MAKE YOUR MARK

Bear Bryant - "Do the Right Thing."

2011-01-04T06:04:00.000-08:00

At a Touchdown Club meeting many years before his death, Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant told the following story:

"I had just been named the new head coach at Alabama and was off in my old car down in South Alabama recruiting a prospect who was supposed to have been a pretty good player and I was havin' trouble finding the place. Getting hungry I spied an old cinder block building with a small sign out front that simply said "Restaurant."

"I pull up, go in and every head in the place turns to stare at me. Seems I'm the only white fella in the place. But the food smelled good so I skip a table and go up to a cement bar and sit. A big ole man in a tee shirt and cap comes over and says, "What do you need?" I told him I needed lunch and what did they have today? He says, "You probably won't like it here, today we're having chitlins, collared greens and black eyed peas with cornbread. I'll bet you don't even know what chitlins (small intestines of hogs prepared as food in the deep South) are, do you?" I looked him square in the eye and said, "I'm from Arkansas , I've probably eaten a mile of them. Sounds like I'm in the right place." They all smiled as he left to serve me up a big plate. When he comes back he says, "You ain't from around here then?"

"I explain I'm the new football coach up in Tuscaloosa at the University and I'm here to find whatever that boy's name was and he says, yeah I've heard of him, he's supposed to be pretty good. And he gives me directions to the school so I can meet him and his coach.

"As I'm paying up to leave, I remember my manners and leave a tip, not too big to be flashy, but a good one and he told me lunch was on him, but I told him for a lunch that good, I felt I should pay.

"The big man asked me if I had a photograph or something he could hang up to show I'd been there. I was so new that I didn't have any yet. It really wasn't that big a thing back then to be asked for, but I took a napkin and wrote his name and address on it and told him I'd get him one.

"I met the kid I was lookin' for later that afternoon and I don't remember his name, but do remember I didn't think much of him when I met him. I had wasted a day, or so I thought.

"When I got back to Tuscaloosa late that night, I took that napkin from my shirt pocket and put it under my keys so I wouldn't forget it. Back then I was excited that anybody would want a picture of me. The next day we found a picture and I wrote on it, "Thanks for the best lunch I've ever had."

"Now let's go a whole buncha years down the road. Now we have black players at Alabama and I'm back down in that part of the country scouting an offensive lineman we sure needed ya'll remember, (and I forget the name, but it's not important to the story), well anyway, he's got two friends going to Auburn and he tells me he's got his heart set on Auburn too, so I leave empty handed and go on see some others while I'm down there.

"Two days later, I'm in my office in Tuscaloosa and the phone rings and it's this kid who just turned me down, and he says, "Coach, do you still want me at Alabama ?" And I said, "Yes I sure do." And he says "OK, I'll come." And I say, "Well son, what changed your mind?" And he said, "When my grandpa found out that I had a chance to play for you and said no, he pitched a fit and told me I wasn't going nowhere but Alabama, and wasn't playing for nobody but you. He thinks a lot of you and has ever since ya'll met." Well, I didn't know his granddad from Adam's housecat so I asked him who his granddaddy was and he said, "You probably don't remember him, but you ate in his restaurant your first year at Alabama and you sent him a picture that he's had hung in that place ever since. That picture's his pride and joy and he still tells everybody about the day that Bear Bryant came in and had chitlins with him."

"My grandpa said that when you left there, he never expected you to remember him or to send him that picture, but you kept your word to him, and to Grandpa, that's everything. He said you could teach me more than football and I had to play for a man like you, so I guess I'm going to."

"I was floored. But I learned that the lessons my mama taught me were always right. It don't cost nuthin' to be nice. It don't cost nuthin' to do the right thing most of the time, and it costs a lot to lose your good name by breakin' your word to someone.
"When I went back to sign that boy, I looked up his Grandpa and he's still running that place, but it looks a lot better now; and he didn't have chitlins that day, but he had some ribs that woulda made Dreamland proud and I made sure I posed for a lot of pictures; and don't think I didn't leave some new ones for him, too, along with a signed football.

"I made it clear to all my assistants to keep this story and these lessons in mind when they're out on the road. If you remember anything else from me, remember this. It really doesn't cost anything to be nice, and the rewards can be unimaginable.

-Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant

So what? As we start the new year, keep this story in mind. Act with integrity, treat people with respect, make a difference, and do the right thing.

Focus, Clarity, Simplicity and Teamwork

2010-08-11T07:59:00.000-07:00

by: Mark Lindstrom

While reading a recent article about Ford’s dramatic turnaround plan under CEO Alan Mulally, it brought me back to the mantra that guided Starbucks thinking during their impressive growth in the early 2000 time frame. Under the leadership of our very focused CEO Orin Smith we followed the direction of the simple mantra Mr. Smith championed everyday in both his words and his actions – Focus, Clarity, Simplicity and Teamwork. It clearly worked for Starbucks back then. And when you look at Ford’s growing market share and profitability that same formula is working for Ford now.

I believe we can all learn from the lessons inspired by Mr. Smith and Mr. Mulally. Here are a couple of the headlines from the article about Ford that personally connected with me:

• “He has moved faster than most observers expected to boost quality and simplify the product line up.”

• “Ford is in a very strong position – it has brought costs way down, has a well integrated global platform …and most importantly, a really good product line up.”

