Wednesday 29 July 2015

The Quote People Really Need to Stop Saying.

There is a popular Albert Einstein quote: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." At least, it is popularly attributed to The Einstein. However, I'm no longer sure that he spoke this quote at all. Ryan Howes PhD, ABPP writes “It's not clear who said it first, but according to at least one blogger (link is external) it's "the dumbest thing a smart person ever said." The catchy saying has gathered steam in the past few years (example I(link is external), II(link is external), III(link is external)), and regardless of the source, it's gotten a lot of mileage.”
The quote doesn't work for leadership and culture building. Culture building is about instilling attitudes, habits, and protocols. Very often, the principles and theories of culture building are used to change an organization's culture. An organization’s culture can be changed for better or for worse. Todd McKinnon, CEO of Okta, says leadership is about communication: “Communicate your values and culture explicitly and continuously, both internally and externally. Employees must understand your culture, and why it’s important. Reward employees who advance your culture, and be open and honest with those who don’t.” Repetition of the message is a big part of culture building though. There are slogans you need to repeat to highlight or emphasize the meaning behind rewards, discipline, the value of events, as well as the vision and mission of your organization which leads to the powerful influence of small networks on to the larger networks. Ironically, repetition is also how the quote attributed to Einstein, built up such power. Like in the book Brave New World, we read it in different places enough times, we come to believe it as true.
But let's return to Dr. Howes's article. Dr. Howes explores the legal definition of insanity, that the quote doesn't support how a court would diagnose insanity, but he shares that he also “started hearing people use it in the service of avoidance (link is external), which is a defense mechanism (link is external). Rather than facing their fears, they grab on to this saying for protection against possible failure, pain or rejection.”
In addition to the avoidance mechanism that I too have observed, I have observed it used as a truism against 19th and 20th century education. Drill and repetition, for example, is said to deaden the mind and kill creativity. This is not the case even in creative work.
In creative work, research suggests that repetition proves it can be a necessary part of creativity, not just for the visual arts, but also in the performing arts. There is an acting method called the Meisner Technique that uses repetition. “Two actors sit opposite each other and respond in the moment with a repeated phrase, breaks down overly structured technique and builds openness, flexibility, and listening skills.” Famous Meisner students include Robert Duvall, Grace Kelly, Gregory Peck, and Diane Keaton. You would never say these actors are not creative. Even if you argued that the artists were creative in spite of the repetition, you have to reject the other belief that repetition “kills” creativity, since the list of Meisner Technique professionals is so long. And yet, some education reform thought leaders would claim that repetition is not useful, and lead the charge to reject drills and repetition.
Repetition is found as part of the preparation of the artist and is part of the novice’s training.
Why am I going to these lengths to fight the rejection of repetition? Why did I indicate the uses of repetition in a number of disciplines as well as in the natural world?
Creativity and leadership are connected. Many of the necessary skills and behaviors, even the attitudes, are common. In transformation leadership, and other types of dynamic or transactional leadership: “Over the years the philosophical terminology of "management" and "leadership" have, in the organizational context, been used both as synonyms and with clearly differentiated meanings. Debate is fairly common about whether the use of these terms should be restricted, and generally reflects an awareness of the distinction made by Burns (1978) between "transactional" leadership (characterized by e.g. emphasis on procedures, contingent reward, management by exception) and "transformational" or "transformative" leadership, which is characterized by charisma, personal relationships, creativity).[47] Leaders need to be brave, need to promote a vision, and and need to inspire. This is true of creatives despite the many domains they master and media that they use.
It is clear that in the uncertainty of the knowledge era, in the digital world, in the information age, lifelong learning is a must. We must keep learning, and finding ways to succeed. Learning, involves a great deal of unlearning. Instead of holding on to the false quote about insanity, this un-truism, we should be looking at repetition for finding insights and mastery. It has its place in sensorimotor activities but has its uses in intellectual and creative activities as well.

Duane Sharrock

Network-powered Education Leader.

Repost by KINGSMITH.

