So spend some time, poke around, and when inspiration strikes, chime in on the blog below...

Leadership and the Next Presidency

I'm off to Boston to participate in a day-long session co-hosted by Ken Blanchard and the Center for Public Leadership. I'm very excited to be spending the day in such esteemed company and to be a small part of the discussion of a singularly critical question. This article, which was posted at ascribe.org, will give you an idea of the day's agenda and a partial list of the participants (see the end of this post). I've done my best to add the appropriate links:

Center for Public Leadership Hosts a 'Conversation on Leadership and the Next Presidency'; Focus on Competencies - Not Policies - the Times Demand

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 9 (AScribe Newswire) -- To help move the national debate beyond slogans and sound bites, Harvard Kennedy School's Center for Public Leadership (CPL), in partnership with The Ken Blanchard Companies, will convene a daylong conversation on leadership entitled "Leadership and the Next Presidency" on Monday, May 12.

More than 200 leaders from the public and social sectors, corporate world, academia, and the media will gather in Cambridge, with support from the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust and The Charles Hotel, for a program whose focus will be markedly different from many of the public discussions held so far in this presidential campaign season.

"A crisis is a defining moment of any presidency," noted CPL director David Gergen. "When you look at the daunting challenges that must be addressed in the next four years, and the equally daunting impediments to taking meaningful action - the weakening economy and the increasing volatility in global affairs not least among them - then it becomes clear that the next administration will not lack for defining moments."

"Given the likelihood of such a scenario," Gergen continued, "the character, wisdom, and resilience of the next national leader become vital - as important as the particular policies the president puts forward."

"Leadership and the Next Presidency" will take place at the Charles Hotel, located at One Bennett Street in Cambridge, beginning at 8:30 a.m. The morning will include a conversation on the challenges ahead for the next president, and what is required to address them. The participants will leverage their own vast leadership experience in the afternoon, as they look at the presidential election from a job interview perspective and develop the best questions to evaluate leadership capacity. The afternoon program will also feature messages to would-be presidents from Harvard graduate students representing the next generation of leaders.

"In studying the effectiveness of organizations for more than 40 years," added Ken Blanchard, leadership consultant and best-selling author, "there is no doubt in my mind that the key ingredient that determines success and human satisfaction is leadership. Every time you talk to people about an organization that is admired, people want to talk about the leaders. Similarly, our next president's 'leadership point of view' will determine what kind of organization runs our country, and what our country becomes. So the critical questions are about the characteristics we need in our next president - and in the appointees and advisers the next president brings into the administration."

The Center for Public Leadership is committed to continuing this conversation up to and beyond the coming election. For that reason, May 12 will also mark the launch of the CPL Leadership Forum through a weblog to augment this discussion and continue highlighting leadership issues, and Harvard Kennedy School-related topics. On the day of the event a blogging station will be available for attendees to comment on posts by guest bloggers such as Warren Bennis, a legendary figure in the world of leadership studies, and Col. Thomas Kolditz, Professor and Head of the Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership at the United States Military Academy at West Point. The blog will be available at http://www.hks.harvard.edu/leadership/blog .

Participants in this Conversation on Leadership include:

Graham Allison, Douglas Dillon Professor of Government and director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School

Max Bazerman, Jesse Isidor Straus Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School

Ken Blanchard, founder and Chief Spiritual Officer, The Ken Blanchard Companies

Erv Brinker, CEO, Summit Pointe

Andrew Card, former chief of staff to President George W. Bush

Cheryl Dorsey, President, Echoing Green

Robert Edgar, President and CEO, Common Cause

David Gergen, Professor of Public Service and director of the Center for Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School

Fred Greenstein, Professor of Politics Emeritus, Princeton University

Bill George, Professor of Management Practice, Harvard Business School and former Chairman and CEO, Medtronic

Rev. Wilson Goode, former Mayor of Philadelphia

Steve Grove, political director, YouTube

Kerry Healey, former Lt. Governor of Massachusetts

Ben Homan, President, Food for the Hungry

Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Ernest L. Arbuckle Professorship, Harvard Business School

Barbara Kellerman, James MacGregor Burns Lecturer in Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School

Joe Klein, columnist, Time Magazine

Patrick Lencioni, founder and President, The Table Group, Inc.

Harvey Mackay, author and Chairman, MackayMitchell Envelope Company

Pete Meinig, Chairman and CEO, HM International, Inc.

Marilyn Carlson Nelson, Chairman and CEO, Carlson Companies, Inc.

Bill Pollard, Chairman, The ServiceMaster Company

Roger Porter, IBM Professor of Business and Government, Harvard Kennedy School

Garry Ridge, President and CEO, WD-40 Company

Kevin Sharer, Chairman, CEO, and President, Amgen, Inc.

Tommy Spaulding, President and CEO, Up With People

Larry Summers, Charles W. Eliot University Professor, Harvard University

Noel Tichy, Professor of Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management and the director of the Global Leadership Program, Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan

Walter Ulloa, Chairman and CEO, Entravision Communications Corp.

Andy Zelleke, Lecturer in Public Policy and co-director of the Center for Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School

Patricia Zigarmi, co-founder, The Ken Blanchard Companies

AScribe - The Public Interest Newswire / 510-653-9400
www.ascribe.org

Posted by steve on 05.10.2008 | Comments (0)

A Little (pre-edited) Peek

For all the right reasons--which I'll tell you about soon--Random House / Doubleday / Currency has decided to move back the publication date of my next book from September, '08 to January, '09. We've got some cool things going behind the scenes that will coincide with the book's launch, so I'm ecstatic that we're waiting just a bit to make sure that all the proverbial ducks are lined up and quacking in unison.

