You May Know Her....

 

You may know her. No? Well, let me remind you. She’s the one that, although she seemed genuinely willing to work hard to learn what your company does and how it does things, you wanted an “experienced” person. She just seemed too young and inexperienced. Yeah, she had the minimum credentials, and her demeanor was as professional as you’d seen in any of the other candidates, especially those who did have the experience you thought you were seeking. She just needed more exposure.

 

WAIT! Here she comes! You recognize her. She recognizes you! She smiles at you as she walks past your office. She’s heading directly to your boss’s office. What is she here for? You quickly get on the net to find out what’s going on. It could affect you since you’re up for a promotion.

 

You receive several replies from trusted colleagues. It seems that one of them took a chance on her. They hired her just after you rejected her. As a matter of fact, she went to that interview immediately after you told her that she wasn’t qualified. Experience, remember? That was six months ago. In six months, she’s learned pretty much everything the staff at your competitor’s business knows and more. She brought in new ideas on how to improve the business and asked questions that the other folks who’ve worked there for a very long time only had answers for. The one answer most often given being, “We’ve always done it that way.” 

 

“What’s she here for?” you wonder. It doesn’t take long after she leaves your boss’s office that you’re given a good idea. Your boss sends out an all-hands email asking everyone to meet in the conference room tomorrow morning to welcome the new hire for the position you were expecting to be promoted to.

 

After the meeting, you pull your boss aside and ask her why she hired the outsider when you were expecting to move up. She simply replied, “You haven’t got the experience….” Now, do you remember her?

bob vásquez!

Who Needs to Know?!

 

I walk into my home and see my lovely bride, Deb, smiling. “Hey, Baby,” she says. “Hey, Baby,” I reply, “How are you?” We go on, asking the usual questions about each other’s day, how it went, what we did, etc. Then we get to a critical part of the conversation.

“You know,” Deb says, “I was talking with Lori today.” Lori was married to one of my colleagues. “Oh?” I asked, “what about?” “Well, we were just chatting when she mentioned something about you guys being gone for Thanksgiving.”

I was on active duty when this occurred. I was assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe Band at the time, stationed in Germany. One of the coolest things we did in that band, and I take at least partial credit for creating the concept, was that we deployed a big show we called Seasons’ Greetings to locations where our troops were. We had great success with those shows because we brought in artists from the US and did a big production for our troops and their families, similar to a USO show. I’d had this great idea of playing for the troops (no families there) stationed in Bosnia for Thanksgiving Day! I’m sure you’re saying, “What a GREAT idea!” Everyone I’d talked with said the same thing, “What a GREAT idea!” With one exception….

“Lori told you we’d be gone for Thanksgiving?” I asked Deb, trying to sound as if…okay, the OC Factor kicked in. “Oh, Crap!” was all I could think of. In my zeal to get the show together and make it a great event for the troops, I’d forgotten, no kidding, I’d just forgotten, to tell the most important person in my life what I was up to and that it would affect her and the girls since I wouldn’t be there for Thanksgiving dinner.

Here’s the point. Remember that old saying, “information is power?” That’s stupid! Information is just information. It won’t get up and do anything powerful! It’ll just sit there, sometimes in your brain, and do absolutely nothing! Imagine being the smartest person in the world and no one knowing it? What good would that be? SHARED information, APPLIED information is power. 

Sometimes people who call themselves leaders think that keeping information from followers is power. That’s REALLY stupid! When we empower others with the information we have it makes us ALL more powerful and it builds trust. 

If you’re looking to be effective, whether it’s at work or at home, ask a critical question often, “Who needs to know?” Don’t you make decisions based on the information you have at hand? Well, imagine having all the information you need! Where would THAT come from? If you have people keeping you informed, then you’re liable to make better decisions. And the law of reciprocity says that when you inform others, they, in turn, inform you. You get what you give.

If you’re wondering what ever happened that Thanksgiving, we did do the tour. In fact, there’s another story I’ll consider sharing with you about a very cool thing that happened on that tour. But not here. Deb and the girls understood my purpose and they supported me being gone that Thanksgiving. And I’m almost done paying for that BMW I had to buy Deb to make up for it. It’s a very nice car, I must say. SHARED information, APPLIED information is power. 

Until next time, Be GREAT! You ARE!

                        ¡HEIRPOWER!

                                    bob vásquez!