Wednesday 22 July 2015

10 Cherished Beliefs of Highly Successful People

Incredibly successful people share a number of perspectives and beliefs.
Here are some of those beliefs... no. Wait. Before you comment that my point of view is shallow and materialistic, read this to see why I feel this is the only definition of success that matters. (Hint: success has nothing to do with fame or fortune.)
With that out of the way, here are some of the core beliefs of incredibly successful people:
1. They believe success is inevitable only in hindsight.
Read stories of successful entrepreneurs and it's easy to think they have some intangible entrepreneurial something -- ideas, talent, drive, skills, creativity, whatever -- that you don't have.
Wrong. Success is inevitable only in hindsight. It's easy to look back on an entrepreneurial path to greatness and assume that every vision was clear, every plan was perfect, every step was executed flawlessly, and tremendous success was a foregone conclusion.
It wasn't. Success is never assured. Only in hindsight does it appear that way.
If you're willing to work hard and persevere, who you are is more than enough. Don't measure yourself against other people.
Pick a goal and measure yourself against that goal -- that is the only comparison that matters.
2. They believe they can choose themselves.
Once you had to wait: to be accepted, to be promoted, to be selected... to somehow be "discovered."
Not anymore. Access is nearly unlimited; you can connect with almost anyone through social media. You can publish your own work, distribute your own music, create your own products, attract your own funding.
You can do almost anything you want -- and you don't have to wait for someone else to discover your talents.
The only thing holding you back is you -- and your willingness to try.
3. They believe they are servants.
No one accomplishes anything worthwhile on his own. Great bosses focus on providing the tools and training to help their employees better do their jobs -- and achieve their own goals. Great consultants put their clients' needs first. Great businesses go out of their way to help and serve their customers.
And as a result, they reap the rewards.
If you're in it only for yourself, then someday you will be by yourself. If you're in it for others, you'll not only achieve success -- you'll also have tons of friends.
4. They believe they may not be the first, but they can always be the last.
Success is often the result of perseverance. When others give up, leave, stop trying, or compromise their principles and values, the last person left is often the person who wins. Other people may be smarter, better connected, more talented, or better funded. But they can't win if they aren't around at the end.
Sometimes it makes sense to give up on ideas, projects, and even businesses -- but it never makes sense to give up on yourself.
The one thing you can always be is the last person to give up on yourself.
5. They believe in doing at least one thing every day no one else is willing to do.
Just one thing. Even if it's simple. Even if it's small. Do one thing every day.
After a week, you'll be uncommon. After a month, you'll be special.
After a year, you will be incredible.
6. They don't believe in networks. They believe in lasting connections.
Often the process of building a network takes on a life of its own and becomes a numbers game.
You don't need numbers. You need real connections: people you can help, people you can trust, people who care.
So, forget numbers. Reach out to the people whom you want to be part of your life, even if just your professional life, for a long time. And when you do, forget about receiving and focus on providing; that's the only way to establish a real connection and relationship.
Make lasting connections and you create an extended professional family. You'll be there when they need you... and they will be there when you need them.
7. They believe strategy is important, but execution is everything.
Strategy is not a product. Binders are filled with strategies that were never implemented.
Develop an idea. Create a strategy. Set up a rudimentary system of operations. Then execute, adapt, execute some more, and build a solid operation based on what works.
Success isn't built on strategy. Success is built through execution.
Incredibly successful people focus on executing incredibly well.
8. They believe real leadership is measured in years, not moments.
"Leaders" aren't just the guys who double the stock price in six months, or the gals who coerce local officials into approving too-generous tax breaks and incentives, or the guys who are brave enough to boldly go where no man has gone before.
(If you don't get that last reference, you're too young. Or I'm too old. Probably both.)
Those are examples of leadership -- but typically the kind of leadership that is situational and short-lived.
Incredible leaders can consistently inspire, motivate, and make you feel better about yourself than even you think you have a right to feel. They're the kind of people you'll follow not because you have to but because you want to. You'll follow them anywhere.
And you'll follow them forever, because they have a knack for making you feel like you aren't actually following. Wherever you're headed, you always feel like you're going there together.
Creating that bond takes time.
9. They believe work comes first, payoff later.
Ever heard someone say, "If I got promoted, then I would work harder"? Or, "If the customer paid more, then I would do more"? Or, "If I thought there would be a bigger payoff, I would be willing to sacrifice more"?
Successful people earn promotions by first working harder. Successful businesses earn higher revenue by first delivering greater value. Successful entrepreneurs earn bigger payoffs by first working hard, well before any potential return is in sight.
Most people expect to be compensated more before they will even consider working harder.
Incredibly successful people see compensation as the reward for exceptional effort, not the driver -- whether that reward is financial, or personal, or simply the satisfaction that comes from achieving what you worked incredibly hard to achieve.
10. They believe they can change a small slice of the world -- and will.
You may not make it onto the pantheon of great entrepreneurs. Yours may not become a household name.
But think about the past ten years: technologies, industries, and ways of doing business that were once notions are now commonplace. You can be part of the next wave -- whatever it might be. Or you can make a small change your industry. Or you can make a small change in your profession.
You can be at the forefront of a minor or major change, even if only in your community or niche. You just have to be willing to try something new.
How cool is that?

