“Hope is like peace.  It is not a gift from God.  It is a gift only we can give one another.” ~Elie Wiesel

There is much discussion about leadership, the characteristics of a leader and entire blogs, books and businesses dedicated to the topic. The tendency is to focus on people in positions of leadership, with titles that ooze authority: CEO, CFO, COO, Executive Vice President, District Regional Manager of the World, etc.  The debate lingers on whether the titles parallel the behaviors of a leader, with many sidebar debates thrown in for good measure.

As Kelly and I reflected upon milestones of the past year, we kept returning to one particular client.  We were asked to facilitate a 4 hour leadership seminar to a high school student council consisting of 48 students. I had a conference call with two of the advisers: Principal of St. Francis DeSales High School, Dan Garrick, and Community Relations Director, Karen Cofojohn.  The conversation started like most initial client contact calls: a needs analysis, logistics, primary expectations for the session, etc.  And that’s where the similarities ended.

Dan and Karen lured me in with their calm demeanor.  Suddenly…shazam!  Their ideas and aspirations for these students were unending.  They wanted them to have an experience that would alter how they viewed their role in student council, taking it from a faculty/adviser driven group to the lofty status of student government.  That is a huge leap…in 4 semesters, let alone, 4 hours!  Student governments are just that: governed by the students.  That requires a level of leadership, commitment, effort, and awareness not often attributed to an average group of high school students.  Many schools claim to have a student government, but typically they are just glorified student councils.  It’s not a question of semantics, it’s a matter of culture, behavior and leadership.  By the end of the call, Dan and Karen had me raring to go…until I called Kelly.  Reality check: we have 4 hours.

Well, we are The Experience Factor.  Let’s create an experience. And let’s get some more coffee and Diet Coke…STAT!

As Kelly and I prepared the room at the site of the event, a yellow school bus loomed in the distance. Students came filing in, loud, excited, eager.  The first thing we noticed: students asking, “How can we help you?”  Seriously?  We facilitate events with adults all over the nation and that is rarely the first question we hear.  It’s usually, “Are we getting lunch?”  These students didn’t even flinch at our assigned seating!  For most of them, having just been elected, this was their first time meeting each other and we were already challenging their comfort zone.  Not a single complaint.

These students created an amazing experience…for us.  They opened our eyes to the possibilities of the future of leadership.  They demonstrated and verbalized insights we had not imagined.  They were able to identify people in their own lives, and throughout history that represented the qualities of leadership to which they aspire.  They mentioned parents, teachers, mentors, coaches, historical figures, neighbors, relatives…the type of leader they want to emulate.

They participated in discussions, activities and challenges with enthusiasm, willingness and courage.  These students represented the ideal characteristics of leadership.  The most exciting thing about the session was literally their excitement!  Imagine a company filled with employees dedicated to making every moment of the day an event, an experience, a representation of their best self.  That’s what these students accomplished. We gave them tasks to complete: they did so with creativity, collaboration and energy.  We gave them questions to answer: they did so with openness, transparency and wisdom.  We gave them challenges to test their comfort zone: they did so with trust, courage and integrity.

Many of these students will one day hold a title that signifies a position of leadership and authority.  Our hope is that they remain true to their current selves, do not become jaded by corporate policy or seduced by power.  Leadership starts early.  Excellent leadership starts at schools like St. Francis DeSales where they are committed to the growth and development of students who will live with integrity and act with compassion.

Our thanks goes to each of the students that participated in that 4 hour session.  They renewed our faith in the possibilities of expanding the dialog of leadership to a younger generation.  And most noteworthy, they gave us hope.

“You’re not supposed to be so blind with patriotism that you can’t face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who says it.” ~Malcolm X

“Cowardice asks the question, ‘Is it safe?’ Expediency asks the question, ‘Is it politic?’ Vanity asks the question, ‘Is it popular?’ But, conscience asks the question, ‘Is it right?’ And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but one must take it because one’s conscience tells one that it is right.” ~Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Remember when you were a little kid?  You really and truly knew and deeply understood right from wrong.  Somewhere along the line, your experiences, parents, education and biases took hold.  But for a brief and shining moment, you were a GENUINE person: completely unconcerned with the opinion of the world. You knew, in your heart of hearts, that ALL people matter. Most of you were conditioned through traditional education to dispel this truth. Yet YOU, yes you, have always known that there is more to this world than what you have been taught in your little world or in school.  You want to make a difference, but you don’t know how, or have been discouraged from doing so in the past.  Well, stick out your tongue and tell the world, “I’m a speck, but you WILL feel my power!

I am but a speck on the time line of humanity. Humbling, to say the least.  But lately I’ve been wondering, what should I be doing with this morsel of time I’ve been allotted…never knowing when I shall be recalled.  Am I honoring my briefest of moments in a manner worthy of the opportunity?

I recall a course from college. I was not taking it seriously for various reasons. I did not find my professor “worthy” of his title (my chutzpah had many sources). The assignment I recall was after our reading of By Any Means Necessary, by Malcolm X.  We were put into groups, required to give a presentation.  At the time, I was experiencing some personal difficulties and did not have the time nor desire to meet with my group.  Needless to say, they quickly labeled me a slacker. I attended the “you have to attend this meeting or we will kill you” meetings in preparation for our presentation, but no other.