Mr. Mullaly has been fearless in slimming down and simplifying it’s product line up and focuses on serving a broader swath of potential car buyers with fewer higher quality car choices. Gone are Aston Martin, Land Rover, and Jaguar. Mercury will be history after December 31st and it recently announced it has a buyer for Volvo. It is almost mind numbing to think about all he has had the courage to sat NO to, so he can say with a bigger YES to serve his customers with a higher quality product.

After pausing to reflect on the lessons from these two leaders I find myself recommitted to leading with Focus-Clarity-Simplicity and Teamwork. How will I do it? For me it will be as simple as starting each day by asking myself the following four questions to center my thoughts and actions:

• What are the most important things that I need to FOCUS on now?

• How CLEAR am I with others, about the outcomes we are striving that matter most?

• What do we need to SIMPLIFY that is getting in the way of our biggest priorities?

• What do I need to do better, or different, to align our TEAMs to our mission?

As Terry Mansky, my colleague and friend at Coffee Bean & Leaf likes to say – “If you stand for everything, you stand for nothing.” So my challenge to you is think about the following question – “What are the things you will stand for with greater Focus-Clarity-Simplicity and Teamwork starting today to lead with a greater purpose?

The Model of Immediacy - improving performance by getting specific about the here & now.

2009-09-22T22:26:00.000-07:00

By Mark Lindstrom

Does the following scenario sound familiar to you? You’ve diligently planned for a crucial coaching conversation with someone. You’re prepared to talk directly about their need to improve performance, their current challenges and the necessary changes they need to make to improve their effectiveness. But what happens too often? The real conversation that needs to take place doesn’t really happen. Yes, you meet and talk. But the flow of the conversation leads you to begin talking in sweeping generalities about the intended topic. You talk about “how things used to be” or “how things were at their old company.” Far to often you end up having a coaching conversation about “someone not even in the room.” The result? You leave the conversation without any meaningful outcomes on important issues that will serve your organization or the person being coached. You end up muttering
– “Boy, that sure didn’t go the way I planned.”

Why does this happen? Simply, because it is much safer and there is less accountability for the person being coached. So how do you transform these passive conversations, filled with empty outcomes, to direct conversations that create immediacy, promote accountability and ignite performance on the biggest opportunities? A simple and direct way is to improve the quality of your coaching conversations through the use of a powerful coaching model - The Model of Immediacy.

The fundamental shift that needs to take place in your coaching conversations is to bring the focus of the conversation back “inside the lines” of the model. You create a bias towards action and strengthen the individual being coached when your coaching conversations move from:
• Then to NOW
• General to SPECIFICS
• There to HERE
• Them to YOU

Putting The Immediacy Model to Work: Reframe and redirect the conversations.
The Model of Immediacy requires a “here and now” orientation for the “leader-coach.” It requires a strong active presence with the courage to speak openly and to provide direct feedback when needed. Here are a few examples of the model in use during coaching conversations:

Example I - Getting into The Now: When you find the conversation drifting back in time, redirect and bring it “back into the now.” Far too much time is spent looking backward in the rear view mirror when the real focus of a “leader-coach” is to anchor their client on what is happening today.
• Employee: “Expectations were really different under the old leadership team.”
• Leader-coach: “That was how it was then. Let’s talk about what the expectations are now.”

Example II – Getting Specific: When the other person uses general statements, use specifics in your questions to reframe and provide clarity. You goal is to limit “aboutism’s” that often time sound good, but don’t provide the needed clarity about the topic at hand. You need to move from a place where you think you know what someone is talking about to where you know specifically what is on their mind. When you are in a place of knowing you can coach the real issue.
• Employee: “The Company’s new bonus program isn’t fair.”
• Leader-coach: “Can you give me a specific example of what’s not fair about the program?”

Example III – Talking About You: When the person being coached brings the focus on someone “not in the room”, it is important for the leader-coach to redirect the conversation and bring it back to the person being coached to provide personal accountability:
• Employee: “I’m frustrated. My store managers don’t get it. They fail to maximize our key promotions and as a result we are always at the bottom of the Region’s reports.”
• Leader-coach: “This is an important topic. Let’s talk specifically about you and what you are doing to improve your team’s execution & performance of key promotions?”

Your turn: How competent and confident are you in creating “immediacy” in your coaching conversations? Target the areas where you know you need to improve. (i.e. - Having a more strong active presence. The courage to provide direct feedback.) With whom do you need add immediacy to your coaching conversations? Make a plan to meet to talk to them – today, this week, this month.

Anchoring Thought
You’ll never make it as a wandering generality, you must become a meaningful specific.” – Zig Ziglar

See it, Feel It and then – JUST DO IT!

2009-08-20T12:13:00.000-07:00

By Mark Lindstrom

It is hard to believe that I've become as addicted to golf as I once was to business, but I have. After having taken a twenty year hiatus from the game of golf I now play it, practice it, talk about it, read about it and I watch far too much of it on television. The other night I watched one of my favorite shows – The Golf Fix (kind of an appropriate title for me isn’t it?) The guest that night was pro golfer Nick Faldo. There was real brilliance in the simplicity of his message and teaching. He stressed the importance of a simple three-step process to hitting the golf shot to improve your performance as a golfer:

• See it – His first point was to pause and “step back” from where your ball is and look out to what “your vision” is for your next shot. What do you really want as the outcome from your next shot? He was very clear – focus on what you want (i.e. – a perfect lie in the middle of the fairway) and not on what you don’t want (i.e. – hitting it in the water!)
• Feel it - The second step he stressed was to move from mental imaging to muscle and mental memory. He stressed the importance of “rehearsing” your practice shots with the type of swing and intensity required to “execute your vision.” He demonstrated how most golfers take a half-hearted swing before their actual swing and challenged the audience with the question – “do you think this type of swing will deliver the “see it” vision in your mind?” The answer he was seeking was obvious – NO.
• Just Do it – Finally, with the feeling imprinted in your mind and your body conditioned to the ideal swing he encouraged you to step up to the ball, don’t over think what you need to do, commit with confidence and then execute – or strike the ball to land in the middle of the fairway 300 yards from the tee ☺.