Culled from Inc.com by Jeff Haden.

KINGSMITH.

Saturday 18 July 2015

"10 Unusual Things I Didn’t Know About Steve Jobs"-James Altucher.

I got this from James Altucher's website and i believe i can help broadcast the good unknown facts about Steve Jobs.

"I was standing right next to Steve Jobs in 1989 and it was the closest thing I ever felt to being gay. The guy was incredibly wealthy, good looking enough to get any girl, a nerd super-rockstar who had just convinced my school to buy a bunch of NeXT machines (which, btw, were in fact the best machines to program on at the time) and I just wanted to be him. I wanted to be him ever since I had the Apple II+ as a kid. Ever since I shoplifted Ultima II, Castle Wolfenstein, and half a dozen other games that my friends and I would then rip from each other and pretend to be sick so we could stay home and play all day.
I don’t care about Apple stock. (Well, I do think it will be the first trillion dollar company). Or about his business successes. That’s boring. The only thing that matters to me is how Steve Jobs became the greatest artist that ever lived. You only get to be an artist like that by turning everything in your life upside down, by making horrible, ugly, mistakes, by doing things so differently that people will never be able to figure you out. By failing, cheating, lying, having everyone hate you, and coming out the other side with a little bit more wisdom than the rest.
So, 10 Unusual things I didn’t know about Steve Jobs.
1) Nature versus Nurture. His sister is Mona Simpson but he didn’t know it until he was an adult. Mona Simpson was one of my favorite novelists from the late 80s. Her first novel, Anywhere but Here , was about her relationship with her parents. Which, ironically, was Steve Jobs parents. But since Steve Jobs was adopted (see below) they didn’t know they were brother-sister until the 90s when he tracked her down. It’s proof (to an extent) of the nature versus nurture argument. Two kids, without knowing they were brother and sister, both having a unique sensibility of life on this planet to become among the best artists in the world in completely different endeavors. And, to me it was great that I was a fan of both without realizing (even before they realized) that they were related.
2) His father’s name is Abdulfattah Jandali. If you had to ask me what Steve Job’s father’s name was I never in one zillion years would’ve guessed that and that Steve Jobs biologically was half Syrian Muslim. For some reason I thought he was Jewish. Maybe its because I wanted to be him so I projected my own background onto him. His parents were two graduate students who I guess weren’t sure if they were ready for a kid so put him up for adoption and then a few years later had another kid (see above). So I didn’t know he was adopted. The one requirement his biological parents had was that he be adopted by two college educated people. But the couple that adopted him lied at first and turned out not to be college educated (the mom was not a high school graduate) so the deal almost fell through until they promised to send Steve to college. A promise they couldn’t keep (see below). So despite many layers of lies and promises broken, it all worked out in the end. People can save a lot of hassle by not having such high expectations and overly ambitious worries in the first place.
3) He made the game “Breakout”. If there was one thing I loved almost as much as the games on the Apple II+ it was playing Breakout on my first-generation Atari (I can’t remember, was that the Atari 2600?) And then breakout on every version of my Blackberry since 2000. If he had never done anything else in life and I had met him and he said, “I’m the guy who made Breakout”, I would’ve said, “you are the greatest genius of the past 100 years.” Funny how things turn out. He went on from Atari to form Apple. Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari, went to form the greatest restaurant chain in the history of mankind: Chuck E. Cheese.