In the meantime, here's a preview of what I've been cooking up. Since my editor is yet to whack at it with his magic pen, I can't promise that you're looking at the final form. We're still wrestling with the title, so for now let's just say that the story explores the principle I've been referring to on this blog as Greater Than Yourself. Here then, is the current state of the prologue and Chapter One:

Prologue

The obsession seized me with all the subtlety of a sumo wrestler hopped up on anabolics.

I’d been playing guitar for 35 years, and I’d owned a couple of decent ones from time to time, but suddenly I needed—needed—that 1959 Gibson hollow-body electric hanging on the rack at Vintage Brothers Guitars in Carlsbad, California.

I don’t know what it was. I’d seen nicer guitars, to be sure. There was nothing unusual about its sunburst finish, and with only one pickup in the middle position, the ES-330 wasn’t considered the most desirable of collectable instruments. But other than a few minor nicks on the headstock, it was in perfect condition, and as I sat in the store’s small demo room, playing it hour after hour, I fell deeper and deeper in love. The neck was fast, the tone, sweet, rich and mellow. Yeah, I was in love, man, but not all love and obsession winds up in marriage, so eventually I put it back on the rack, inquired just one more time about the price, and walked out into the salty, San Diego, Pacific Ocean air.

I’ve played better guitars, I kept telling myself, and I’ve seen better deals on vintage instruments. But as I walked towards my car, I couldn’t shake it. Then the sumo got me, spun me around and shoved me back down the parking lot from where I’d come. My pace quickened as I approached the shop, and my wallet was out before I even got through the door. I paid the price and grabbed the case, and, minutes later, grinning a grin that tested the limits of my cheek-muscles, I tucked that baby into the passenger seat and buckled it in like the prize it was.

I had to have that guitar. Had to.

And now, just a few days later, I know why.

Chapter One

I’m not really sure what to call it when things line themselves up without my slightest knowledge or influence. It’s like someone is executing a profoundly interlaced conspiracy to make all the random pieces of my life fit together. What is it? Karma? Kismet? Synchronicity? I don’t know, but it happens to me a lot, and more often than not it works out well. I just seem to meet the right teachers at the right time.

I’ve been blessed (maybe that’s the word) with the opportunity to work with some of the world’s preeminent thinkers in business leadership—like Tom Peters and Jim Kouzes to name a couple. And in recent years, under extremely odd and seemingly fortuitous circumstances, I’ve learned directly from some of the masters of Extreme Leadership—like William Maritime and Agnes Golden and Ted Garrison, names that’ll be familiar to readers of my previous books.

I’ve done a pretty good job of conveying the lessons I’ve learned along the way, and I think that’s why I’ve made a bit of a name for myself in certain circles. Some have even used the words “Steve Farber” and “leadership guru” in the same sentence, which, although gratifying to my ego, makes me squirm like I have a load of wet worms in my socks.

Right teachers. Right time. Odd circumstances.

I was thinking I should print that on my business card, because it was starting to happen all over again.

I was back in my apartment on the bay side of the Mission Beach area of San Diego. The ocean and its frenetic boardwalk were a couple of blocks to the west, but calm, tranquil Mission Bay lay just a few short yards to the east of my building, affording a view through my living room window worthy of tourist’s post card.

I had returned from Carlsbad a couple hours earlier, cleared my agenda by taking care of a few time-bound tasks, and was now—finally!—ready to spend some quality time getting intimate with my new companion.

I gingerly placed the tattered, 49 year-old, mottled brown guitar case on the dining room table, flipped open the latches, lifted the top, and let my gaze linger over the sunburst-colored curves of my new six-string babe.

Sitting on a bar stool with the guitar propped in my lap, I twisted the tuning knobs until the sound was just right and fired off a couple of quick blues licks in the key of E. I’d plug it in later; for now I was enjoying the smooth feel of the Brazilian rosewood fingerboard and the muted, rich sound resonating off its un-amplified, maple body. I was just about to settle in for a few hours of serious playing (which sounds like an oxymoron—but it’s not), when something in the case caught my eye. I set the guitar in a stand and got up to take a closer look.

The pink, plush lining on the inside bottom of the case was pulled slightly back at the seam and a small, yellowed piece of paper stuck out from under the fabric. I pinched the corner and pulled on it gently. It slid easily from under the velvet and revealed itself to be a handwritten note.

I felt a voyeuristic jolt similar to what an architect must feel when finding a relic that gives a glimpse into another’s life in another time.

“Dear Jessica,” the note began. “This guitar is my gift to you. It was made in 1959, 31 years before I taught you your first lesson. What a player you’ve become in just 5 short years, and now that you’re old enough to vote and on your way to school and the distractions of adult life, you’ll need this guitar to remind you of your wonderful musical gift. And may it help you to become a better player than I ever hoped to be. I have no doubt you will.

You have brought this old teacher of yours more joy than you could possibly know and I want you to know that I’m very, very proud of you.

“Your friend and teacher,

GZ”

“You’ve been around, haven’t you?” I said to the guitar in the stand.