SO WHAT? Nick Faldo’s message and teaching methodology have a direct link to coaching others towards a better future and more powerful performance in the game of business. One thing his message clearly reinforced for me – “don’t overcomplicate the coaching process with your clients!” Keep it as easy as 1-2-3 when you are working with your direct reports or your clients:

1. See it: Spend quality time with your clients gaining clarity on three fundamental questions: Where are they today? What is their vision for a better future? What price are they willing to pay?
2. Feel it: Create momentum by moving from thought into action. Rehearse and create the confidence in your client through “active rehearsal”; don’t allow “half-hearted” swings – only swinging for the green is allowed.
3. Just Do It. Finally, take action. Create the plan to move from thought to action. That is the true definition of personal power – the ability to take action. It is not about knowing more, it is about doing more. And then the exciting part - JUST DO IT!

Engaging Leaders Listen For the Truth

2009-08-04T21:43:00.000-07:00

by: Mark Lindstrom

We all know how critical good listening skills are to be highly effective leaders. Most important is a leader’s ability to Listen for the Truth. When leaders commit to listening at these heightened levels transformational changes take place. Trusting relationships are created. The organization engages at a higher level. A company’s culture becomes stronger. And all the answers inside of your organization are revealed.

An engaging leader who best exemplifies for me what it means to “listen for the truth” is Paul Davis. Paul was previously Starbucks President of Retail and today is the CEO of Coinstar. I’ve always marveled at Paul’s uncanny knack to quickly put his finger on the pulse of an organization and understand the company’s driving force. I vividly remember my first meeting with Paul after he joined Starbucks. As I prepared for my meeting I put together a massive binder filled with information about my business. After only ten minutes of reviewing the information with Paul he stopped me and casually said – “Mark, why don’t you put the binder down and tell me what is on your mind. What is your big idea?” Both the question he asked and how he engaged me in the dialogue challenged me to think at a deeper level. His approach created a feeling of trust and allowed me to share my thoughts openly. As important, he challenged me to take ownership of my idea and to act upon it with immediacy. Through this experience Paul role modeled the difference between “pulling the brilliance out of others rather than showing brilliance themselves.”

When I asked Paul a few years later how he is able to quickly understand what matters most, he shared the following with me:

“As a leader the most important thing you can do when you first join an organization is to listen for the truth. Don’t judge. Instead, be open and curious. Don’t walk by those in your organization that are most ticked off. That is often times where the truth lies. Keep looking, keep asking, keep listening and the truth will be revealed. And when you know the truth, when you know the direction to go, you have the responsibility as a leader to act on the truth.”

So what can we all learn from Paul’s example and engaging leadership style? What do highly aware “outsiders” do first when they join a new organization? First, they go into the organizations and they ask great questions. For them everything is new and nothing is automatic. They don’t know who is important and who isn’t. They don’t pretend to understand the culture and how things get done. They don’t assume they know what has been bottled up, what things are bubbling below the surface and what the big opportunities are that need to be uncorked. More important they intensely listen to what people throughout the organization want to share – even those who are ticked off and fed up.

YOUR TURN: The bottom line is when you listen for the truth you will uncover the issues long before they become problems. You will see opportunities long before your competition. You strip away the noise and clutter and focus the organization on the few things that will have the greatest impact. Most importantly, you will engage the hearts and minds of your most important asset – your people.

Making the decision to be a better listener is a good first step. Next, choose one aspect to work on and to master. Here are a few areas to consider in your own journey to become an engaging leader who “listens for the truth”:

• To gain understanding, lead with questions, not answers.
-Use open-ended questions to engage others. So what is on your mind? What should we be worried about? What is your big idea ☺?

• Create a climate where the truth is heard and where brutal facts are confronted
-Be curious and don’t judge. Focus on learning, not on finding fault and blaming.

• Refuse to be “the answer-man.” Rather engage your team in dialogue and debate.
-Give others the space to think out loud and talk.

• And when you know the truth and know what needs to be done – be fearless and act.

Starting tomorrow why not allow yourself to act like that newly hired “outsider” once again and to listen, learn and lead at an even higher level?

Great listeners “tune into” a different frequency - W.A.I.T.

2009-07-02T16:10:00.000-07:00

by Mark Lindstrom
Have you ever found yourself in a conversation and while you think you are listening the reality is you haven’t heard a single word? If you have, you’re not alone. It is estimated that the average leader ignores, forgets, or misunderstands at least 75% of what they hear. Most people are better hearing themselves talk than they are listening to what others say. Why is this a fairly common occurrence? Because most of us have been conditioned to “add value” by sharing our insights, experiences & perspective and providing answers. Unfortunately these “insights and answers” are usually given before we fully understand the true context of the issue.