The Best Things in Life Are NOT Quite Free!

I recently saw a post on FaceBook that read, “The best things in life are free.” I understand the intent, that we shouldn’t take things for granted and that we should stop to smell the roses more often. We just don’t appreciate the blessings we have. I agree. But the truth is that we have to do the work to get whatever it is we want to enjoy in our lives. It may not take manual labor or we may not to have to expend a lot of energy, but when we do the work to achieve or enjoy something, there’s a deeper gratitude than if it’s just given to us.

I used to buy lottery tickets, and I prayed to win. I got to thinking about what I’d do with the winnings. I decided that I would set up a foundation to help people empower themselves to earn their own living. I’d create a teach-a-person-to-fish organization instead of giving-them-a-fish type organization. Now, what would really make me happy is if I, somehow, managed to build a company based on my writing and teaching and speaking where I could do that without winning the lottery. I know I’d have a better sense of accomplishment having earned the money and opportunity. I’d still accept all of the money that the lottery gives away, but I’d use it to be able to do more effective work. 

One of the blessings I hope you enjoy, but may not enough, is your family. Often, getting to the point of truly enjoying and appreciating our family takes work. We have to do what it takes to keep them together, heck, even getting them together sometimes. I’m convinced that the only way to be loved is by being loving. How do you show your family you love them? That can take some work, depending on your family’s needs. That may take leaving work and going home!

Another is appreciating those you work with and lead. I’m glad I’m not THAT GUY, but he’s often a pain in the rear. Not always happy, okay, often UNhappy for no obvious reason. But, you know, he may have a lot of wisdom to share that would make the team a lot more productive, proud, and effective. But it takes work to value him and to show him you care. Once you do, though, you’ll have a follower for life!

The most powerful blessing you’ll ever have is good health. There will be a point in your life when waking up will be a blessing. And then GETTING up?! WOW! I did it! You’ll understand. Give it about fifty years. Trust me. But you have to work for it.  

Take some time today to appreciate the blessings the Creator has bestowed upon you, but also make a commitment to show others you care. The work you expend will be worth the blessings you receive. Then be free to enjoy the best life you’ve created!

Until next time, Be GREAT! You ARE!

¡HEIRPOWER!

bob vásquez!

MY Vision of Success!

 

We all have, or should have, a vision of what success looks like for us, especially as a leader. As I often say, If you can see it, you can be it. Or the reverse, if you CAN’T see yourself succeeding you probably won’t.

MY vision of success is depicted within a music video by a singer/musician by the name of Jonah Nilsson, who is the lead singer for the group, Dirty Loops. Dirty Loops is a band from Sweden, comprised of three musicians, Hendrick Linder, Aron Mellergard, and Jonah.
 

Jonah recorded a video a few years ago based on his song, Diamond Ring. It’s great. Google it, but ya gotta play if loud! It happens to be a solo project, so it doesn’t include Hendrick nor Aron. At the end of the video, during the credits, the musicians who perform on the video are identified by name and instrument that they play in the video. Except for one.

 

I’m not digressing, just explaining. The genius musician, Quincy Jones, passed a few days ago. He was a master of his trade, known by everyone in the music business and respected and admired by millions of people worldwide. At the end of the video, Q, as he was known, appears just as the other musicians do, except that all it states is his name. You see, Q was such a great artist that he didn’t need introduction. He was just himself, Quincy Jones.

 

Now, it’s doubtful that I’ll ever reach that stature. I hope that YOU do. But that’s my vision of success, when no introduction is required, when all that’s needed for others to know who I am is my name. I hope that I can one day have the effect on others, followers in particular, that all that’s needed to identify me as an Effective Leader is my name. I’ll keep trying. In the meantime, THANK YOU for blessings us with your music, Q, and Rest In Eternal Peace….

 

Until next time, 

 

Be GREAT! You ARE!

 

HEIRPOWER!

 

Chief bob vásquez!

ME Time!

 

The number one resource a leader never has enough of is time. We’re so bad at managing it, which we don’t, by the way…manage time. Time manages itself. And it’s ruthless! It goes on with or without us. The best we can do sometimes is hang on. The key is to manage ourselves within the time we have. 

 

The critical time that we each/all have, but seldom manage as we should, is ME time. We’re brainwashed into thinking that serving others is the most important thing we can do in our lives, but if you don’t serve yourself first, you won’t be around to serve anyone.

