The virtuous cycle

As I write this, I'm currently leading a weekend workshop in Quebec City called "Revolution 2006", to help solopreneurs clarify their vision and create the confidence and action plan to transform their results in 2006.

During a break, to air out my thinking, I picked up the Saturday National Post (Toronto) and looked at the Financial Post section and this article about theWorld Economic Forum in Davos, and the speech that Bill Gates gave, pledging over $900M for TB research.

In it, he referred to the "virtuous cycle", that, after some research, seems to be a theme that recurs often at Davos. From the Post article:

[...]By "virtuous cycle," Gates means the process by which a nation provides some form of healthcare, where education is widespread, the economy is a meritocracy and governments promote entrepreneurship. The "cycle" works this way: Education creates technologies and entrepreneurs to exploit them; those entrepreneurs pay taxes, which government spends on more education and research to create more technologies.[...]

In my mind, I see the virtuous cycle as connecting vision, passion and profit:


Once a society meets the basic needs of its citizens (education, health), and people are encouraged to start dreaming a vision and take risks to make it happen(meritocracy, entrepreneurship), this starts to ignite a passion in people that powers them to take action and generate profit, which raises the general level of wealth, that gives people even more freedom to have bigger visions, more passion, more profit, etc... in a "virtuous cycle".

So the question came to me... what's first, the chicken or the egg? In that do I need great means to be able to dream big? Or is it the big dreams that create the great means? How can I dream big if I don't have the means? How can I bootstrap myself into this cycle?

Back to the workshop I'm leading. My personal life mission is to "inspire passionate possibility", which is all about creating a space for people to dream big visions and take action. That's what we're doing this weekend.

So basically, I encourage people to set objectives - visions - that are slightly beyond their reach, in such a way as to ignite their passion to take action to produce profit... and grow bigger dreams.

In the end, I believe that the entrepreneurship track - and even more, the solopreneur - is the ultimate way to truly live a life project that ignites powerful change in the world. This is why I do what I do...

The power of e-connection

An excellent story in today's Globe and Mail (Toronto) about the impact of the internet on our interpersonal connections:

"[...]The current generation of e-mail users is communicating much more often than recent generations and possibly more often than any previous generation since people huddled in caves with only conversation to pass the nights away," says the study, which was funded by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

Heavy e-mail users have more than twice as much land-line phone contact within their social networks and three times as much cellular phone contact than people who do not use e-mail, according to the report.

"E-mail supplements, rather than replaces, the communication people have with people who are very close to them -- as well as . . . with those not so close," the report says in noting e-mail's key role in maintaining ties between acquaintances."

(Excerpted from the article: "Web skeptics, take note: The sky hasn't fallen
Internet doesn't destroy relationships, a new study finds, it strengthens them" by Jill Mahoney, The Globe and Mail, Thursday, January 26, 2006)

I've always believed that the Internet is the greatest multiplier of human potential since Gutenberg (not Steve, of course, but Johannes), because it does exactly as described in the G&M article - it multiplies my ability as a solopreneur to reach out and stay in contact with many people at once... to keep a one-to-one conversation going with thousands of people in parallel.

This article is especially timely for me because I recently met a struggling solopreneur who was fiercely resisting using the Internet. She wanted me to mail her information separately, instead of clicking through links that I provided her, to view the information I posted on my Web site.

While I recognize that there is a learning curve to all technology (and I when through this myself in starting up my blog and now with podcasts), I truly believe that it is crucial to my mission and vision that I employ all tools that help me communicate better and more clearly with more people.

Living as a solopreneur now, in 2006, is vastly simpler than when I started out on this path in 1994. I am proud to have been on the web since 1994 (see my first sites using the Wayback Machine here). I could not even imagine what it would have been like to go solo before the personal computer became affordable! (pre-1980!) Having to stuff envelopes and use snail mail to keep in touch? Too high of a barrier to performance...


Interesting research suggestion... Actually, go read the Wikipedia bio of Johannes Gutenberg - brilliant inventor who lived penniless most of his life... The prototypical solopreneur, eh?

Other suggestion... For those who are Webophobes, I came across what looks like an excellent project funded by the (Canadian) government, called Student Connections (www.studentconnections.ca) It is a service, staffed with bright and enthusiastic young students, that offers training and consulting services to help micro and small business get up to speed on the Internet. What I've seen and who I've met so far have impressed me, and the price is definitely right for solos. check it out!

Make up my mind!

An interesting thought about competeting commitments:

"You can't be travelling east and west at the same time. We are going one way or the other."
- Debbie Ford, "The Right Questions" www.debbieford.com

Am I committed to developing new behaviours that move me forward, or maintaining old, comfortable, "normal" behaviours that anchor me to the past?