Many leaders don’t listen, and it is one of the greatest methods we have of learning. You need to listen to those under your supervision and those above you. We’d all be a lot wiser if we listened more – not just hearing the words, but not thinking about what we are going to say.” – Coach John Wooden

So how do you change the game? How do you take the first step to becoming a better listener, one who adds value, confidence and trust by listening more and telling less? My belief is that most of us know what to do but for many different reasons we simply choose not to do it. So what is a simple first step to move from knowing to doing? A simple way is to ask yourself – “W.A.I.T.” – when you’re hearing your voice more then the other person in your conversations.

During my coaching certification program at the Hudson Institute I learned a smart coaching tip that helps me to step out of my head and tune into the person during coaching conversations. When I find myself talking more than listening, or providing the answers, I tune into W.A.I.T and ask myself "Why Am I Talking?" It is a simple anchor that helps me to “STOP TALKING and START LISTENING!” Remember what we were told as children? “That we were given two ears and one mouth for a purpose - to ensure we would listen twice as much as we speak.” That same axiom applies in the business world. Listen twice as much as you talk.

So during your next conversation be more self-aware, commit to intentionally change your behavior and take away the YOU focus. This includes what YOU think, what YOU want to hear, what YOU think is the answer and YOU talking too much. . Forget about whatever it is that YOU want from a conversation. Remember, not everyone is seeking an answer or resolution to his or her problems. Sometimes they just want someone to listen to them. The art of listening means hearing with an open mind and heart. Reserve judgment. Don't be quick to offer advice or to provide the answer. Relax and understand that some people like bouncing ideas off other people because it helps them to “own their problem” and find a resolution on their own. And if you find yourself getting off track, then do as I do, simply ask yourself – W.A.I.T.?

Your turn: Take a few moments to pause and reflect on the following questions: What grade would you give your listening skills – A, B, C, D or Incomplete? What are the top three listening habits you need to work on? What is your “talking to listening” ratio - what do you want it to be a year from now? Finally, with whom do you need to have a “listening conversation?” Make a commitment to have it – today, this week or this month.

Purposeful Leaders Take time to Think

2009-06-13T21:09:00.000-07:00

By Mark Lindstrom

As a busy executive, do you feel there is just no time to think? How often do you find yourself saying – "there are just not enough hours in my day. I’m so busy I don’t have any time to think!” Let me think that over and I will get back to you” Highlights from an AOL “Email Addiction Survey” found that the average email user checks email five times a day and close to 60% of portable device users check them every time a new message arrives. Most disturbing for me was that over forty percent of portable users keep their device near their beds to listen for incoming mail ☹. Isn’t it time for this insanity to stop? Not surprising “lack of time” is a common cause in an increasing trend of executive burn out. So what is the answer? The good new is success leaves clues as to how we can change this trend.

“The single most revolutionary act you can do these days is to find time to think” – Dr. Margaret Wheatley

When you study successful leaders there are two major attributes that stand out – clarity of purpose and a heightened level of self-awareness. Both of these attributes directly relate to the fact that most successful leaders are self-reflective. They understand that to be their best it is important to slow down and they give themselves the gift of time to pause, reflect and most importantly take the time to think about the important issues in their lives.

Some of you might be saying, that sounds great, “but I don’t have the time.” The reality is we aren’t talking about a large amount of time. What are needed most often are minutes, not hours. Somewhere between 15 and 30 minutes a day. Short sessions are recommended to be by yourself and to think about the priorities in your life and how to lead with greater purpose. The potential R.O.Y.T. (return on your time) is BIG. As I was doing research for this blog I read that we can save between four to eight hours for every hour we invest in planning. If you think about the “Ready-Fire-Aim” world we live in, with a lifestyle of rushing headfirst into projects, inefficiencies through repeated false starts and do over’s, an 8 to 1 return seems like a conservative estimate to me.

A New Daily Habit is needed: Thoughts to get started
What is needed for many executives is a new habit. An everyday “renewal review” to keep priorities front and center, to allow time to think about what is most important while helping to “just say no” to the nice to do things and everyday distractions. Far too many professionals are so busy “doing” they forget about their “reason for being.” Your “being” answers the questions- Why am I here? What is my purpose? How do I add value? It is important for harried executives to provide more “white space” for themselves. A time “to be” not “to do” Here are a few thought starters to help you on your way to a new healthy habit and keep you on track with your life’s purpose and what you want most out of life:

Change the way you start your day
Instead of following the advise of many Time Management gurus who recommend “waking up 30 minutes earlier to squeeze more out of your day” commit to changing your habit of how you start your day. Resist the urge to check voice mail, e-mail, Linked In messages or reading the morning headlines as soon as you wake up you. Instead create a new habit and commit the first 30 minutes of your day to pause, reflect, and meditate and journal your thoughts. Grab a cup of coffee, find your favorite comfy chair and take time to think. For me exercise stimulates my brain, so I have what I call my “Hour of Power” routine. I get up, run on my treadmill and then I sit in my big red comfy chair in my office to reflect, think and journal. Whatever you choose – this will soon prove to be the best part of your day. No one is calling, there are no demands on you and you have given yourself a great gift to start the day – a time to be alone and to think.

Elevate what you think about
The other thing I hear from people I coach is “what would I think about?” What I recommend is to elevate what you think about during this time. As I like to say, “stay out of the weeds” during this time and think about the things that are most important to you, reflect on your purpose and priorities as a leader. Resist the temptation to think about the urgent needs of others – this is your time to think about you.