I read the note one more time and tried to imagine the teacher, the student and the strong bond that had obviously existed between them. It was an unusual thing, that kind of connection. I’d been lucky enough to experience that student-teacher bond in my professional life, and I knew how rare and priceless a thing it could be, so, naturally, I found myself wondering where these people were today and what, if anything, had happened with Jessica’s life as a guitarist—or if she even continued playing at all.

The way I figured it, (I had to use a calculator, I admit), this note was written somewhere around 1995, and if Jessica had just been reaching college age, that would put her in her early 30’s today.

Had “GZ’s” pride been well-placed? Had Jessica grown into the kind of adult he’d hoped she would? And why, if their relationship had been as special as the teacher’s note implied, had Jessica eventually gone on to sell this wonderful and sentimental gift? And you’d think if she’d returned even a little of her teacher’s affection, she’d at least have kept the note.

I know I would have.

Given my sudden and intense curiosity about all this, I found myself faced with two possible paths: I could either make up imaginary answers to these questions, or I could snoop around to see if I couldn’t uncover the real story of Jessica and GZ.

And I bet you can guess which road I traveled by.

Posted by steve on 02.27.2008 | Comments (9)

An Invitation from Tommy

Recently, I posted a speech by my friend, Tommy Spaulding, CEO of Up with People. As you may know, I sit on the organization's Board Of Directors and am a raving fan of UWP's program and everything it stands for.

I'm also a total sucker for their tremendous, inspiring show.

If you happen to live in the Denver, Colorado area, or if for some reason you'll be there on the evening of February 9th, you have an opportunity to see the show in all its glory.

I'll be there too, so please come on by and say hello.

I'll let Tommy fill you in on the details for this exciting event. Here's a personal invite from the man himself (oh, and be sure to click the "parade" links to get a taste of the Up with People spirit):

Dear Farber Friends,

I would like to personally invite you to a night that Up with People has been planning for quite some time – our Denver Premier of our new Up with People show. Please invite your family, neighbors and friends to a very special evening at the Buell Theatre in downtown Denver on Saturday, February 9th at 7:30pm.

In our 43 year history, over 20,000 people from 72 different countries have traveled the world with Up with People. We have performed at four Super Bowl Halftimes, the Olympics, the White House, The Vatican, World Cup, and most recently the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and The Tournament of Roses Parade.

But it's not just about the show. Up with People’s new business model highlights a local charity in every city we visit throughout the world and gives 100% of all tickets sales from our Up with People show to that local charity. We are now in the business of raising money and raising awareness for local non-profits throughout the world.

Up with People’s international world headquarters is in Denver, Colorado, and this is our first appearance at the Buell Theatre. It's particularly fitting, therefore, that 100% of all tickets sales for this special event will go directly to the Metro Denver Habitat for Humanity.

Please visit www.ticketswest.com or www.upwithpeople.org/denver for tickets. This will be a sellout show – so please get your tickets ASAP.

I know that Steve Farber's readers are all over the world, but I hope that those of you in the Denver area can join us for this exciting event.

All The Best,

Tommy Spaulding

Posted by steve on 01.24.2008 | Comments (0)

The 2007 Kineticom LEAP Awards

I've written extensively on this site about Kineticom, a young, hot, vibrant San Diego-based company. (We profiled them recently in a mini-documentary about Extreme Leadership).

As you'll see from the previous posts, the principles of Love, Energy, Audacity and Proof are an integral part of their culture, and, once again, they've been kind enough to share a bit of themselves with the rest of us.

Here, then, are the Kineticom LEAP awards for 2007. They may only look like little plaques to you, but believe me, these awards are a big honor for the participants.

Consider doing something like this in your company, maybe? Just a thought...

Click on each image to see and read the full picture:

Posted by steve on 01.06.2008 | Comments (2)

What Do You Title Yourself?

In my last post I asked for your help in choosing a title for the new book, and the results are in:

With 60% of the vote, Greater Than Yourself was the hands-down winner for the main title. As far as the subtitle goes, well, let's just say that's still unclear. (My old friend, Sam Nitzberg, contributed my favorite write-in, But I Still Have You Beat, which is hilarious and therefore not an option). I still have to work it out with the publisher, but I've made an executive decision to stop worrying about it for now. It'll all be a moot point unless I finish writing all that stuff that comes after.

Thanks to everyone who helped out--I appreciate it very much.

And with all this thinking about titles, I've been revisiting what I title myself.

You know what I mean, right?

I'm really not sure what to say when--on an airplane, for example--someone asks me what I do for work. What am I? Keynote speaker? Leadership speaker? Motivational speaker? Author? Business author? Speaker author motivational keynoter person?

"I'm a speaker and a writer," I usually say. To some that probably sounds romantic, but to me it just seems bland. Vanilla.

It used to be faddish to come up with a really snappy title for yourself--one that describes the uniqueness of your work. My title at the Tom Peters Company was "Vice President and Official Mouthpiece."

And I've known more than one receptionist who titled herself "Director of First Impressions."

Is it still cool to do that snappy title thing, or has it gotten to be a little too precious?

I'm not sure.

So maybe you can help me out again. But this time, let's talk about you:

How do you answer the what-do-you-do question?

What do you title yourself?

Posted by steve on 12.19.2007 | Comments (15)

Birth Of A Title

I'm coming into the home stretch (okay, it's a long home stretch) on the new book, and the pressure's on to finalize the title. The working version has been Greater Than Yourself, but we're also playing with several variations on the theme, as well as opening it up to a start-from-scratch-anything-goes approach.