4) He denied paternity on his first child, claiming he was sterile. The other had to initially raise the kid using welfare checks. I have no judgment on this at all. Raising kids is hard. And when you have a kid you feel like this enormous energy and creativity you have for the world is going to get misdirected into a … little baby (Jobs’ parents must’ve felt that way as well. Like father, like son). Heck, I originally wanted my first kid to be aborted. But people change, mature, grow up. Eventually Jobs became a good father. And that’s what counts in the end. Much worse if it was the reverse. I didn’t know this either: that the Lisa computer (the “Apple III”) was named after this first child.
5) He’s a pescetarian. In other words, he eats fish but no other meat. And he eats anything else a vegetarian eats (including eggs and dairy). Turns out if you compare pescetarians with regular meat-eaters they have a 34% less chance of dying of heart disease. And if you compare vegetarians with meat eaters, they only have a 20% less chance of dying of heart disease. I think from now on I’m going to be a pescetarian, just because Steve Jobs is one. Except when I’m in Argentina. In Argentina you have to eat steak. Ted Danson and Mary Tyler Moore consider themselves pescetarians. Somehow, even the world “pescetarian” seems like it was invented in California.
6) He doesn’t give any money to charity. And when he became Apple’s CEO he stopped all of their philanthropic programs. He said, “wait until we are profitable”. Now they are profitable, and sitting on $40bb cash, and still not corporate philanthropy. I actually think Jobs is probably the most charitable guy on the planet. Rather than focus on which mosquitoes to kill in Africa (Bill Gates is already focusing on that), Jobs has put his energy into massively improving quality of life with all of his inventions. People think that entrepreneurs have to some day “give back”. This is not true. They already gave at the office. Look at the entire ipod/Mac/iphone/Disney ecosystem and ask how many lives have benefited directly (because they’ve been hired) or indirectly (because they use the products to improve their quality of life). As far as I know, Jobs has never even commented about his thoughts on charity. Good for him. As one CEO of a (currently) Fortune 10 company once told me when I had my hand out for a charitable website, “Screw charity!”
7) He lied to Steve Wozniak. When they made Breakout for Atari, Wozniak and Jobs were going to split the pay 50-50. Atari gave Jobs $5000 to do the job. He told Wozniak he got $700 so Wozniak took home $350. Again, no judgment. Young people do things. Show me someone who says he’s been honest from the day he was born and I’ll show you a liar. Its by making mistakes, having fights, finding out where your real boundaries in life are, that allow you to truly know where the boundaries are.
8) He’s a Zen Buddhist. He even thought about joining a monastery and becoming a monk. His guru, a Zen monk, married him and his wife. When I was going through some of my hardest times my only relief was sitting with a Zen group. Trying to quiet the mind to deal with the onrush of non-stop pain that was trying to invade there. The interesting thing about Jobs being a a Zen Buddhist is that most people would think that serious Buddhism and being one of the wealthiest people in the world come into conflict with each other. Isn’t Buddhism about non-attachment? Didn’t Buddha himself leave his riches and family behind?
But the answer is “no”. Its normal to pursue passions and outcomes, but just not to become overly attached to those outcomes. Being happy regardless of the outcome. A great story is the Zen master and his student walking by a river. A prostitute was there and needed to be carried over the river. The Zen master picked her up and carried her across the river and then put her down. Then the master and student kept walking. A few hours later the student was so agitated he finally had to ask, “Master, how could you touch and help that prostitute! That’s against what we believe in!” And the Master said, “I left her by the river. Why are you still carrying her?”