I like to use powerful and purposeful questions that will challenge me in a positive way during my think time. I’ve included some of my favorite questions as possible thought starters to consider:
• What are the top three priorities that demand my focused time, energy and leadership?
• What have I you been ignoring that is calling for your attention?
• What is it that I’m doing as a leader that I need to be more effective? What new learning do I want at this time? What things do I need to “unlearn?”
• What are the distractions that weaken me and my team that we need to stop doing?
• Who is an important person on my team that I need to spend more time with?
• What specifically can I do to strengthen the team chemistry on our team”?
• If I were recognized as a gigantic success at the end of the year, what would I be recognized for?
• If I could hire “three wise men” to guide my life’s next chapter, who would they be?
•
Be quiet and listen
It has been said – “the quality of your life is determined by the quality of your inner dialogue.” If this is true then from time to time use your “think time” to just sit still (when was the last time you did that? ☺) and listen to the voices inside of your head. Ask yourself - What are my thoughts telling me? What does it mean? Great listeners know the importance of using silence when communicating with others to listen, to learn from others and to understand them. We need to become as practiced in this discipline with ourselves.

Schedule time to think and reflect
You’ve likely heard the saying – “If it isn’t scheduled, it will never happen.” Think about how often, without thought and hesitation, countless meetings, conference calls, business reviews and travel plans are crammed into your calendar. Now ask yourself, how often do you place “ think time for me” on your calendar? Early in my career a successful executive at Unocal provided me some of the best advice in my career when he told me - “make sure you plan at least 15 minutes each day to think, reflect and prioritize.” This thought shaped a habit for the rest of my career. I would encourage you to think about adopting the same practice.

Later in my career I made a routine of scheduling a weekly two hour “think time” meeting “ to step back from the day to day and look at the major things. This habit created an opportunity to focus on the important but not urgent strategic platforms, to assess progress against key priorities and evaluate how effective I was in spending my time. Finally, when you commit to this change, don’t go it alone. Enlist an ally, likely your coordinator, to protect you from yourself, and help you make this a habit that will stick.

Find a “think time” place that works for you
A Time magazine article study found that interruptions consume more then 2 hours per day - greater then 25% of the workday! I share this because it is important for you to find a place where you can isolate your mind and just focus your thinking without interruption. I used the library for my two-hour weekly “think time” meetings. No one knew me there and it became a safe zone for me. Today my special place is my big cozy red chair is in my office. I just pull my door closed and listen to the amazing sounds of silence. I’d encourage you to give some thought to the places that will work for you.

Time management is really a misnomer – the challenge is not to manage time, but to manage ourselves.” – Stephen R. Covey

So why do we resist taking the time? Is it fear of saying “no” to others or fear of facing up to our challenges? Is it work that is the villain, or is it an organization issue? Probably not. Or is it more then likely a self-management issue? The reality is we have the opportunity to choose how we spend our time and we need to take this responsibility onto ourselves. As you read this blog I really hope, more then anything – that it challenged you to THINK about taking “time to think.” I am confident that if you commit to this new habit, and way of being, it will lead to full and richer lives - both at work and at home.

Optimism matters: For Cub fans and Leaders alike

2009-03-26T10:01:00.000-07:00

As a baseball fan this is my favorite time of the year. It gives me an excuse to talk about the Chicago Cubs and my favorite eternal optimist – Ernie Banks. Ernie Banks is regarded as the most popular baseball player in Chicago sports history. He was a constant promoter of the Cubs. His popularity and positive attitude led to the nickname of “Mr. Cub.” Ernie was known for his optimistic catch phrases at the start of every baseball season. My favorite was his expression before the start of the 1969 season – “The Cubs will shine in 69 – hey, hey!” While the Cubs didn’t win that year (and haven’t for over 100 years), the dynamic positive attitude of Mr. Cub always made you feel like “this will be the year” the Cubs go all the way. With the start of another season, hope springs eternal once again for Cub fans everywhere. I can’t help but proclaim with the optimism of Mr. Cub himself – “The Cubs will shine in 2009 – hey, hey!”

Like Ernie Banks, business leaders have the opportunity to change the dynamic of their organization’s beliefs, thoughts and actions through their optimism and moods. Numerous studies show that when the leader is in a happy optimistic mood, the people around them view everything in a more positive light. That, in turn, makes them optimistic about achieving their goals, enhances their creativity and decision-making efficiency, predisposes them to be helpful to others and results in superior overall performance. It is safe to say everyone knows how much a leader’s emotional state drives performance, because everyone has had, at one time or another, the uplifting experience of working for an upbeat manager or the challenging experience of toiling for a sour-spirited boss. The former makes everything feel possible, and as a result teamwork is strengthened, competitors beaten, customers are better served and stretch performance goals are achieved. The latter makes work grueling, other parts of the organization “become the enemy” and colleagues don’t work together towards an inspired future.

Why does optimism matter? – The benefits of an optimistic perspective go beyond business opportunities and improved performance as mentioned above. Here are just a few other physical and psychological benefits to consider:
• Relationships and resources – optimism allows for better relationships and increases access to the appropriate resources to help in pursuing goals.
• Better Health – being optimistic is good for the heart and will rid you of unnecessary anxiety.
• A longer life – an overall optimistic perspective allows for a longer life, especially for women.

Your turn – How can you begin developing the skills of optimism and improving your “OQ” (optimism quotient) starting today? The great news is that optimism is a “state of mind” and it can be developed! Here are just a few ways to get started in rewiring your brain toward more emotionally intelligent behaviors and a heightened degree of optimism.