I'd love to get your help on this. Please take a couple of minutes and fill out this survey at Zoomerang.

Just a couple of clicks and you'll be done--and you can rest easy in your bed tonight knowing that you've helped this author and a major New York publisher make a decision that could change the very course of human existence.

Or whatever you have to tell yourself to feel good about it.

In any event, I'd greatly appreciate your help and creative input. (In case you missed it the first time around, please click here to take the survey).

Posted by steve on 12.05.2007 | Comments (3)

How to Deliver an Inspiring Vision

I've written before about my son, Jeremy's, experience on Up with People and my involvement with and dedication to the program, not only as a parent of a participant, but as a member of UWP's Board of Directors.

Established in 1965, Up with People has been flying under the radar in recent years, and most of the very people who should be in the program (age range of 18 - 29 years old) don't even know it exists.

That's all about to change.

The UWP cast will be performing in both the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Tournament of Roses Parade, and our hope is that by their stepping on to the world stage we'll generate a nice buzz about this inspiring leadership development program.

This past August in Tucson, Arizona, Tommy Spaulding, the program's president and CEO, delivered his vision for the future of the program at the opening session of the Up with People alumni reunion.

And it was one hell of a speech.

I know; I was there. (Not as an alumnus, but as a Board member).

But here's the thing: it wasn't just a great speech about one organization's future, it's a lesson for any leader about how to communicate an inspiring vision and enlist others in making it happen.

So let's turn this into a lesson for the rest of us. Here's the plan:

1. Put Yourself in the Role of Audience Member: assume you're an alumnus of the program, and you've been frustrated with the organization because, in recent years, it hasn't lived up to your expectations. At one point it even temporarily closed its doors, and you were afraid that it was going to stay closed forever. You've come to this reunion to re-connect with old friends, and now the new CEO steps up to the stage to give his vision of the re-launched program's future. You want to believe him, but you're more than a little bit skeptical. Cynical, even.

2. Understand the CEO's (Tommy's) Challenge: He needs the audience to believe in the new strategy and direction. He needs their good will, their support, and, sometimes, their money. He has to re-energize the optimists, and convert the cynics.

3. Take specific notes on what Tommy does and how he does it.

4. Make a list of the principles you could use in communicating your next leadership/vision message.

5. Write your observations in the comments section below.

Heeeere's Tommy:

Posted by steve on 10.29.2007 | Comments (5)

What Would You Pack When Fleeing a Fire?

My heart, thoughts and prayers go out to all my near-neighbors who've lost their houses in these San Diego firestorms. Our neighborhood was untouched, and aside from a pool-full of ash and a smoky smell to the air, our place is fine.

My wife, three step-daughters, and I evacuated for a couple of days, which, with the exception of the fire-related stress, was more like a mini-vacation than a refugee experience. When I checked in at the Manchester Hyatt (we were lucky enough to find a couple of rooms before they were all snatched--thanks, Andrea!) the agent asked me if I was part of the "fire group," which would qualify us for a special room rate and a 20% discount on all food and beverages.

"Ummm...okay...the fire group. I guess that would be us."

The hotel staff did a great job of handling our "group," but I was a little disappointed that I didn't get a name tag.

Hello My Name is Steve. Poway. Evacuee.

It was interesting to see what each person in our family had packed to take with them. In addition to a few changes of clothes:

Presley, the 12 year old soccer player (state cup champs last year), took all her soccer medals, a soccer ball, and a picture that my son, Jeremy, had drawn for her a couple of years ago. And, of course, the Wii.

Kelsey, 17, took all her shoes.

Heather, 14, grabbed the PS2.

My wife, Veronica, packed the important documents, select family photo albums, and a folder full of old letters that my father had written to my mother in the years before I was born. Jeez...I hadn't even thought of that.

I gathered up my favorite guitars: my Martin D-45, Fender Strat, 1959 Gibson ES-330 and 1980 Gibson ES-347. Those, and my laptop, were all I really cared to take with me.

Frankly, as long as my family was safe, nothing else truly mattered, but still, it seems that what we pack when fleeing a fire says at least something about who we are. At least in that adrenaline-stoked moment.

So here's a question for you: with a fire marching towards your home, and minutes to decide, what would you pack?

And may that question be forever hypothetical for you and yours.

Posted by steve on 10.25.2007 | Comments (9)

Arbonne, The Stones, and Me

A 2 or 3-minute version of this new "mini-documentary" on Extreme Leadership will play on public TV nation-wide. I don't know the schedule yet, but you can be sure I'll post it as soon as I hear.

The company profiled, Kineticom, is based here in San Diego, and they're the real deal. I've written about them several times on this blog. (Read this post, for example).

The live footage is from my speech to a conference of 17,500 wonderful, enthusiastic Arbonne consultants gathered together at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Yep--I've shared a stage with The Rolling Stones.

Just not at the same time.

Posted by steve on 09.04.2007 | Comments (5)

Yo Peggy!

Ever since I've known Peggy O'Neill (since the late 1970's) she's been something of a celebrity. She's always been a vortex of energy and the center of attention wherever she goes. People love being around her.

Simply put, Peggy has always stood out in the crowd. Which, in a way, is really kind of surprising. For one small reason.

Peggy O'Neill is only 3 feet, 8 inches tall.