 

As we approach telling the sun when to rise and set, think about investing time on YOU. ME time. But don’t fill that period, however long you make it, with as much as you possibly can. There’s no value in that. What you’ll probably neglect, in fact, I’ll bet that you will, is solitude time…REAL ME time. When you can just sit down and just be. Not do, just be.

 

I live in Colorado. I’m writing this at the end of October. Winter is coming. Like this morning. It’s snowing. I’m not excited about blowing the snow off my huge driveway, although I AM writing a book about that even as we speak, but I appreciate and love the solitude that falling snow provides. I call it God’s Voice. I’m an early bird. Up at 3:00 AM every day. My first task is to let my pups out to frolic in the snow and to do their business while I just enjoy the sound of God’s Voice. You really have to listen to receive the blessing. It’s wonderful. And it sets the rest of the day for me. I tend to be grateful even as I crank up my snow blower.  

 

We’re all going to be thinking about time this coming weekend. Think about making some for yourself. Not time for doing more, but for being more. Being more yourself. Make some ME time. Do it often. You’ll be better for it.

 

Until next time,

 

Be GREAT! You ARE!

 

HEIRPOWER!

bob vásquez!

How Far Have They Come?!

 

Danielle LaPorte has said, “Pull over to the side of your journey and look how far you’ve come.” I love that thought! Although we seldom do that.

 

I served (indirectly) under General Robert Rutherford while he was the Commander of Air Mobility Command. He used to go around his bases, checking on his people and his bases’ operations. He’d get to Base X and as he was being shown around would ask people, “How are things going?” Imagine that. A four-star commander asking how things are going. How do you answer that? “Great, General!” Regardless of the truth, you’d answer in that way. His follow-up question would hit people between the eyes. “How do you know?” Duh…crickets…bumfoozled looks…. What a powerful question when you’re striving to be your best, which most of us strive for, don’t we? I know I do.

 

Since realizing the value and importance of maintaining my physical fitness, I’ve continued to work out, on average, five days a week. That’s a lot for me! Not bragging, just providing a context for what I’m about to say. Working out gets more difficult as you age, or that’s what I hear. Part of the issue is, of course, physical. I can’t do what I used to do the way I used to do it. Then there’s the phycological. I’ve figured out what works for me to maintain a steady regimen and, so far, so good. I’m not sure how much I control my body, but I do seem to have more control of my mind. I have to psych myself to work out when I don’t want to. Experts say it’s about discipline. Okay, I’ll buy that, but discipline requires purpose. So, I’m wondering if measuring how much I’ve done, 40 minutes/2 miles/12 laps, what I call assessing progress, is more powerful than how much I have left to go, 10 more minutes/half a mile/3 laps? Okay, you’re wondering what all of this has to do with leading?

 

Do you encourage your followers to think about how far they’ve already gone, to assess their progress? How much improvement they’ve made? “I do that during our semi-annual feedback sessions,” you say. I’m not going to argue with you, but semi-annual leaves a long time in between. Imagine doing something to your very best ability every day, not knowing that it wasn’t good enough, or even the right way, until a few months later when that feedback session is required. You might have learned how to do that the wrong way because you’ve done it for so long. Maybe reminding your followers of how much they accomplish weekly, even daily, would be more powerful. Now, imagine your supervisor constantly reminding you how much progress you’re making and maybe even patting you on the back every time you progress to the next level. If that was me, I’d follow you anywhere.

 

I’ve studied and taught the art of goal setting for many years. My perspective, though, isn’t about goal setting, it’s about goal achievement! I have a list of goals. But there’s little value in that until I accomplish them. But when I DO accomplish them and take note of it, I’m energized to do even more. If you’re going to lead effectively it’s going to require that you constantly inspire your followers to grow continuously. And you can’t assess progress without some type of measure. Your effectiveness will grow as you encourage your followers to think about how far they’ve come! Try it! You’ll like it and so will they.

Until next time, Be GREAT! You ARE!

¡HEIRPOWER!

bob vásquez!

Delayed Gratification

 

The value of delayed gratification, basically, is that the journey, the work, is what’s more gratifying than the outcome. You’ve heard that before. Tennis great Arthur Ashe said, “Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.” You may know it’s true if you’ve ever done anything really powerful in your life. 