• Who am I today? Start by coming to terms with your real self. Truthfully acknowledge how others experience you. Honestly rate what your current “OQ” is on a 1-10 scale. Take time to reflect on this important topic daily, preferably in the morning. Pay attention to what you focus on; look at how you selectively focus on events. Do you focus on the positive or negative events? Do you see the possibilities?Examine your internal “self-talk” and gather feedback from your bosses, peers and subordinates.

• Who do you want to be? – Project what you would like your “OQ” (1-10) to be one to two years from now. Visualize yourself as the upbeat and optimistic leader you want to become in order to open your eyes to the missing elements of an emotionally intelligent leader. What does it look like? What does it sound like? How does it feel? What is missing between “who I am” and “who I want to be”? How will you respond in the future to the challenges you face today?

• How to get there from here? Allow your optimism to grow by setting goals that will challenge you to stretch yourself, but are still within your reach. Change how you talk to yourself in your “self pep-talks.” Visualize and rehearse – run through positive scenarios in your own mind. See yourself being optimistic and rehearse how you will handle various situations in your “new way of being.” Start to believe the future will be better than the past. Finally, start each day with a couple of questions to shape an upbeat and positive attitude for the day (i.e. what am I most happy about in my life now? What am I most excited about in my life? What am I most optimistic about in my life now? How will I make today great?)

• Surround yourself with a community of supporters – We cannot improve our emotional intellegence or change our leadership style without the support of others. Distance yourself from the toxic people in your life – the "Doubting Debbies and Pessimistic Petes”. At the same time intentionally choose to spend more time with enthusiastic and optimistic people who lift you up and make everything seem possible. Ask two to three on your support team to give you ongoing feedback as you make intentional changes in your journey.

In the end, the message sent by neurological, psychological and organizational research is startling in its clarity. Optimism is contagious and emotional leadership is the spark that ignites a company’s performance, creating a bonfire of success or a landscape of ashes. We all have a choice as to what our spark will ignite. What choice will you make as you look to the future?

“The pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” – Winston Churchill

A tip from a Master Coach-John Wooden

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John Wooden: A Coaching Legend

UCLA's basketball program has the international reputation of being No. 1. There is a major reason for that his name is John Robert Wooden, who announced his retirement after the 1974-75 season (his 27th campaign) as the Bruins' head coach with the winningest record in all of the sport's history. Wooden celebrated his 92nd birthday on Oct. 14, 2002.

Wooden concluded his 40 years as a head coach that season and his 885-203 overall career win-loss record (a percentage of .813) is unequaled. A large part of that success was at UCLA. In 27 years as Bruin coach, his teams registered 620 wins, and only 147 losses while earning far more national honors than any other university.

Under Wooden, UCLA won an unprecedented 10 NCAA championships, including seven consecutive (1966-73). Included in the string is one of the most amazing win streaks in all of sports, 38 straight NCAA tournament victories.

In addition, there is the all-time NCAA consecutive winning-streak record of 88 games over four seasons, which included consecutive 30-0 seasons in 1971-72 and 1972-73. UCLA also won 149 of 151 games in Pauley Pavilion during his Bruin tenure.

John Wooden is the only coach to compile four undefeated seasons of 30-0 and his Bruin teams captured 19 conference championships (the record of which Wooden is most proud).

Coach Wooden is the first person to be inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and coach.

Complimenting the honors listed elsewhere in his biography, Wooden also has received two others he is especially proud of: being named the 1969 �Outstanding Basketball Coach of the U.S.� by his denomination, the Christian Church, for his services to collegiate basketball and the community. The other is having his hometown of Martinsville, Indiana, naming a street after him and at the same time serving as the 1969 King of the famed Morgan County Fall Foliage Festival and Grand Marshal of the Festival Parade. Their high school gymnasium also bears his name.

Born in Martinsville, IN on Oct. 14, 1910, Wooden attended high school there and won all-state prep honors in basketball three consecutive years, leading Martinsville High to the Indiana State title in 1927 and runner-up in 1926 and 1928.

At Purdue University, he won letters in basketball and baseball his freshman year and later earned All-American honors as a guard on the basketball team from 1930-32. He captained Purdue's basketball teams of 1931 and 1932 and led the Boilermakers to two Big Ten titles and the 1932 national championship.

Wooden's name was inscribed on Purdue's academic honor roll and he was awarded the 1932 Big Ten Conference medal for outstanding merit and proficiency in scholarship and athletics.

Shortly after graduating from Purdue in 1932, he married his charming wife, Nell. He then began his teaching career at Dayton High School in Kentucky where he coached numerous sports. After two years, he returned to the state of Indiana where he coached basketball, baseball and tennis at South Bend Central High School and taught English for nine years. His impressive 11-year prep coaching record was 218-42.

World War II interrupted his coaching career as he served as a full lieutenant in the U.S. Navy from 1943-46. Following his discharge in 1946, he went to Indiana Teachers College (now Indiana State University) as athletic director, basketball and baseball coach for two seasons prior to moving to UCLA.