And tall she is. Call her "little person" if you want--after all, that is the politically correct term nowadays. But it's a misnomer. There's just nothing little about her.

In her usual generous manner, she's taken her unique perspective on life and turned it into a lesson for all of us through her skill as a talented keynote speaker.

Last year, Peggy was the subject of a wonderful documentary by independent filmmaker, Danielle Lurie, for the Elevate Film Festival. With Peggy's permission, I've posted it here (linked to Google Video).

Please enjoy, Walking Tall. Ladies and gentlemen...Peggy O'Neill:

Posted by steve on 08.27.2007 | Comments (3)

GTY Mashup Part 3: Replicate Yourself

Here's the last reader-written-Farber-edited installment of the Greater Than Yourself discussion. (You may want to review Part 1 and Part 2). Thanks again to all who contributed--you've been immensely helpful in my writing and thought process...

Replicate Yourself:

Leave behind lessons you learned from those who taught you, and add your flair. Acknowledge that what you do every day effects others, so make your actions positive to keep the world turning in the right direction.

Teach Others to Teach Others to Fish, but first learn how people learn to fish. Change The World by changing yourself.

Too often people don’t want to learn to fish because it is so much easier to ask for the fish. How do I do this or how do I do that? These are questions we need to ask ourselves, not others. We live in a time that all these questions can be answered by going to Google and typing in what it is you want to know. So stop asking others. Make the time to answer the questions yourself.

Giving to others for their benefit can also be an impartation of the lifestyle I have chosen. They can learn in such a way that it helps them, and also helps them do the same for many others.

I teach what I most need to learn, so as I teach others to teach others to fish, it starts with what I BE. This is most effective, I think, when we are authentic with the BEING part, otherwise it could feel like manipulation, especially from the follower perspective (the teachee).

As we all learn together, we expand our total awareness, and the teachers as well as the students shift and grow and learn. When we can inspire others instead of motivate them (I love Lance Secretan’s distinction, and it fits with what I’m learning from A Course in Miracles: motivation is more fear-based and inspiration is more love-based), we all expand in our consciousness and awareness and impact.

Knowledge is not power -- it's a commodity. It's how that knowledge is shared that gives it power. The best way to keep people down is by keeping them in the dark. Sharing knowledge shares your power.

Teach others the way of your happiness to gain absolute happiness for yourself. If you are truly happy with yourself then others will want to know why you are so happy. It is the happiness that you give to others that makes you so happy.

Sure, replicate yourself, but you also need to be constantly learning and finding those people – or parts of them – that you want to replicate IN yourself. I don’t know if that’s what you mean, but this sounds very “I know it, you don’t, and I have to teach you” to me. Isn’t it really bidirectional?

We’ve all been taught that it’s better to teach someone something than to do it for them – but who’s teaching the teachers! This is a real commitment to giving back and understanding that the job is so big and diverse that there will always be a need for more teachers. If you truly believe what you say and want to impact the world you need a bigger multiplier than just teaching others to do – you MUST teach them to teach.

Don’t tell me how, teach me how; subtle, maybe, but a HUGE difference. But educating others to educate is maybe the bigger goal. Making sure others understand the value is critical. I feel you do that through example/educating freely – people who get those educations are typically more likely to give them. The one obstacle in the corporate world is the power of knowledge and the greed associated with knowing something others don’t. So from a success standpoint, breaking that barrier is the key.

When you teach, teach with purpose to change the world around you.

Posted by steve on 08.22.2007 | Comments (0)

Now There's a Sales Pitch

Kevin Eikenberry's new book, Remarkable Leadership, launches today. Looks like he's engaged a salesperson who'll be sharing in the royalty revenue for the rest of her life:

Posted by steve on 08.22.2007 | Comments (1)

Pat's New Masterpiece

I first met Pat Lencioni in 1994 shortly after I'd joined the Tom Peters Company. He was, at the time, vice president of organizational development at Sybase, and he'd hired us to help facilitate a leadership development program that he and his team had put together for Sybase managers from around the world.

One day, after watching me do my thing in front of a group, Pat came up to me and said, "Someday, I want to do what you do."

I can't tell you how many times I've heard that over the years. A lot of people want to do what I do (it's a freakin' great job), and I'm sure that many have a helluva lot more talent than I--but few actually take the leap.

But Pat? Sheesh...talk about a leap. Right over my head and into the stratosphere.

He's a bona fide guru now--a management rock star, even--and deservedly so. He's authored a pile of brilliant bestsellers (If you haven't read Five Dysfunctions of a Team, for example, you have some serious catching up to do), and has become a perennial favorite on the elite speaker circuit.

Not only is Pat Lencioni a brilliant thinker and creative genius, he is simply one of the nicest, most authentic people I've ever met, and his team at his consulting company, The Table Group, (many of whom came with him from the old Sybase days) are all cut from the same fine cloth.

Pat's new book, The Three Signs of a Miserable Job was just released, and he's done it again.

In his own words:

"My passion around this topic is central to my firm’s mission, 'to make people more fulfilled in their work.' We hope that in some small way, this book can start a mini-revolution of managers who want to empower and encourage job satisfaction with their people. Given how many hours people spend at work and the reports that cite misery is on the rise, this unspoken national problem needs to be addressed. The solutions offered in The Three Signs of a Miserable Job are simple, effective and free to implement." (Curious what the Three Signs are? He explains them in this short video).