 

    I’ve written a few books. (All on amazon.com, but I’m not pitching anything to you. Okay, I am. They’re actually pretty good.) I’m working on two books as we speak. It’s great to have the finished product in my hands, or on my Kindle, but what’s really gratifying, and memorable, is all the work I put into them. I can usually remember sitting here at my Mac capturing particular thoughts, especially the profound ones.

 

    The fun of leading is watching someone grow. The process. The path. It’s usually little steps at a time. I’ve been blessed, seeing thousands of future leaders grow continuously. They often don’t realize they’re growing, or how much. But I do. They all believe that they can be leaders now. They don’t know what they don’t know. One day they’ll understand that they had to do the work and they’ll be grateful that they did. Those of us who have already taken the road others are following know the value of each step and that the end result isn’t nearly as impressive as the journey.

 

  The power of leading often comes in doing what needs doing right now. Correcting, re-vectoring, encouraging, inspiring, have to be done immediately. Leaders are like a ship’s rudder, constantly making adjustments that guide the vessel in the direction it should go. Many of the future leaders I work with are youngsters, who, for the most part, aren’t willing to do the tough job of correcting their followers. I think it’s part of the world they came from. Effective Leaders know that if you let unacceptable things go, they may fester and become a problem in the near future. Often, they’re little things that become large problems if not dealt with directly and immediately.

 

    One of my favorite examples of the fun and power I’m talking about is in the last scene of the movie, Rudy, where Rudy is being carried off the football field. The camera cuts, for just a moment, to Rudy’s longtime mentor, Fortune, who is standing at the tunnel watching Rudy’s success. He punches his hand with pride knowing that he had something to do with that success, in particular, ensuring that Rudy did the work needed to enjoy the success he’s in the middle of. The daily grind of school and practice, the constant guiding and coaching, wasn’t easy, but it was worth it.

 

    There’s great strength in understanding the power of delaying gratification, but never abdicate the responsibility inherent in leading in the moment. When something needs doing better, when someone needs correcting, do it now! Those seemingly small things that you do now will add up to the end result. And you’ll appreciate them when success is finally in your hands.

 

Until next time, Be GREAT! You ARE!

 

¡HEIRPOWER!

 

bob vásquez!

Tell the Boss!

The term, “boss,” usually elicits negative images. That’s subjective. I’ve worked for a few good, and some GREAT, bosses. I prefer to view that term as a positive description of a leader. Your choice, of course.

 

Anyway, I had lunch with my daughter, Tesa, today. As I was sitting in her office, waiting for her to finish some last-minute tasks, her third-in-charge came by to introduce herself to me. By the way, Deb and I are very grateful and proud of our two daughters who have followed our footsteps in serving in the education business. Tesa is the Director of a child development center. I wouldn’t work in that place if you threatened to kill me! Not because it’s a toxic place to work, but the students are all four- and five-year-old munchkins! No way! I had enough of a challenge teaching the best college freshmen in the world.

 

Anyway, anyway, the young person who came into Tesa’s office to introduce herself just could not stop sharing her perspective about Tesa. She kept telling me how Tesa was the smartest person she’d ever worked with, how Tesa took care of her and the other thirty-plus teachers, how she was “The Bomb!” Tesa was almost embarrassed by all of the praise. I know that what the young lady said is so. And I take credit for having raised Tesa, with Deb’s help, of course. All of that to tell you this, which is a hugely important lesson.

 

Give your boss a pat on the back when you can and, especially, when she/he deserves it. She/he probably has a much bigger span of responsibility than you, and may work much harder than you, taking care of you in ways that you won’t, maybe can’t, see. There’s a whole lot of crap that goes with being the boss. Been there. Done that! And a good boss won’t let you know it. As an old deodorant commercial used to say, “Don’t ever let them see you sweat.” Whether or not that advice is still valid, plenty of bosses live by that. Yeah, yeah, being vulnerable is the word of the day. And, to be honest, it’s important. But, regardless, the boss deserves some thanks once in a while. We ALL do. Take a few minutes and tell your boss that, and what, you appreciate about him/her. It’ll make his/her day and will probably make you feel better too. There’s nothing wrong, and a lot right, with everyone feeling better. Try it, you’ll like it!

 

Until next time,

 

Be GREAT! You ARE!

 

HEIRPOWER!

 

bob vásquez!

Either/Or....