Wooden and his wife, Nell, who died in Los Angeles on March 21, 1985, were married for 53 years. Parents of a son, James Hugh, and a daughter, Nancy Anne, John has seven grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

Management Consulting

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As a Management Consultant I bring to my clients extensive experience in business planning to support, new business ventures, turn arounds and developing high performance teams. I am uniquely qualified to help organizations in the following roles and core competencies:

Interim Operations Executive – this is an attractive option for organizations who want a seasoned operations executive to assess the health of their business or when they simply need an experienced leader to keep their business on track and moving forward until the new leader & reinforcements arrive.
Thought Leadership – for some clients there is real value in having a trusted advisor, confidant and thought partner to senior executives. Someone who has sat in their chair who can act as a sounding board when faced with exciting growth opportunities or marketplace challenges - a business advisor who opens up their perspectives and gives them a new way to see the possibilities.
Planning on Purpose – drawing upon my many years of planning experience I am qualified and have a talent to step in and provide advice and counsel on market development strategies, go-to-market initiatives and in the moment counsel when opportunities arise.

Related assignments and experiences have included:
• Served as the interim VP of Operations for Starbucks $400 million Midwest Operating Region for four months in FY-07. Directed the development of the Region’s 2008 Annual Operating Plan, aligned/unified the Regional Management team and re-energized a performance driven culture.
• Lead consultant and author for Unocal’s Five Year “Turnaround” Business Strategy for the State of Hawaii; generated targeted cash flows and returns to the organization through a rejuvenated retail system and expanded jobber network.
• Primary accountability for the development, introduction and performance of Unocal’s transformative Retail Business formats (Fast Break Convenience stores, Prowash and Auto Pulse) and branded alliance partnerships (Circle K, Carl’s Jr., Del Taco, etc.)
• Directed Fleetwood Enterprises strategic move into direct Retailing through the development and rollout of their new retail format – "The Fleetwood Home Center.”

“To create a future, the purpose must become a dream, and the dream must become a plan.”

Contact

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We look forward to answering any questions you may have and the opportunity to provide you the needed support to take your life's journey to the next level. If you are interested in taking the next step, please contact us at: Email Mark

949.374.6854

Executive Coaching

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Make Your Mark Executive Coaching
Mark’s coaching approach is a practical one. It is provided in the context of developing each client’s competence, committment and confidence that results in improved performance consistent with their goals and values. We specialize in one-on-one executive coaching for high potential leaders in the following areas:

High Potential Development – Support the development and capacity of high-potential leaders who have been identified as successors in the Talent Management process.
On–Boarding – Help high potential new hires assimilate and engage into their new companies and cultures.
Performance – Support high potential leaders, who have been derailed for various reasons, to get them back on track while expanding their leadership effectiveness.

Mark's coaching style follows the “Leading from Behind” coaching model he was certified in at the Hudson Institute in Santa Barbara. It emphasizes that highly effective coaches walk behind their clients – supporting, listening and challenging them to uncover the changes they articulate as most important to take at that moment in their journey. The clients are empowered to come to terms with the issues they need to address in order to fully commit to making the intentional changes to move forward in life and work.

The MYM Executive Coaching Package
This coaching solution package is reserved for high performing executives, committed to taking their career and contribution to the next level. This coaching package consists of the following:
• Initial half –day planning session with each client to assess and define their primary objectives and key goals.
• Phone conversations, or visits, with the client’s supervisor and other key stakeholders to provide a broader context and understanding of the clients coaching objectives.
• Ten 60 minute coaching sessions over a five-month period.
• Telephone and e-mail support with clients throughout the engagement.
• Mid-point review with client to evaluate progress, results and necessary adjustments.
• A close-out session with each client to harvest key learning’s, anchor behavioral changes and build a plan for sustainability beyond the term of the coaching engagement.
• Monthly e-mails of key Leadership Topics to support the client’s personal grow
This comprehensive Executive Coaching package is offered for $3,500. We look forward to the opportunity to provide the needed support to take your life’s journey to the next level. If you’re interested in taking the next step, please contact us at marklindstrom14@gmail.com

What clients say about their coaching experience with Mark:
“I can’t begin to express how uplifting the coaching conversation was for me today. All connections have been great – but today was transitional for me in terms of what I am coming to realize about myself. The things that I am doing and the changes that have been made are making a difference. They are working for me, because I see they are working for others. Thanks for being my coach!”

Our Process

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Although every coaching engagement and journey is unique, the following are steps we may choose to take together:

Step 1: Connect
An initial meeting is scheduled to confirm fit. The coaching relationship, whether individual or sponsored through your organization, is a partnership. As with any trusting and meaningful relationship, mutual fit is key in our ability to be effective. Either via phone, or if you are in the Southern California area, we can arrange a meeting in-person at a location convenient for you.

Step 2: Discover
After our first connection and we have agreed that there is a good chemistry and fit, we use two assessment tools to discover and determine the areas of focus for the coaching engagement.

Coaching Questionnaire
This nine-page questionnaire asks each client a series of self-reflective questions regarding career/coaching goals, values & principles that guide decisions, challenges currently experienced in the workplace or home, and key development areas to focus. Designed to get people thinking about what they want to create in their lives, this questionnaire also gives me the opportunity to strengthen my relationship with each client and to obtain useful client history and their longer-term aspirations and goals.

Discovery Session
During the early stages we will invest in developing a collaborative and trusting relationship. We will start our journey with a half-day connection and discovery session. This face-to-face meeting provides a unique opportunity to connect, start to build trust and begin to explore the current challenges and opportunities that will make the greatest difference at work and in your life. We will use this opportunity to drill down into the Coaching Questionnaire and determine any patterns of behavior, belief structures or barriers that may limit the client’s success. This session will start to develop a good sense of the clients desired future scenario, and start to answer the key question – “what is the desired future situation?”