Another great book, Pat! (Insert sound of freakish leaping here).

Go to Barnes and Noble (or wherever) and buy it, then send Pat an email, and he'll put you in a drawing to win a copy of The Three Signs of a Miserable Job – A Video Presentation and Companion Guide($495 value), the Comprehensive Five Dysfunctions of a Team Kit ($1,200 value), or a ticket for HSM’s Lencioni two-day event called Building Winning Teams ($4,000 value).

And if you don't win? Not to worry.

The book is prize enough.

Posted by steve on 08.16.2007 | Comments (2)

Greater Than Yourself Mashup Part 2: Give Yourself

In this GTY mashup (see the first one here), readers interpret the practice called Give Yourself and its subsets, Choose Wisely, Tithe Your Time, Give It All Away, and Celebrate Dramatically. Once again the words and wisdom are yours; the editing, mine:

David Thomas believes that instilling a spirit of learning in others is vital, [he says] “In today’s environment, hoarding knowledge ultimately erodes your power. If I know something very important, the way I’m going to get power is by actually sharing it.” Liberate your insight from its mental prison, for the road to thought leadership is not paved alone.

I can give out of my knowledge, or I can choose to give away myself, which includes all of me, including my knowledge. Far from making me empty, just the act of giving in this manner causes good in my life…When we give at this level, the receiver should be trustworthy, and one who will effectively use and transmit what they are given/learn.

Those who have the capacity to contribute the most (in a certain sense) are those who have the assets and resources to contribute. But, holding the contribution mindset in tension with personal & business success (even in the most free-market sense of the concept) doesn't have to be an oxymoron.

Time, friends, and work, you can't do it all. Give 10% to yourself and indulge in it. Surely giving away brings more back. Make a splash; don't wade into the pool slowly.

Giving your time and energy is more fulfilling than writing a check. Focus on abundance and be a conduit through which it flows. Enjoy life. Show your gratitude by making everything you do a celebration of what life has to offer.

The more I help others and share my knowledge, the more people want to work with me. Keeping everything to myself will keep me on my own, but sharing everything allows me to be part of other people's worlds.

As the Director of Women's Ministries for a church of about 400 members, I am tasked with creating opportunities for our women to serve in our church, our community, and in the world. The response to the opportunity to serve is saddening. There is a small core of people who consistently volunteer, and know that they receive more than they give in the form of joy, excitement and a personal legacy.

Mr. Buffet has now promised to donate his fortune to charity, so all those people who sold him their companies get massive benefits, including: the joy of running a business they love, the realization that they are improving the lives of everyone around them, and the ultimate realization that the fruits of their labor will help make the world a better place. It’s magnificent.

Value others’ time more highly than your own. When you’re not watching the time, the more of it you have. The world is made of spirals and circles…celebrate dramatically then celebrate alone.

I like leaders who celebrate WE.

Everything you give will come back 10 fold. Appreciation levels increase when you have nothing. Give up the now for all the things you will have in the future.

When my wife and I gave up our lifestyle of eating out, going to the movies, buying this or that because it would make us happy, we got back the appreciation of those things that we gave up.

Choosing wisely means making snap, focused decisions, and only looking back to let history inform judgment.

Tithing your time is about ensuring that you are attending to your personal affairs, viewing your life as an investment in the future.

People want a flag around which to rally, and they want to rally. When you celebrate dramatically, you are empowering people to fly your colors as their colors, proliferating passion for progress.

If I focus on using a tenth of my time to make others greater, the impact will be significant on them but also on me.

Holding back limits the flow.

If we could choose – actually CHOOSE – to do things differently and track those results very carefully, we might see that we are shifting the movie – getting on the stage and being IN the play instead of in the audience booing.

We only have a certain number of minutes in a day—1440, to be exact—and what we choose to do with them should be as important as what we do with our money.

Nothing I own (stuff) and nothing I know is my own anyway…it really does multiply as I can give up attachment. This is a tough concept in a capitalistic society and for me as a recovering perfectionist.

Time and money are currencies. Make your choice of where to spend them a conscious one. But keep in mind, you can make more money, but not more time.

I have to give of myself before I expand myself.

Choose those philosophies that you feel the most passionate about – and then spread the word. If you don’t have a clear message no one will ever know what you stand for.

Tithing isn’t enough! Help others find themselves and, more important, the fascinating people and world around them. You always seem to get back more than you give – so why wouldn’t you … give it ALL away.

Give it all away doesn’t mean sell your possessions and live on the street. It means know who you are, know what you stand for, be consistent, and give all of yourself to everything you do.

We can not be all to all, so we need to select those opportunities where we can do the most good or where we are the most needed or maybe where we are the most suited. We also need balance, so we need to choose our own opportunities as well.

Do nothing for reward. Take the approach that you are doing this because it is the right thing to do, because it has value even without compensation.

When there is one person in the world that does not have a coat or is barefoot in the winter, and I could meet that need, I am guilty of being self-centered if I do not take action.

Give of your most precious asset [time] to those who need it - but also to those who can use it.

Technorati Tags:
greater than yourself, leadership, golden rule

Posted by steve on 07.24.2007 | Comments (1)

Jamie's OS!M

Young, audacious, internet entrepreneur, Jamie Harrop of the UK shares his 18-year-old-dropping-out-of-school-to-focus-on-business OS!M. He's asking for some of your OS!Ms, too.