 

We live in an EITHER/OR world. Well, actually, we live in an EITHER/OR culture. We either support that or this. One or the other. We either want this or that. One or the other. And we have to destroy that which we don’t support. Including those who support that. What a terrible way to live! Why can’t we have BOTH! Why can’t we support that and this? Oh, I changed a word, didn’t I? Or a perspective….

 

As a leader, you have to consider how to get to AND. You’ll achieve effectiveness when you do. And you’ll go nowhere when you don’t. That’s the truth!

 

Imagine, instead of choosing one or the other of your teammates to lead a group to accomplish a particular task, you choose both! There’s a high probability that each has unique perspectives, experiences, knowledge, even wisdom that can be combined to create a better solution or way. Don’t believe me? Look around you. Assuming that you’re working with others right now, what could you contribute to a tasking that others aren’t as knowledgeable or experienced in doing? Go ahead, look around. Now, what could each of those folks whom you just noticed provide that would make you and your team better? You may not know that, and probably won’t ever know unless you ask them. My guess is that if you asked them, they’d be more than willing to tell you. OMG, you may learn something about your coworker!

 

In my The OTHER F Word podcast this week, I mentioned that not everyone gets promoted when they’d like to. That’s true. And, again, it’s because we live in an EITHER/OR world that perpetuates that mentality. A truly Effective Leader will design a way to promote him AND her. Maybe not in the same way. I can’t tell you how, you’ll have to figure that out for yourself, and for them, but it’s probably possible. I’ll bet that you never thought of that though. It’s easier to acquiesce to the norm, either/or. But Effective Leaders don’t do that. They’re constantly looking for the best ways to lead by helping all of their followers. 

 

If you take notice, the Universe in which we live isn’t separated by either/or. It’s inclusive. That’s why it’s call a uni-verse. It includes you AND me and all of what makes us us. If you’re going to lead effectively, start with considering how to lead with an AND mentality. I can win AND you can win. AND together, we’ll make this place a better place to work and live.

 

Until next time, be GREAT. You ARE!

 

HEIRPOWER!

 

bob vásquez!

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month!

 

Every year around this time I’m approached by people with the same question,  “Hey, Chief,”  they ask,  “why do we have to have Hispanic Heritage Month?  Aren’t we all Americans?”  I never argue that a bit, but there’s more to it.  I’m sure you know we celebrate African-American/Black History Month in February, Women’s History Month in March, Asian-Pacific Month in May, Hispanic Heritage Month in September/October, and Native American Month in November.  The purpose of those observances is to educate those of us who don’t know a lot about those cultures, and to acknowledge the contributions those groups of people have made to our own American heritage. 

What makes America great is its diversity.  If you’ll look around you (go ahead, no one’s watching) you’ll notice that what we call America is made up of people from all kinds of cultures, from different parts of the country, or the world. We’re all different yet we’re all the same. We share the same basic values that make us Americans. We’re invested in making our country and the world a better place for all of us to live. We believe in a democratic system of government where the people have a say in what and how we live. What makes America great is that although we have different and diverse needs and desires, even though we’re all different, we’ve been able to synergize all those differences to form one unified family that allows us to be ourselves and expects us to accept each other.

We used to talk about the American Melting Pot.  An honorable idea, but I’m not sure it’s attainable.  Why?  Because there is very little, if any, chance that we’ll all “melt”, that we’ll all assimilate, that we’ll all be the same.  And I’m not so sure we all want to be the same.  I think it was General George Patton who said, “If two of us are thinking the same thing, we don’t need one of us.”  There’s a marked difference between thinking the same thing and thinking with the same purpose in mind. Diversity means we can think differently but attain the same goal.

 

The concept of the American Salad Bowl comes closer to describing the culture we live in.  The illustration of the salad bowl describes a dish that, as a whole, is its own entity, delicious and healthy.  What gives that dish its flavor and wholesomeness is all of the different ingredients that make it one.  Each ingredient adds its own contribution to the whole.  Any part of it that’s missing will affect the end result. 

Dr. Stephen Covey said that “unity is not sameness, it’s complementariness.”  If we are to be united, we have to be willing to accept, appreciate, and celebrate each others’ differences. 

As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, which is 15 September through 15 October, join the fun!  Get involved!  Make time to enjoy the various events scheduled throughout the celebration!  You don’t have to be of, or know a lot about, the culture. The people who have labored hard to organize the events will gladly teach you and will welcome your support.  You’ll learn a lot and you’ll find a kind of gratification you can’t find elsewhere.  The education you gain and the relationships you develop will make you better and they’ll make America better.  Together, we can go forward!  