Do something magnificent

Great quote by Steve Jobs during his Macworld address:

"Don’t be encumbered by history, go out and do something wonderful.”

- Robert Noyce, inventor of the silicon chip and founder of Intel

The leader's dilemma (or, why managers can't lead)

Going through my daily round of media links and saw this article in Business Week Online: "How Apple Could Mess Up, Again" (09 Jan 2006)

The article grabbed my attention because I'm currently reading "The Innovator's Dilemma" by Clayton Christensen (who was interviewed for the BWO article). Here's a passage of the article that I like:

We have a case about this at Harvard [Business School], about when John Sculley was the CEO of Apple in the early 1990s. He actually had remarkably clear vision about where the industry was heading. He had three priorities. First, he felt the company needed to get its price down to $1,000, from $3,000 or $4,000 at the time. The second thing was to open up the architecture, by selling the OS. And the third was that handheld devices were going to be big. He was right on all three, but the culture of Apple was just so strong that Sculley just couldn't change the direction of the ship.

So I always ask the students, "What would you do if you were on Apple's board?" And they always say the same thing: "Crucify him, and bring in a good manager. "[emphasis mine]

"So who would you bring in?" I ask. And they say: "Bring in someone really strong, who can make those decisions." So what did Apple do? They brought in Michael Spindler -- a strong general manager type who was known for his operations ability. Well, that didn't work out.

So I ask, "What would you do next?" And they say: "Bring in a good manager -- someone who can turn the company around." Well, they brought in Gil Amelio, who had turned around National Semiconductor. But he only lasted 18 months or so.

So then they bring Jobs back. And why did the company prosper under Jobs? The students' instinct is to say, because he's a good manager. I think the reason is that he stopped trying to change the company. He wanted them to do what they had always wanted to do: make cool products, based on proprietary architectures.

This hit me because it clearly shows the "leader's dilemma" (to paraphrase Christensen's title). My definition of a leader is one who disrupts the status-quo with the intention of furthering a specific vision. However, if I disrupt the status-quo, this creates uncertainty, and with it, the fear of uncertainty. Results will inevitably drop while the team, clients, etc are learning the new way, and will inevitably improve once the disruption becomes the new status-quo.

The job of managers is to defend the status-quo - managers are "rated" on how they keep things working better. When managers change things too much, results drop and they get fired.

Clayton Christensen's book is all about the price of maintaining the status quo while a disruptive technology or idea gathers steam and prepares to change the game.

The "leader's dilemma": to disrupt the status-quo while seeing the new picture beyond the present, and to communicate this to others, without succumbing to the need to be "popular".

Solopreneurs need to be strong leaders. We can see beyond the current status-quo, what "works", and quickly experiment with new ways of doing things, to invent the next way of doing business in our field. We don't have to be a scaled-down version of a bigger, established company, something that rarely works anyway at the solo level.

The "win" for the Solopreneur is that by finding a new way, we can quickly surpass others who are stuck in old ways of doing things. Instead of just looking to sell your time by charging by the hour, start packaging your expertise. Do something once and get paid many times. Get paid for doing nothing (subscription models). Teach others how to do what you do and license your ideas. Learn to parallel-process, change streams on the fly, meme-surf...

Anyways, I strongly suggest that you get the book and read it.

To be a true leader and a successful solopreneur, the watchword is this... if it ain't broke, break it!

What gives me the right to interrupt?

An experience I had last week preparing for my speech made me chuckle.

As I was preparing, and even as I was walking up to the podium, a little voice of doubt kept saying "What gives you the right to give yet another speech about leadership? Haven't they heard enough of this stuff already?"

And then I started to speak, and I could see the sparkle in the eyes of the audience as they opened up to my message. At the end of the session they were lined up four deep to shake my hand and thank me for saying what I said. (People even wanted to shake my hand as I was going back to my seat!)

Wow. What I thought was an average topic ended up having a huge impact on some people in the room!

So what did I learn from this experience?

The "monkey mind" is this negative voice within me that constantly criticizes, questions, and doubts. It's a little heckler, sitting on my shoulder, bringing up all my insecurities and old, embarrassing tapes, real or (most often) imagined.

A huge zinger that my my monkey mind often tosses my way is "What gives me the right?" And this thought is a huge obstacle that tends to trip me.

Hey, if I were in a jobjob, I could hunker down at my desk and do whatever is handed to me, speak when I'm expected to speak, do what I'm expected to do, and I get paid. In a jobjob, risking my neck rarely gets me any extra credit (nor money). So why stand out when it's easier to be invisible and not rock the boat? Especially when, at the end of the day, the outcome in my bank account is the same?

But as a Solopreneur, my job IS to influence other people, to get noticed. I need to "interrupt and influence" in order to eat. If I stay hidden, if I don't stand up, then people don't find out about me, become curious, and eventually buy or refer my products and services. I lose because my venture does not move forward, and they lose because they don't get to benefit from what I offer.

