Weekly Bookmarks
55th Edition — February 23, 2020
If we can restore the collective attitude that leadership is meant to be a joyfully difficult and selfless responsibility, I am convinced that we will see companies become more successful, employees more engaged and fulfilled, and society more optimistic and hopeful.
Patrick Lencioni, The Motive – A Leadership Fable
1. Patrick Lencioni’s Newest Book
He’s at it again, another book. What is this, about the 12th book Lencioni has written? In the Introduction, he says readers should start with this one, and it’s entitled The Motive.
My all-time favorite consultant is Brian Jones of The Table Group which was founded by Lencioni. I asked Brian what we can expect from this book.
“Mark, we’re very excited about Patrick’s new book. The idea is that many people who lead people shouldn’t be leading people because of a wrong motive. These are rewards-based leaders instead of service-based leaders. The reward can be a lot of things like money, power, fun, or their own comfort level.”
“There are about five things you can do to ‘smoke out’ the rewards-based leader. They probably will not want to do these things because they are uncomfortable with conversations, cannot run effective and great meetings, coach their people, nor build teams.”
I just bought a copy at my local Barnes & Noble, and I’m reading it this week.
2. The Rest of the Story
My parents followed a daily routine before heading to work each day. Dad helped to keep machines running at DuPont and mom toiled away on IBM keypunch machines at Orscheln Truck Lines. Each morning at 7:15 a.m. on KWIX radio, we listened to Paul Harvey where we heard that voice we just couldn’t tune out who even read the page numbers.
I’m reminded of Paul Harvey’s, The Rest of the Story as I’m about to finish Mike Rowe’s, The Way I Heard It.
If you have not guessed, I read and listen to many books. Periodically, I need a break and want to listen to something that requires minimal brain calorie expenditure. If you do a lot of walking, running, or travel extensively, pop in the earbuds and listen to Mike tell scores of monographs and vignettes about the things of people we never knew about. It’s light, but pretty-feel-good material.
3. Make it Sticky
While driving to Holts Summit, MO this week where my destination is business heaven (yep, it’s true), I tracked the time for several of Mike Rowe’s vignettes–about 7 minutes. For you Shewhart and Wheeler chart junkies, I’m assuming the variation is minimal around those 360 seconds.
So how does Rowe take tons of facts and keep peeling the onion all the way down to about 7 minutes to tell a story that’s sticky and memorable?
I doubt if Rowe has read Made to Stick by the Heath brothers, but the secret can be found in this gem of a book. Simple, unexpected, concrete, credible, emotional, and story-driven. That’s what the Heath brothers teach, and that’s how Rowe’s stories stick.
Incidentally, every marketing person should read Made to Stick. Ditto for financial analysts, CEOs, and writers of any type.
4. Really, Another Netflix Book?
Most of us work on the smart side of the business as Brian Jones and Patrick Lencioni would say. They focus on the healthy side of the business. And I’m envious because the ‘smart’ part isn’t hard compared to getting everyone rowing in the right direction. A terrible culture kills a company. So does bad leadership and self-serving managers.
Perhaps that’s why Marc Randolph’s book on Netflix last year was one of my favorites–That Will Never Work. Marc’s numerous discussions about culture were great. That’s why I bought Patty McCord’s book too entitled Powerful–she was the first Netflix HR leader.
Now, Reed Hastings, the co-founder of Netflix is getting into the game with his new book, No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention. The release date is later this May. What can he say differently compared to his other co-founder and McCord? We’ll soon find out.
Excuse me for a moment while I set Grammarly straight. “Grammarly, chill out, there really are 2 ‘Rules’ in the title of the new Hastings book.”
Sorry about that – now back to business.
Don’t worry, should you publish a book about Netflix, I promise I won’t call you out.
5. The Wall of Gratitude
My daughter and 2 boys will tell you that one of my favorite inspirational autobiographies is Zig: The Autobiography of Zig Ziglar. Oddly, I had never heard of him till circa 2002. One of my favorite parts in this poignant and often humorous read, Zig mentions a Hall of Gratitude – a wall of photographs of men and women who shaped the person he became.
I rarely take pictures, but I can pound out words on a keyboard somewhat recklessly which would bring tears to Hemingway and my 7th grade English teacher. Accordingly, my Wall of Gratitude started with a post I published this week on integrity. When I finished, I felt compelled to start mentioning the names of men and women who have lived integrity inside the workplace and beyond and been inspirational to me.
Consider writing down the people who have modeled integrity in your life. When done, pay it forward by jotting down a note stating what you just wrote about them. That will mean the world to them. I’m far from finished on this assignment myself.
Josh, you’re going to be a great father. Congrats to you and Mrs. A.
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Thank You For Reading
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Take care and have a great week. Always be learning.
Title Photo Attribution – by Mr. Blue MauMau, and thank you very much.
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