¡ADELANTE!

bob vásquez!

The Present is a Gift!

 

There’s so much talk about the future these days! I’m somewhat of a futurist. I’ve invested most of my life helping others, and myself, envision the future so as to empower us to live in it. Peter Drucker once said that “the best way to predict the future is to create it.” But when do we create it? In the past? Well, the past has some influence on us, doesn’t it? Do we create the future in the future? I’m not sure how that would work. I’m convinced that we create it in the present. 

 

For years I’ve attempted to practice meditation. I know that it’s good for the mind and the soul. But, man, is it difficult for me to do! For even a few minutes. You see, as soon as I get in my meditation pose, I start thinking about all sorts of things. Sometimes, about what I SHOULD have done. (The past.) Often, about what I HAVE to do the rest of the day. (The future.)  Almost never about NOTHING. The key to meditating is to learn to think about nothing. That’s incredibly difficult for me to do…or not do. As my sensei tries to guide me, just be here…. NO! I can’t! What if…? Be present! Okay…. NO!

 

Most leaders that I know, whether they acknowledge it or not, have difficulty being here. In the present. Listening to the person speaking to them. I know, not you, but let’s talk about others…. Or me…. When I’m supposed to be listening, I immediately refer to my past. Yeah. Been there done that. I often don’t even know what the person speaking to me is saying because I’m reliving the past. To help the speaker of course, with the benefit of my experience. Been there. Done that! Really?! NO! It was different then. None of us have been there nor done that!

 

And the future is constantly attempting to influence me. What shall I do once I straighten out this person speaking to me? Maybe I’ll do this. Or that. When will they stop talking? Let’s get on with me fixing you!

 

I had what I believe to be a profound thought just now. The future is happening right now! All that I prepared to do one day is happening, or not, right now! And as much as I try to affect that future, it’s going to happen in the present! Isn’t that profound? Call me if you need more explanation. 

 

Here’s the truth. We only live now! In the present. It’s a gift! Try to prepare for the future by learning from the past, but practice being effective, being YOU, right here, right now. Focus on what you can do right now. And if you intend to be an Effective Leader, be here, listening to understand, right now. With. ME! Not somewhere else. It will pay off. You may even learn something. Something really important. Then, you can consider the future.

 

Until next time,

 

Be GREAT!

 

You ARE!

 

HEIRPOWER!

 

bob vásquez!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m confused! Is today Monday or Tuesday. It’s the beginning of the work week so it should be Monday, right? But yesterday was a holiday so that makes today Monday, doesn’t it? 

The One Percent Rule

One of my closest friends recently reminded me of an idea I used to perpetuate with the youngsters I used to teach. He’s really struggling with recovering from knee-replacement surgery. He’s overwhelmed with pain even weeks after the surgery. I try to encourage him, but my words are not as powerful as the pain. His reminder is simple: one percent at a time. Although I have no idea what he’s going through, he keeps telling me that a one percent daily improvement is better than none. I’m sure we’ll talk more about that next time I see him. I’ll remind him and, I hope, encourage him, to consider that he’s at least one percent better today than yesterday.

I led a Professional Military Education academy years ago for middle tier supervisors. Every first day of class, I was reminded of MY first day of attending that institution, years prior, of course. My classmates and I were immediately overwhelmed when we entered the class room that first day to find a stack of books about two feet high that we’d have to read within 24 hours, or so we thought. Man, we were immediately overwhelmed!

The stress created by being overwhelmed is, most often, self-induced. Yeah, it seems that the world around us does that to us. Nope. We do it to us! We decide that we have to do it all right now. Now, granted, there are plenty of things we should do right now, but are they the right ones, and, more importantly, do they all have to be done, RIGHT NOW?! Probably not. Can you DO IT all right now. Absolutely NOT! Can you do it one percent at a time? Yes, you can!

What my friend and I agree upon is that we can practice the answer to the old question of, “How do you eat an elephant?” One bite at a time. As leaders of any group of persons, you can practice the One Percent Rule and show, not just tell, your followers how things can get done without being overwhelmed. If you’re overwhelmed, chance are, they are, too. That’s one area in which they’ll always follow you. Now, the process requires you to be purposeful, make a plan, follow it, and measure your progress.