What gives me the right to say what I say, is that I am speaking my truth to reach out to influence the lives and the actions of others, for the better, through my message, which eventually leads to my offers of services and products which eventually I hope they accept.

Yes, most people really don't care about who I am, what I say, and what I offer. My message flies ten feet over their heads. But it is that ONE person who I connect with, that one person who "gets it", and with whom I can build a bridge of trust so that they decide to accept what I'm offering... it's for that person that I MUST speak up. If I don't, I lose a valuable opportunity to gain a new ally and possibly someone who could lead me to new clients (and better success in my business).

And that ONE person loses because they are actively looking for the message that I'm sending, and for the benefit that I offer... and if they can't find me they will have to continue searching...

People rarely wear signs that say "Here I am, Davender, ready to hear what you have to say". I first have to broadcast my message, then respond to those who respond to it.

And then do it again for the next person and again and again. It's an important cycle - one that gives me the right to interrupt, see if the person is open, and if so, influence them to take action, helping them while helping me.

Interrupt and influence to create a win-win outcome for me and for the other person.

Does the world need another talk on self-leadership?

Yes, it was an important topic that deserved to be said. Couldn't we all use a little more inspiration? The world needs all the uplifting messages it can get.

What inspirational vibe will you contribute today to interrupt and influence someone to take positive action?

Guy Kawasaki now has a blog! Yay!

Guy Kawasaki wrote one of my all time favorite books, "Rules for Revolutionaries"
(favorite quote: "Eat like a hummingbird, poop like an elephant"!... which means take in information from everywhere, and share lots of it with everyone)

Guy now has an excellent blog about venture entrepreneurship, called "Let The Good Times Roll":
http://blog.guykawasaki.com/

Definitely one I'm keeping in my favorites list!

For more about Guy check out his website
http://www.guykawasaki.com/

The stuff of leadership (Podcast)

Here is my first attempt at a podcast

Speech: "The stuff of leadership: The power of the everyday leader"
Quebec City, Friday 06 January 2006
Running time: 7 minutes 30 seconds

mp3 link (1.8 Mb): here

streaming link (dialup friendly):
http://audio.davender.com/podcast/stuffofleadership.m3u

I welcome your comments! (There's a lot more audio I would like to podcast... i'm learning as I'm doing!)

Hold the cynicism!

During the holiday season, I had the happy experience of reconnecting with my two younger brothers and their families, for the first time in many years.

I love my brothers, however I find it difficult to have a positive conversation with them. One aspect is the fact is that they're both in the military (my youngest brother is a Lt-Colonel in the Canadian Army, and the other is a headquarters staff Major in the Canadian Air Force). I started my career in the Air Force also, but left over ten years ago and things have changed a lot, so I no longer have much common ground.

The other barrier to conversation is that I am a solopreneur, which to them means that my take on life seems to be one from another planet. (more on that in a future post, I'm sure...)

I noted that a lot of the tone of the conversation between my brothers contained tinges of cynicism... picking faults with the bosses or the politicians or co-workers, all recounted with a smile and a knowing chuckle. It seemed that they were trying to show to each other that they were "in the know", by pointing out the fallacies and failings of the "system". Nobody can do anything right, there is always a silliness or inconsistency to point out. (At least my brothers were not picking on each other!)

A lot of this tone, I'm sure, is unconscious. Cynicism seems to permeate our society, starting with the media - not only the pundits, but also the commentators... I get quite the cynic's vibe from the National Post or Global News (it seems to me that their commentary after every statement a politician makes can be summed up as "yeah, right"). (In the US, try Lou Dobbs on CNN or anything by Fox News...)

It also comes from what passes as humour, from the Daily Show to Rick Mercer's Monday Report (now on Tuesdays!) and many popular stand-up routines.

We are constantly immersed in a sea of cynicism. Cynicism tries to be witty, worldly, and wise but ends up being sour, sharp and... saddening.

Cynicism feels like a splinter that refuses to come out, not really showing on the outside but a constant irritant. It saps the energy from a conversation and leaves me feeling a bit emptier for the experience.

Being positive and upbeat seems no longer to be in style. Some would label a state of "excessive happiness" deserving of a vacation in a padded room. If I'm happy, I must be dissociated with reality, 'cause it's a cold, hard world out there.

NO! I have all the cynicism I can handle. I want more positive conversation around me. Instead of talking politics, let's celebrate the accomplishments of my nieces, or talk about what you experienced on your vacation, or, even more exciting and interesting to me, your dreams and plans for the future.

My conversation with my coach yesterday touched on this, what she calls the "memetic environment": creating an environment of thought, energy and ideas that support me to move forward and create what I want.