On the day of our presentation, my group looked at me with hostility.  My thought: “You just completed an assignment. Booyah for you.”  There were four students per group, and my group told me I’d be last, summarizing their major points.  In my estimation, they figured I’d listen to their presentations and have the wherewithal to put their effort into summary formation.  Chutzpah or not, as I listened I considered their one-sided, upper-middle class bias of a tremendous human being who lost his life for standing up for humanity.  They were giving a book report. His “speck” deserved so much more.

My turn. I compared the writings, speeches and approach taken by Malcolm X to that of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  They were each brilliant, courageous, resolute, bold-spirited and valiant beyond words.  Their stance was different, but their message was similar.  My group was astounded.  How dare I change the assignment!  This was not a comparison between two leaders.  Martin Luther King, Jr wasn’t even mentioned in the syllabus.  Oh the humanity!

I didn’t care.  How can you talk about one without the other? Education should make you THINK, not make you a robot. My goal was to compare the diverse approaches to leadership, to social inequities, to blatant racism and pure ignorance. I could give a flying “F” about a book report.  I lived in Detroit in the late ’60′s and early 70′s. MEMORY:  A young black man being chained to a street sign, beaten by a group of white teenagers.  I was six years old as my parents took action. How could I not comprehend the need for differing approaches to leadership by the time I was a junior in college?! To note, none of my group members complained when we received the highest grade for stepping “outside the confines of the assignment.”

Leadership platitudes are nice, comfy and easy to retweet.  But pathetic little me wants more.  I cannot stand in the shadow of the character, wisdom or fortitude of the leaders that stood before me…marking their place in history, paving a road I am honored to travel upon. I am not worthy of their mark in history.  However, I’ll be damned if I don’t take their lead and stand up for equity despite it’s unpopularity.

Kelly and I founded this company to challenge the status quo, to do the right thing when it’s the right thing to do and to never back down in the face of adversity.  Look around my friends…adversity is blossoming. People are suffering. Propaganda is flourishing.  I’m one small voice, one speck, please…PLEASE, tell us what you are willing to do to extend yourself to others, to lessen their burden, to become a light in the darkness.  Opinions make a lovely garden…facts make a sustainable world. Care to raise your glass and make your own toast to courage?

Peace, Jen

Working with businesses throughout the U.S. and Canada, I often get asked how effective teams are created.  There is no easy answer.  Creating a team is complex and requires effort, dedication, strategy and willingness. Creating a team is serious business. And it’s important to your bottom line. When employees are unhappy, disengaged or just going through the motions: your business takes a hit and your consumers pay the price.  Not a goal of any business I know.

In her blog, “Laughter is the best medicine – and productivity booster”, Cathy Leibow discusses the research supporting having fun at work. There is a direct correlation between enjoying your work environment and creative, productive employees.  If those are behaviors you want from employees, I encourage you to consider creating opportunities that inspire those behaviors.  Check out some of the suggestions here: http://bit.ly/czXulx

Some additional ideas:

1. Allow employees to have a few pictures of family/friends at their work station
2. Have a potluck lunch once a month (I’ll bring the paper plates…you don’t want me to cook anything!)
3. Share personal success stories through your internal communication system (ex. “Jen finished her first half marathon this weekend…could someone pick her up off the floor?!”)
4. Post employee pictures (most employees do not even know what employees from other departments/areas look like, yet they talk on the phone to give/receive information almost daily)
5. Sponsor a “Meet and Greet” night with one rule: No one is allowed to talk about work (you may have to get creative and have some activities prepared…feel free to contact me if you need some ideas)

Research has proven your employees productivity will increase when they feel more connected to your company.

• What are you going to do to create a stronger team?
• What opportunities do you have, with your current resources, to foster a team environment?

If you have additional ideas or suggestions, please share them!  I’d love to hear what people are doing that’s making a difference.

Today is Monday.  As I checked my Facebook account, Twitter account and emails this morning, I noticed a trend.  Many people were complaining about the end of the weekend and beginning of a new work week.  For a moment, I was tempted to commiserate with my friends, tweeps and others.  To complain about Mondays and work seems to have become ingrained in our culture.  Even if you’re happy to be at work, you may have formed the habit of complaining about the beginning of your work week.

I challenge you to break this habit.  What would your company culture feel like if no one ever complained about being at work?  What impact would that have on morale, productivity, teamwork and motivation?

I’m a firm believer in personal responsibility in a group setting.  We are all responsible for the overall culture of our work environment, no matter our position.

Take the Motivate Your Monday challenge:

• What can I start doing to create a more productive, team-oriented and positive work environment?
• What can I stop doing that is adding to the drama, tension and negative work environment?

By asking yourself those two questions, and putting your answers into actions, you will be a “value-adding” employee.  If you are in a position of leadership, consider asking your team those questions (including yourself, of course!), then hold people accountable to make their contribution.