The key, of course, is to do the most important things first. That’s being purposeful. Consider why you should do it first. What effect will it have on you and your followers? How will you do it? Here’s a very powerful tip: WRITE IT DOWN! Okay, get the app! If you don’t have it captured on some sort of device, you won’t remember it and you’ll go astray. Pretty soon you’ll be overwhelmed again because you think you have to do it all right now. If that happens, you may actually have to do it all right now. That’s where you started and it wasn’t working. It’s so easy to get distracted. You have to do what you set out to do. You may have to deviated slightly, but set the course you decided upon. Stick with it. Especially when distractions arise. As you implement your plan, ask yourself how you’re doing. Pat yourself on the back when you succeed. If you didn’t accomplish your goal, figure out why, then start the process all over again.

As I said before, being overwhelmed and the stress that comes with it is self-induced. Aldous Huxley said, “We shall know the truth and it shall make us mad.” You can get mad, or you can get better. Being consistently overwhelmed will create bad consequences. But you can avoid it. Now you know how. And as I also said, your followers will do the same. I hope that you’re not intending to overwhelm your followers. There’s no value in that. Show them how to apply the One Percent Rule. You’ll be glad you did.

Until next time, Be GREAT! You ARE!

¡HEIRPOWER!

bob vásquez!

Familiarity Can Breed Disrespect

 

One of the most important virtues we can express and practice is respect. I don’t have to tell you that we, as a culture, have a problem with that. We’re more likely to DISrespect someone than respect them.  In trying to be relatable, we, because we’re humans and because we haven’t been taught the importance of boundaries, often, go too far.

I remember when my girls and I moved to California in 1991. We’d lived in the South, where EVERYONE showed respect in more ways than they did in California, for all of their respective lives. Nothing against Californios, per se, they were just brought up differently. 

The first week we were there, my daughters, who were ten and six at the time, asked if they could go walk around the neighborhood to find any kids their ages to befriend. I gave them permission to do so.

An hour later they returned all excited because they had met Jim and Natalie next door! “Oh, good, Girls! I’m glad you’ve found some friends you can play with,” I commended them. “They’re too old to play with, Dad, but they’re very nice people,” was Tesa’s reply. “Too old? What do you mean?” “They’re adults, Dad.” “ADULTS? Jim and Natalie are ADULTS?” “Yes, Dad.” “So why are you calling them by their first names, if they’re adults? You know better than that. You should call them Mr Jim and Miss Natalie. That’s what we’ve taught you.” “Oh, it’s okay, Dad. We told them that, but they told us to call them Jim and Natalie, because we’re friends and neighbors.” I, immediately, walked next door, knocked on Mr Jim and Miss Natalie’s door. They WERE, in fact, very nice people. We, soon, grew to enjoy their company and friendship. I startled them a bit, though, when I told them that my girls would address them as MR Jim and MISS Natalie from now on. I explained to them that it was a form of respect to do so. They argued a little until they saw my Chief face, at which time they backed off. They always snickered when the girls addressed them, but not in a mean way. They were so cute! My girls, that is.

In my book, HEIRPOWER! Eight Basic Habits of Exceptionally Powerful Lieutenants!, I commend new leaders to not drink with the boys. In other words, make sure to keep the leader/follower relationship respectful. When I have discussions with young leaders, they always question my advice on that topic. Again, in an attempt to be relatable, people can easily, and DO, take it to the extreme and become disrespectful. If there’s a chain of command, practice the discipline of maintaining the relationship so that it doesn’t break down. The bottom line is that WE ARE NOT BUDS! We may be teammates and colleagues, even feel like family, but we are not buds! 

I would NEVER even THINK of calling the person whom I’ve respected MOST in my life, my Dad, by his first name. NEVER! It would be disrespectful. (And he would probably have beat the crap out of me.) Nor would I do that to any other of my family members who are older. 

Familiarity CAN breed disrespect. Maybe not intentionally, but if we want to be leaders, we have to be intentional about what we do and the language that we use. Our followers and peers are watching and, maybe even, learning.

We CAN be respectful and friendly. I’ve been doing that all my life. It’s possible. If this old guy can do it, YOU can do it! It just takes a little discipline.

Until next time, Be GREAT! You ARE!

¡HEIRPOWER!

bob vásquez!