Does this mean, for me, turning off the Daily Show? Maybe so (I find it starting to be too predictable). Unplugging from Global National News? And, especially in this Canadian Federal election season... staying away from TV, Radio and reading the opinion pages in the newspapers...

Instead, it means listening to more ad-free music (upbeat instrumental - I love satellite radio and internet radio!), and diving into the huge pile of positive CDs and MP3 teleconference recordings I have of Jim Rohn, Brian Tracy, T. Harv Eker, and many others. Also, I can tune into the many teleconference calls, e-mail newsletters, blogs and websites by all kinds of positive and passionate people... all to surround myself with positive ideas and energy to create the results I really want...

Let's stop the cynicism and make optimism hip again, okay? Positive people have a lot more fun!


See an interesting article about this in the Toronto Star of Jan 03, 2006 here

You've just got to get this powerful CD by Mike Litman called "Unleash Your Greatness!" (I listened to it again this morning... wow!)

What would happen if you wore a nametag ALL the time? Ask Scott...

Found this excellent site by Scott Ginsberg

http://www.hellomynameisscott.com

Scott's message is all about approachability and personal networking. Check out his video explanation (click on "The Approachability Philosophy)

I love what Scott is doing, because I totally agree with his approach to approachability... This is also an excellent example of translating a Vision from Passion to Profit, since he now makes his living speaking, teaching and inspiring people to be more approachable!

And hey, for those people who say nametags should be worn on the right when networking, look at this:

http://tinyurl.com/ac6fo

Talk about "ten times bolder"!

Self-help's big lie?

Comments on an interesting article in the Sunday, Jan 1, Los Angeles Times titled "Self-Help's Big Lie" (link):

Nonetheless, with such highly visible exponents of latter-day empowerment as Robbins, Winfrey and Winfrey's principal protege, Dr. Phil McGraw, fanning the flames, a generation has come of age on the belief that a positive mental attitude will carry the day. Far from helping his disciples, the empowerment guru does them a disservice by making them "think positive" about a situation in which the odds of success are exceedingly low. As top management consultant Jay Kurtz argues: "The most dangerous person in corporate America is the highly enthusiastic incompetent. He's running faster in the wrong direction, doing horribly counterproductive things with winning enthusiasm."

You cannot have a life plan predicated on the belief that everything is equally achievable to you — especially if that same message has been sold indiscriminately to all comers. In the grand scheme of things, knowing one's limitations may be even more important than knowing one's talents.

I think that the author is missing the point on the true message of self-empowerment. It's not about "think it and it will come", a passive view of life that tends to laziness or "entitlement".

The true power of intention is unleashed when one's foundation (clarity, commitment, confidence, courage), is aligned with the skills and the systems, and proactively put into action to produce results.

Success comes from enthusiasm (that comes from a strong foundation) PLUS competence (the skills and systems).

Creating the results I want is simple, but not easy. Actually, "attraction" is VERY hard work. It means literally changing who I am, to be in alignment with those results. It means making choices, sometimes very hard choices. Is what I want in alignment with who I am at my essence? Is who I am in alignment with what I want? Each choice closes off some possibilities and opens up others.

Positive Mental Attitude is important but not sufficient. Willingness to change, to risk and perhaps to fail one, two, or ten times before getting there - that is the other ingredient. PMA is what sustains the momentum through the difficult times.

The "big lie" is in believing that entitlement comes before effort. Not everything is equally achievable by everyone. We are each tuned in a certain direction. By putting in the effort to discover who I am, to build the foundation, skills and systems that move me forward in life, I end up tuning into the success that I seek.

The value to me of the success I really want is measured in the price of blood, sweat and tears that I expend in reaching this treasure. To have it handed to me on a silver plate, without effort, like winning the lottery, robs it of any meaning and I will lose it just as quickly.

So the true meaning of "self-help" is in developing the courage and the confidence to do whatever it takes within me to transform myself into the success I want. By knowing my limitations, and overcoming them, I then attract what I seek.

Now roll up your sleeves and get to work creating the future you really want!

Turn the page

Today is New Year's Day 2006, maybe the only time of the year where many people give themselves the special gift of considering, if only for a moment, that they can change their current reality.

On this day when everything is possible, turn the page, then write about it. Put the vision of "what could be" on paper so that it becomes a touchstone to remind you of what you could be, as you progress through the year.

Write your vision in the "future present", creating a narrative that reads in the present, describing a desired point in your future. For example, imagine yourself on a day six months from now, and describe yourself using the present tense "I am" instead of "I will".

Keep it positive. Instead of "losing weight", say "gain strength", or "living healthy".

Define yourself not as your history, but as your possibility. The future ain't invented yet, and the best is yet to come.

Happy New Year, and best wishes for your success in 2006!