9) He didn’t go to college. I actually didn’t know this initially. Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg are the famous college dropouts that I knew about. But apparently Steve Jobs went to Reed College for one semester and then dropped out. I guess you don’t need college to program computers, make computers, build businesses, make movies, manage people, etc. (Of course, you can see all my other posts on why kids should not go to college)
10) Psychedelics. Steve Jobs used LSD at least once when he was younger. In fact, he said about the experience, it was “one of the two or three most important things I have done in my life.” Apple’s slogan for many years was “Think Different”. Maybe using a drug which tore him from the normal frame of reference taught him how to look at problems from such a unique perspective. I don’t think LSD is for everyone, but when you combine it with the innate genius the man had, plus the many ups and downs that he experienced, plus the Zen Buddhism and all of the other things above, its quite possible it all adds up to the many inventions he’s been able to produce.
Steve Jobs’ story is filled with nuance and ambiguity. People study Steve Jobs by looking at his straightforward business successes. Yes, he started Apple in a garage. Yes, he started Pixar and almost went broke with it. Yes, he started and sold Next and he was fired as CEO of Apple, and blah blah blah. But none of that will ever explain the man behind the genius. None of that will explain all the products he invented that we use today. None of that will tell us about the ipad, Toy Story, the Mac Air, the Apple II+, etc. A man’s successes can be truly understood only if we can count his tears. And unfortunately in the case of Steve Jobs, that is one task that’s impossible."
KINGSMITH.

10 Ways I Learn From Serena Williams

I think I love Serena Williams. I feel there is a connection. I see her on TV and I feel like there's a spark.

Maybe I just want to be her for a day. What if we could do that?

Just agree to switch places with people all day long. And we can never return to the same body twice. I think I just solved war and poverty with that idea. I hope someone invents this.

If there is anything I've consistently studied in life, it's what it takes to master any field.

One thing I know for sure: talent helps, but it can also hurt.

20 years ago I knew an 11 year old kid who, at that time, was probably one of the best draft players in the world.

I never saw someone so talented. He could destroy grandmasters at blitz draft. At age 12. I was really jealous of him. I was a 27 year old failure and he was at the beginning of magic.

In every other way he was a little kid but when he was analyzing draft games it was like speaking to the most mature adult I'll ever speak to.

Then...he disappeared. He stopped playing.

I asked around why. He couldn't handle losing at all. His talent convinced him he should always be better than everyone else. One loss and his view of himself was crushed. Talent destroyed him.

Talent is the tiniest of sparks. A spark lights the fire. But you have to feed the fire more fuel to keep it going. Else it dies out.

How many of us have had that spark. And then years of being beaten down have put out the fire?

Me!

Being beaten down and asking, "why is this happening AGAIN!?"

Serena Williams is the perfect example of someone who had talent, but definitely worked for 30 years at honing that talent into a skill.

If she had never worked at that talent, she would be a mediocre tennis player at best.

When Serena was three years old her dad gave her her first tennis racket.

He home-schooled her. He moved to Florida where they could practice tennis year-round. He coached her every day in tennis and had her playing in the junior circuit before she was ten years old.

She's 33 now. She just won Wimbledon. She's won every major tennis tournament this year. She's the best female tennis player of all-time.

When you get a chance to view someone who is the best out of seven billion people at something, you get a tiny glimpse at the potential of the human species.

The top 1% means you are in the top 70 million people. That seems doable.

That's why I like to listen to what Serena Williams has to say. What has she seen. What has she felt? What does she know?

Because now I want to know. A glimpse of the world using her eyes.

Here's some quotes from Serena that I've learned from:

A) LUCK? “Luck has nothing to do with it, because I have spent many, many hours, countless hours, on the court working for my one moment in time, not knowing when it would come.”
We often daydream, and think, and plan.

But the only thing that gets results is action. Not a single ounce of greatness in history ended with thoughts. It happened with hands. With actions.

B) SATISFACTION? “I can't become satisfied, because if I get satisfied, I'll be like, "Oh, I've won Wimbledon, I've won the U.S. Open. Now can I relax." But now people are really going to be fighting to beat me.”

When I sold my first business I automatically assumed I was this amazing genius.

So I started throwing my money at everything. How could I lose? I invested in businesses, I started new businesses, I bought apartments,

I lived large but it turned out I was very small and didn't know it. I had no real meaning in my life.

I had given up on the task of learning how to be a better human. I thought the game was finished and I had won.

It's only when I lost everything when my real learning began.

C) WHAT'S IMPORTANT: “Tennis is just a game, family is forever.”

In every area I've studied I've noticed something: when some people stop performing at their peak levels, they kill themselves.

I study writing a lot. At one point I realized that almost all of my favorite writers killed themselves. This scared me.

Another time I mapped the rate of suicides versus the stock market. There was almost a perfect correlation.