I think that if you spend some time poking around his site, you'll find Jamie to be a remarkable young Brit.

And, yeah, he probably should go back to school, but bailing on the books didn't seem to be much of an obstacle for Jobs and Gates now, did it?

Posted by steve on 07.19.2007 | Comments (2)

Joe Calloway Day

Today is the official launch of Joe Calloway's new book, Work Like You're Showing Off! The Joy, Jazz, and Kick of Being Better Tomorrow Than You Were Today.

Here's the review I wrote on Amazon:

"While reading this book I heard Joe Calloway's voice in my head, and if you've ever heard him speak, you know that that's actually a good thing. Joe is--no exaggeration--one of the world's best speakers, and the writing in Work Like You're Showing Off is just as rich, witty, valuable and entertaining as his spoken words. (And, yeah, I wrote a blurb for the back cover--now you know why). Carry this book with you for an instant jolt of Joe wherever you go."

I pride myself on being a no-BS kind of guy. In other words, I do my damnedest to say what I mean. So calling Joe "one of the world's best speakers" is not something I say lightly.

That's why, a while back, I hired Joe as my personal coach and sent him a sizable check for his services. We had a few great sessions on the phone and traded some very cool ideas back and forth.

Yeah, he knows his stuff, alright, but what happened next is a testimony not to his knowledge and talent, but to his character.

One day I received an email from Joe, saying, in part, the following:

"Here's what I propose, Farberooni...I'm sending your money back. Don't argue...I'm not canceling the deal...I want to keep on trucking right along [with our conversations]--but I can't in good conscience take your money...Understand this, Steve - it feeds me creatively and is good for my own business to work with someone like you. I get as much or more out of it as you do...that $$$/paid coach thing has become a bit of an obstacle to me...I like your style. I like your message. You're the kind of person in this business that I want to work with on an ongoing basis...Peer to peer just makes more sense to me."

Two days later the check arrived. A full refund.

That's the kind of guy he is, and it's another reason you'll want to read his book.

You can help him get his Amazon numbers up by buying a copy today or tomorrow. And with one more step you'll get a page of snappy success ideas from a bunch of Joe's author friends and colleagues.

Here's what you do:

Step One: Buy the book from Amazon.

Step Two: Forward your receipt to proofofpurchase@joecalloway.com

He'll send you a link to retrieve the Success Ideas.

Most important of all, however, is this:

You're going to love this book.

Posted by steve on 07.16.2007 | Comments (1)

In Your Own Words: A Greater Than Yourself Mashup

What follows is a mashup of the outpouring of comments, emails and documents in response to The GTY challenge. (Read about it here). The words are not mine, although the editing is. My profound thanks to all who contributed, and even though your names don't appear here, rest assured that they will in the acknowledgement section of the upcoming book.

Today's riff is on Part One, called, simply, Expand Yourself:

“Yourself” doesn’t just stop at the “border” of your skin--it goes on and integrates with your environment through relationships. Think about how the whole system could be impacted by you, the people you touch and the people they touch.

Make yourself a larger brand. Stay relevant. Think bigger. Stop playing around and do something.

Live Radically, Surrender Daily, Engage Passionately, Love Recklessly, Honor the Seasons of Life, and Pass it On!

Your view of yourself is just a view. By accepting all possible views of yourself you can "become" a bigger person.

Intentionally work to become all that you can in order to become a larger conduit of good for others.

Act like a child, climb the tress, hide under the beds and in the closets then take a peek. Elevate Your Intention but not your ego. Your history describes how you got here but not where you’re heading. Before anyone can actually expand, they first have to believe it is actually possible.

Lunatics are obsessed with their legacy and let reality take a back seat.

By taking a new road you discover who you actually are. Then the legacy can begin.

What do paintings look like to the blind? What do symphonies sound like to the deaf? What do diamonds feel like to the indigent? What does food taste like to the starving? Elevate your intentions by transcending material motivations and embracing your moral compass. When you commit to your legacy, you are committing to being remembered while you live.

Are you just watering yourself down? Wouldn't it be better to distill yourself?

There is really no "right" way or "wrong" way to do something, it's just "what works" and "what doesn't." Just the simple act of [physically] moving to the other person's viewpoint gives you so much insight. Whatever legacy you are here to fulfill cannot be fulfilled by anyone else.

Who you think you are, and who you have been in the past, is not who you really are.

Make meaning. Do something that will do more than stroke your ego or line your pockets. Be known for something of real value.

Become a bigger part of whatever you are a part of. Provide leadership even if you're only leading yourself. Set the example even if you think no one is watching.

Don’t become your own Cliff note and forget/lose site of what you're really about.

Wen you love someone you would do any thing for them.

When your tombstone is written, will anyone care?

Posted by steve on 07.15.2007 | Comments (2)

A Good Day to Remember the Dream

If you look up "independence" in your thesaurus you'll see that it's synonymous with "freedom." So, as we celebrate Independence Day here in the US, it seems to me it's a good day to remember the words and spirit of Martin Luther King's Dream speech.

It was, after all, a vision of a glorious future state: a free and equal society whose citizens have gained their independence from oppression, discrimination, bigotry and hate.

We still have a ways to go--maybe we always will--and that's why his words continue to ring like a bell.

You've probably heard or read the speech countless times, and, even though it certainly wouldn't hurt to read it again (and again and again), let me offer another way to remind yourself of its essence.