Step 3: Act
Typically, we will meet every 2 weeks, for 60 to 90 minute Coaching sessions. Prior to each session, the client provides me with an e-mail about the actions they have taken since the last session, the key learning/breakthroughs and successes experienced as a result of those actions and any challenges encountered. The client also provides the specific challenge they want to tackle for the upcoming session and the desired outcome. This discipline enables me to fully prepare for each call, so that the session can be efficient and productive as possible.

Step 4: Review and Sustaining Success
At the end of the Coaching (period) an abridged version of the initial assessment is conducted to determine the impact of the process for the client being coached. The results of the assessment reinforce areas of progress and addresses areas in which changes are still required. We use this close out session to harvest key learning’s, anchor key behavioral changes and build a plan for sustainability beyond the coaching engagement.

Coaching 101

2008-05-06T17:22:00.002-07:00

Coaching Basics: What is coaching? Are You Ready for Coaching?

What is coaching?
For many, the concept of coaching is still ambiguous and confusing. To help dispel some of that confusion, it might be helpful to contrast coaching with several other activities that often are mistaken for it. Is coach just another name for mentor? Is a coach a counselor? A consultant? What is it that distinguishes a coach from all these other roles? Let’s take a brief look.

Mentor – mentors share their history and wisdom of personal successes and failures with someone less experienced. This helps others to avoid pitfalls and accelerate their learning curve. Many coaches find mentoring to be a useful tool in their coaching role, but realize the two are not the same.
Counselors – helps the clients to explore long-term historic patterns when struggling with some current or past event. A coach may do some simple counseling but they are very different. One does it as a means to an end (coaching); the other (counseling) is the end in itself.
Consultants – consultants are skilled in developing specific recommendations or solutions for others. The primary focus is on “telling” the client. A coach may wear the consultant hat some of the time, but their primary focus are getting the client to create the majority of their solutions.
Coaches - a coach is someone trained and devoted to guide others into increased competence, commitment and confidence. They support client’s needs to discover and make intentional changes that result in future-oriented abilities and improved performance.

Each of these roles – a mentor, counselor, consultant and coach – is unique. A highly effective coaches need to have some skill in each area. In fact some coaches, including myself, provide both Coaching and Consulting services to their clients. The reason is that each specialty provides value geared to the specific client needs.

Are you ready for coaching?
I have the great pleasure of working with clients who want to take themselves the next level, people who are committed to their personal best and are prepared from day one to do the work required to achieve that. As a coach nothing brings greater joy then to work with individuals committed to making the constructive and intentional changes necessary to be better and do better.

As you consider a coaching relationship I would encourage you to pause and consider a very important question – “are you ready for coaching?” Executives who get the most out of coaching have a fierce desire to learn and grow. To be effective, professional coaching requires a significant investment of your time, energy, focus and determination. It will also require courage, resilience and dedication to the process as we work our way though the barriers we will likely discover along the way. Before you invest, ensure you are ready to make the most of professional coaching by taking this complimentary Coaching Quiz.

About Mark

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Mark Lindstrom is Make Your Mark’s founder, thought leader and head coach. After a very rewarding and successful 32 year career Mark is enjoying the opportunity to help others to discover meaning and purpose in their personal and professional lives. Mark’s goal is to combine his passion and reputation for developing talented leaders with his business acumen to help others to be better and do better. Mark discovered his interest and passion for this new calling during his time at Starbucks Coffee where he had the opportunity to personally coach and mentor many outstanding leaders.

Mark was born and raised in the Chicago area and earned his B.S. in Marketing from N.I.U. and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin. Upon graduation Mark joined Unocal 76 and spent 21 years with the company and served in numerous line and staff roles. After a short one year stay at Fleetwood Enterprises Mark was recruited to Starbucks Coffee where he worked for ten years. In his last full-time position Mark was the Division VP for the largest operating unit in the company.

Mark completed the extensive coaching certification program at the Hudson Institute in Santa Barbara, CA in 2008. He served in the capacity of SVP of Executive Coaching at Starbucks, the first position of its kind at Starbucks, before launching Make Your Mark executive coaching and consulting.

Mission & Core Beliefs

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The Mission of Make Your Mark
Our mission is simple and critical - "to make a difference in the lives of those we serve by helping them to discover their personal best that lies within them to be better and do better." We specialize in working with executives and high potential leaders driven to achieve breakthrough performance for themselves, for those they serve and their shareholders. Our goal is to build powerful leaders, powerful teams and powerful results.

Our Core Beliefs
Our Mission is anchored with the following Three Core Beliefs:

• We believe each person is naturally creative and resourceful. A coach’s job is to provide support to enhance the clients existing strengths, skills, resources and creativity.
• We believe each person is blessed with unique strengths and weaknesses and has the power and capacity to change. Coaches do not do the work for their clients. Rather, they allow the client to own their issues and be responsible for their own success.
• We believe that the positive and intentional change is best expressed by superior performance. Highly effective coaches support their clients by assuring that their coaching initiatives have specific performance measures and outcomes associated with them to create greater accountability and results.

Purpose

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Make Your Mark specializes in working with executives, high potential leaders and team driven to achieve breakthrough performance for themselves, for those they serve and their shareholders. We focus on people who aspire to grow as leaders and to deliver results. We do not take action for leaders – we enable leaders to act. Our goal is to build powerful leaders, powerful teams and powerful results.