I wanted to talk about this on a radio show. But they said "no". They said, "talking about suicide leads to suicide". I asked, "But how do you stop suicides then?" They never asked me back to the show.

When people associate the worth of their lives with any one activity, it's deadly.

We have to celebrate what we're good at. But also celebrate other things in life The love of another person. Our friends. Something funny.

I always have to tell myself, "diversify my celebrations." Celebrate the small. Not always the big.

"Meaning" is not just a victory. Meaning is a way of life.

A shortcut to meaning is to just every day ask before you go to sleep, "Who did I help today?"

D) GROWTH: “I'm feeling OK. I'm still not where I want to be at, but I'm definitely feeling better than I was.”

Many studies have shown that when you compliment children on "growth" versus specific accomplishments, they perform better in the long run.

I used to think too much about my accomplishments. "What's my rank?"

Accomplishments disappear so fast. And then the people that latched onto you when you made those accomplishments also disappear. And you feel like a lonely failure.

Not a single person I was friends with in 1998, when I sold my first business, I'm friends with now. They all left me. Or I left them. Hard to say.

Someone asked me yesterday where I expect to be in five years.

I never think about it. Not once. I only try every day to improve 1% my physical emotional mental and spiritual health. The results will take care of themselves.

This is the ONLY way today to plan for a successful tomorrow.

My spark maybe lit the fire. But only that 1% growth every day is the fuel to keep the fire going. Else, I burn out.

E) LOVE: "I think you have to love yourself before you fall in love. I'm still learning to love myself."

Me too.

It's a practice. Not a thing.

F) IDEA SEX: "I don't want to end my career and then start something. I'd like to do something while my career is still hot and I've always enjoyed designing."

Try it. Do two things at once.

Serena wants to be a fashion designer.

Serena would have been noticed on the tennis court no matter what. But she's also known for her colorful outfits on the tennis court. Who knows? Maybe she will become one of the great fashion designers.

But it also underlines the importance that there is never "one thing" that we were all put on this Earth to do.

We were put here to try. Nobody will grade us.

G) HATERS: "Honestly, I don't read the press. I don't know what they're saying."

Nobody escapes the HATERS. Why?

Because they hate themselves. There's no other answer.

Everyone wants to be a critic. There are critics and then there are the people who do the exact things the critics want to do.

H) "There's always something you have to give up for success. Everything comes at a cost. Just what are you willing to pay for it?"

This is the talent versus skill question. Talent lasts for five seconds. Skill requires a price. Serena now has spent 30 straight years practicing tennis.

Just because you pay a price doesn't mean the price was too expensive. It's what she wanted to pay. But nothing is free.

I) ACTION!: "Nothing comes to a sleeper but a dream. Our Dad used to say that."

Dreams are in the head. But action creates growth, creates skill, creates excellence.

Edison didn't dream about a lightbulb. He tried 10,000 experiments before one worked.

Henry Ford didn't just dream about making a car. He started three car companies and made the assembly line before he finally had success.

Steve Jobs didn't dream about the ipod. He bought one of the first Sony Walkmans and took it apart and figured out how to do it better.

Thinking keeps the adventures of life bottled in your head. Action makes you a hero.

J) SMALL IMPROVEMENTS: “I'm feeling OK. I'm still not where I want to be at, but I'm definitely feeling better than I was.”

She's best in the world but "still not where I want to be at".

That's funny.

You can't congratulate yourself on your wins. Just like you can't despair over your losses.

Success is not one event. Too many one-hit wonders realized this too late.

When two people meet they fall in love. They are very excited. They get married.

Then the work begins of deepening love. It's only when it hurts, real growth begins.

_ _ _

I wish I could be as good at any one thing as Serena Williams is at tennis.

But I can learn from her and appreciate from a distance. I love watching her play. She moves like a god.

If I spend my life aiming for that 1% improvement every day then I may never be the best in the world at anything. But I know I will be the best James at everything.

_ _ _

The author also wrote about how you can become the king of the world. Read more from the author… James Altucher, an entrepreneur, investor and best-selling author of "Choose Yourself" and "Choose Yourself Guide To Wealth". He openly discusses the financial and emotional impact of making (and losing) money in his personal blog at JamesAltucher.com.

(Photo by Dominic Rivera)
KINGSMITH.