Cynthia Scott, a fabulous singer (and former Ray Charles back-up) performs a rendition of MLK's Dream that was put to music by her brother-in-law, Reverend Clint Levert. Many thanks to my cousin, Sue Anne Gershenzon (a friend of Cynthia's and an amazing singer herself), for turning me on to this.

Turn the volume up and listen all the way through.

Hope it rings your bell like it does mine:

Posted by steve on 07.04.2007 | Comments (3)

A Lesson From Principal Pinter

Yesterday, our friend, elementary school principal David Pinter, (read the previous posts about him and his inspiring school here, here, and here) wrote to give this update:

Steve,

Wanted you to know that per implementation of your second book, The Radical Edge, and per the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) who grades our schools A, B, C, D, or F using an established scale score...our scale score rose again (when Many in the district have dropped) for the second year in a row and our "A" school rating got even stronger for the 2006-07 school year.

In addition, I found out today that I have been invited by the FLDOE to attend a state recognition luncheon on behalf of our phenomenal growth for the 2005-06 school year. This was the year of The Radical Leap implementation (it's starting to sound like a Chinese Calendar...year of the chicken, year of the dog, etc...it made me laugh) in which we made the highest gain in the district and were named a Top 100 school by the Governor and Commissioner of Education.

Both of these recognitions are also your recognitions. What you thought and then placed on paper has inspired many other adults and now over 1000 children in my school for the last two years. That "pyramid" thing really does work!

I need a third book by you before August 13th... :-)

A couple of months ago I asked David to document the steps they've gone through to implement the principles of Extreme Leadership at his school. He's a busy guy and tackling it as he has time. I'm happy to say that I've just received his first installment, and I hope you'll take the time to download and read it here. (If you don't yet know what an OS!M is, you may want to watch this video to understand David's reference.)

And for what it's worth, he gets an "A" from me, too.

Oh, and by the way, class--if, after reading the document, you have any questions for Principal Pinter, please raise your hand and speak up in the comment section below.

Posted by steve on 06.26.2007 | Comments (0)

An Old Kit-Kat Tale

I found this old article lurking in a cold, dank corner of my hard drive. My first published piece, An Airport Story ran in Tom Peters' old newsletter On Achieving Excellence, and in The San Jose Mercury News. And I have to admit that after all these years (about 12, I think), I still think it's pretty durn funny:

An Airport Story

I know airlines are service businesses with a responsibility to do whatever it takes to please us, the paying customers. But maybe we expect too much of them. After all, airports and airplanes do weird things to people. (This is because of a small vent near the terminal entrance that covertly sucks the brains out of your head.) Most of us would require years of therapy if we encountered a fraction of the resultant bizarre personalities flight attendants face daily. Take Judy--a seemingly normal traveler like you and me:

Not too long ago, Judy was rushing to catch a flight from San Francisco to Los Angeles. She hadn't eaten, and her blood sugar was in the tank. Dashing through the airport she zipped into a newsstand and bought a People magazine and a Kit-Kat candy bar.

Settling into a window seat, Judy dropped her magazine on the empty middle seat, nodded to the guy buckling himself into the aisle seat and prepared for takeoff.

After the plane reached its "comfortable cruising altitude," Judy unwrapped the Kit Kat, then put it back on the seat. But before she could dig in to it, the Guy on the Aisle reached down, broke off a piece and ate it. Judy was stunned. "That did not happen," she told herself.

Before Judy could gather her wits, The Guy grabbed the candy bar and polished it off. Now that was too much. Judy's incredulity turned to trembling, speechless rage. She gripped the armrests and boiled silently in her own bile all the way to LA.

They land, and The Guy gets off the plane, followed by Judy--still in shock. Walking through the terminal, she sees The Guy buying a muffin. Something snaps. She runs up to him, grabs his arm, takes a big bite out of his muffin and runs away.

She felt great! Vindicated! Empowered!

A few proud minutes later Judy gets into her car and puts her magazine down on the seat. Out falls her Kit Kat.

That candy bar on the flight had been The Guy's.

Now...imagine you are the airline customer relations agent hearing this story from The Guy's perspective: "I'm sittin' on the plane, and the woman next to me reaches over and unwraps my candy bar..."

Well, in the airline biz, this kind of thing happens every day.

It's the vent.

To maintain their sanity, airline folks sometimes resort to humor, especially during busy times like Christmas. But while many passengers appreciate a bit of stress-relieving humor, it's a dicey strategy. One airport encounter recently taught me a priceless lesson in the dangers of holiday jocularity.

The woman ahead of me in the ticket line was obviously distraught. When her turn came, she rushed forward, flung her ticket at the agent and gingerly placed a box on the counter.

"Oh! A Christmas present for me?" the agent joked, "It's so nice to be appreciated!" He picked up the box and started to walk away. The woman turned pale and screamed, "That's my husband in that box!"

The agent could have made the situation worse. He could have shaken the box vigorously and said, "How'd you get him in there? Is the rest of your family in the Samsonite? They're so well-behaved!" But unfortunately for those of us watching the show, he simply apologized and upgraded the woman to first class.

What a great scam, I thought. When it was my turn I said, "My wife is in this briefcase. Can I sit in first class?" This earned me a seat next to the lavatory.

So when you airline people feel a touch impatient with us, and when we passengers want to beat our crew senseless on landing, remember...we're all brainless here.

Posted by steve on 06.18.2007 | Comments (2)

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