Lee Meadows Articles

Guest post by: Lee Meadows
Become an Author

Trailblazing

It is an easy argument to make that most insights aren’t the result of something you were thinking about, but something you reacted to that was connected to some, seemingly, insignificant event. Of course, the real trick is to recognize when you’ve descended into the ‘Valley of Insight’ and emerged unscathed and far wiser from the trip.

Looking Beyond the Short-Termers

The search for life lesson’s goes beyond the boundaries of a specific discipline, expertise or interest. Few would argue that, in recent years, the world of business and sports have operated less like Mars and Venus, separate but equal, and more like Twin Peaks, separate, but connected by a common base. The most recent NCAA basketball tournament has been a bizarre display of predictions gone wild. Yet, what has been interesting has been some of the surrounding dialogue that pertains to building blocks, teamwork, consistency and the ultimate prize. In doing so, the NCAA basketball tournament has provided some unique insights that have a direct bearing on how a business can achieve consistent success.

Self-Development

The practical side of self-development is rarely viewed through the lens of business outcomes. It was, typically, angled as a nice-to-do, fuzzy-wuzzy activity that ranked just below the corporate Nerf Ball tournament. Occasionally, it was dusted off during the annual performance appraisal discussion as a checklist of unrelated tasks that lend further credence to it being taken as seriously as a Flava Flav critique of the Six Wives of Henry the VIII. During the years of corporate benevolence, millions of dollars were allocated to the pursuit of knowledge enhancement, skill acquisition and self-improvement as part of the employee benefit package.

Non-linear Career Progression

When told that the ‘shortest distance between two points is a straight line’, this familiar maxim has an, inherent, link to the topic of avoidance. A straight line helps us to avoid wasting time, digressive conversations, subtle references to a certain attraction and political malfeasance. The straight-line reference is a way of avoiding behavioral meandering so as to stay focused on what’s in front of you. In the business sector, the phrase ‘cradle to grave’ contract was used to describe the linear progression of a career path. Career advancement reflected a climb up a ladder of a silo in which professional perspectives were shaped by the boundaries of that narrow focus.

Meltdowns

Meltdowns! The process used by individuals to, formally, self-destruct in front of anyone occupying a seat in the organization’s public arena. This, typically, unpredictable event has slowly and steadily moved from being a minor annoyance underneath the radar to a to a full-scale event that only lacks the planned whistles and fireworks of the WWE’s Smackdown. The one thing that the Smackdown and the individual Meltdown have in common is both love a crowd.

Leadership and Making It Special

There is a lot of talk, these days, about what a leader should do, ought to do, needs to do and do be do! Opinions from mainstream, midstream, downstream and upstream media are as diverse as there are people on the planet. Each stream of thought is equally convinced that their assessment of the ‘leadership’ event is anchored in a compelling, narrow focus of wisdom that drives their point of view. The leadership literature is abundant with personal testimonies, ‘pop culture’ analysis and perspectives that offer a very thin slice of a very large pie

Leading By Example

Leading by example is one of the popular terms used by Presidents, Premiers, Popes and Professionals to describe the integration of attitude, philosophy and practice toward a specific goal The person doing the leading is, by definition, engaged in a pattern of behaviors that embody the symbiotic relationship between the values of the organization and its leaders. This, unspoken, agreement is reinforced by way of the organizational history, the mission statement, the culture and the hundreds of sustainable practices that are a natural part of the organization’s existence.

Individual Recognition

The United States Patent Office is the formally recognized institution in which there is a structured process for protecting an individual idea. It is a legally defensible process that is not concerned with who was the first one with the idea, but who was the first one to finish filling out the paperwork. Every year thousands of ideas are wrapped in this transparent veil of protection. It is a testament to those individuals who have taken the time to move an idea out of their head and into a formal structure

Your Best Effort?

“In gratitude for years of long term service to this company, its employees and its customers, we are gathered to thank..,” While the sentiment that drives this statement is known and understood throughout the annals of organizational history, much of its meaning goes unstated. At a time when forced retirements take the joy out of amiable closure between an individual and the organization, it is nice to have the rare opportunity to attend a retirement that, still, adheres to the ceremonial ritual long since weeded out of the current organizational landscape

When the Game Changes

The overlapping worlds of business and sports are often used to explain, if only metaphorically, the human condition. As the economic cycle has taken its toll and too many starters find themselves on injury reserve, the process for returning to playing form involves a realignment of the head, heart and hands by way of a surgical reconstruction of the spirit. Jobs, careers and lifestyles are managed patterns of living, tied to individual competence, self-confidence and personal standards achieved through consistent play in a game in which the rules were known and respected

Page 1 of 5
1
2
3
4
5
Next
Last

Home > Small-Business-Consulting > Lee Meadows > Google +

About the Author: Lee Meadows

RSS for Lee's articles - Visit Lee's website
Lee Meadows is an award winning Professor of Management and sought after keynote and motivational speaker. He has spent 30 years working, teaching, consulting and writing about the field of Leadership and Management. His best selling book, 'Take the Lull By the Horns! Closing the Leadership Gap' is required reading within management curriculums at several institutions of higher learning and a favorite among corporate and non-profit organizations. His corporate presentations are entertaining, thought provoking and well received. Check out snippets of his presentations on YouTube under 'the Lull Doctor', visit his Facebook page on 'Meadows Consult' and go to his website at http://www.leemeadows.biz. Book him for your upcoming corporate speaking engagements and come to his public forums in a city near you.
Click here to visit Lee's website.

More from Lee Meadows
Excellent Customer Service
Picking the Right People
Retaining Your Customers
Protecting your ideas
Eliminating Chronic Behaviors

Share this article. Fund someone's dream.

Share this post and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Featured

Expert

Cody Ward
@codymward
Visit website


Name:
Email: